A Bizarre Study Suggests That Watching TV Causes Autism

Strange things happen when you apply the statistical methods of economics to medical science. You might say you get dismal science, but that's a bit glib. You certainly get some strange claims-like the contention of three economists that autism may be caused by watching too much television at a tender age. It gets stranger still when you look at the data upon which this argument is based. The as yet unpublished Cornell University study, which will be presented Friday at a health economics conference in Cambridge, Mass., is constructed from an analysis of reported autism cases, cable TV subscription data and weather reports. Yes, weather reports. And yet, it all makes some kind of sense in the realm of statistics. And it makes sense to author Gregg Easterbrook, who stirred the blogosphere this week with an article about the study on Slate, provocatively (and perhaps irresponsibly) titled "TV Really Might Cause Autism."

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Tags: watching | toxins | television | Health | GENES | autism | tv | suggests | cambridge | bizarre

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Money Matters - Test Your Homeowners Insurance Smarts

Just because you have homeowners insurance doesn't mean you're protected.


True protection is when you know for a fact that your policy will provide you and your family coverage that allows you to repair, rebuild, and restart after a major loss. Not assume, not guess, but know you have the right coverage.


Yet time and again I've seen homeowners who buy a policy that "seems OK," without really understanding the coverage they have. Often, it's a decision simply based on which company is offering the basic coverage demanded by a mortgage lender at the cheapest premium. You as a buyer figure that if the mortgage lender is fine with it, then you're amply covered.


You're not. All mortgage lenders care about is that your insurance at least covers the value of the loan. That covers their financial risk, but it doesn't cover everything you need to be truly secure.

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Tags: cheapest | Smarts | risk | PREMIUM | policy | Mortgage | Loss | LOAN | Lender | insurance | homeowners | buyer | matters

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Researchers developing purple tomatoes

Oregon State University researchers are fine-tuning a purple tomato, a new blend of colors and nutrients. The skin is as dark as an eggplant. But it doesn't just look cool, it could be better for you.


The novel pigment contains the same phytochemical found in blueberries that is thought to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.


Six years in the making, the purple hybrid could hit salad plates in two years.


Genetic origins are not at issue. The purple tomato traces its roots to a wild species in South America, not a petri dish.

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Tags: pigment | phytochemical | petri | fine-tuning | traces | Tomato | species | roots | risk | RESEARCHERS | Reduce | purple | origins | nutrients | NOVEL | Issue | Hybrid | eggplant | developing | colors | cancer | BLUEBERRIES | Blend | university | South America | Oregon

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Researchers developing purple tomatoes


Oregon State University researchers are fine-tuning a purple tomato, a new blend of colors and nutrients. The skin is as dark as an eggplant. But it doesn't just look cool, it could be better for you.

The novel pigment contains the same phytochemical found in blueberries that is thought to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

Six years in the making, the purple hybrid could hit salad plates in two years.

Genetic origins are not at issue. The purple tomato traces its roots to a wild species in South America, not a petri dish.

Jim Myers, the Oregon State professor overseeing the project, said he doesn't see it changing the world, but it may entice gardeners and commercial growers to try it.

Although locals can't buy the hybrids yet, several got to sample them at farmers markets around the Mid Valley this summer, and a handful got a sneak peek at a local nursery. Barbara Taylor of Monmouth marveled at its color when she saw the tomato last month.

"Wow," she said. "It's definitely different."

It will be the first true purple tomato, Myers said, although a few heirlooms offer whispers of a muddy purple caused when pink fruit meets green skin.

Local tasters give mixed reviews, but researchers are working on a cross with the popular Sungold cherry tomatoes to boost the flavor.

That hybrid won't be ready for several years.

Hundreds of years ago, explorers discovered purple tomatoes in the wild, but the species never made it to the table because the fruit was small and some were poisonous, as all tomatoes once were thought to be.

In the 1960s and 1970s, scientists collected seeds from purple tomatoes and bred them with modern hybrids, making them safe to eat.

The research lagged until Oregon State graduate student Carl Jones resumed the work in 2000 on a hunch about the tomatoes' nutritional value.

Jones discovered that the purple tomato, unlike its red cousins, contained high levels of anthocyanins, a chemical found in dark fruit pigments such as blueberries and grapes that can act as an antioxidant.

The purple tomato also has red skin at the base, so it still contains lycopene, another antioxidant.

Despite six years of research and three generations of purple tomatoes, Oregon State's hybrid might not be first.

Professional seed producers have started developing their own purple tomato after hearing news of Oregon State's project.

Among them is former Oregon State graduate student Peter Mes, who worked on the school's project through 2004. Now he's a tomato breeder at Sakata Seed America and the school's closest competitor for the great grape-colored tomato.

Oregon State needs at least two more years to inbreed the tomato line in the field and stabilize its characteristics before releasing a variety. Mes says so does he.

Oregon State developed the purple tomato to promote health, but it's the color that will draw the most fame, said Rose Marie Nichols McGee, the owner of Nichols Garden Nursery in Albany.

Gardeners and consumers seek out unusual produce colors such as orange cauliflower and purple carrots, she said.

"I think we respond to something that looks a little bit different," she said. "It just catches our curiosity."

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Today in history - Oct. 21

Today is Saturday, Oct. 21, the 294th day of 2006. There are 71 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:


On Oct. 21, 1805, a British fleet commanded by Admiral Horatio Nelson defeated a French-Spanish fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar; Nelson, however, was killed.


On this date:


In 1797, the U.S. Navy frigate Constitution, also known as "Old Ironsides," was christened in Boston's harbor.

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Tags: French-Spanish | KILLED | kidnappers | FLEET | defeated | COMMANDED | trafalgar | Tracy | oct | NELSON | Lebanon | John | Horatio | British | Boston | battle | American | admiral

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Today in history - Oct. 21


The Associated Press

Today is Saturday, Oct. 21, the 294th day of 2006. There are 71 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 21, 1805, a British fleet commanded by Admiral Horatio Nelson defeated a French-Spanish fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar; Nelson, however, was killed.

On this date:

In 1797, the U.S. Navy frigate Constitution, also known as "Old Ironsides," was christened in Boston's harbor.

In 1879, Thomas Edison perfected a workable electric light at his laboratory in Menlo Park, N.J.

In 1944, during World War II, U.S. troops captured the German city of Aachen.

In 1959, the Guggenheim Museum in New York opened to the public.

In 1960, Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon clashed in their fourth and final presidential debate.

In 1966, more than 140 people, mostly children, were killed when a coal waste landslide engulfed a school and several houses in Aberfan, Wales.

In 1967, tens of thousands of Vietnam War protesters began two days of demonstrations in Washington.

In 1976, Saul Bellow won the Nobel Prize for literature, the first American honored since John Steinbeck in 1962.

In 1986, pro-Iranian kidnappers in Lebanon claimed to have abducted American Edward Tracy (he was released in August 1991).

In 1991, American hostage Jesse Turner was freed by his kidnappers in Lebanon after nearly five years in captivity.

Ten years ago: President Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military survived its first Supreme Court test. Arnoldo Aleman claimed victory over Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua's presidential election. The Atlanta Braves took a 2-0 lead in the World Series, defeating the New York Yankees 4-0.

Five years ago: Washington postal worker Thomas L. Morris Jr. died of inhalation anthrax as officials began testing thousands of postal employees. The Arizona Diamondbacks won the National League championship, defeating the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in Game 5.

One year ago: Hurricane Wilma tore into Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, after killing 13 people in Haiti and Jamaica. The Kansas Supreme Court unanimously struck down a state law that punished underage sex more severely if it involved homosexual acts.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Joyce Randolph is 81. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Whitey Ford is 78. Rock singer Manfred Mann is 66. Musician Steve Cropper (Booker T. & the MG's) is 65. Singer Elvin Bishop is 64. TV's Judge Judy Sheindlin is 64. Actor Everett McGill is 61. Musician Lee Loughnane (Chicago) is 60. Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is 57. Musician Charlotte Caffey (The Go-Go's) is 53. Actress-author Carrie Fisher is 50. Singer Julian Cope is 49. Rock musician Steve Lukather (Toto) is 49. Rock musician Che Colovita Lemon is 36. Rock singer-musician Nick Oliveri (Mondo Generator) is 35. Christian rock musician Charlie Lowell (Jars of Clay) is 33. Actor Jeremy Miller is 30. Actor Will Estes is 28.

Thought for Today: "There are different kinds of wrong. The people sinned against are not always the best." — Dame Ivy Compton-Burnett, English author (1892-1969).

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