How soap kills the coronavirus

Plain old soap and water absolutely annihilate coronavirus.

You've been told a thousand times: wash your hands to stop the spread of COVID-19. But why does this work so well? It has to do with the way the soap molecules are able to absolutely demolish viruses, like the coronavirus.

Read more about the coronavirus pandemic at http://vox.com/coronavirus

How does hand sanitizer compare to soap: http://bit.ly/2WqzEfo

Songs to wash your hands by: http://bit.ly/2Uj3T5g

How social distancing and “flattening the curve” works: http://bit.ly/3aOlHM8

How does the coronavirus outbreak end? Your biggest questions answered: http://bit.ly/39YzlfG

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Oxygen

For those of you who’ll be studying Chemistry this year (or those who already did), we’d like you to have a look at this fun video regarding some of the reactions and properties of Oxygen when exposed to other elements of the periodic table.

Did you know that Oxygen…

... repels Hellion?

… causes most metals to rust (e.g. Iron)?

… is often used as ignition in engines? (and Barium is used in fireworks)

Let’s see what happens when confronted to two molecules of Hydrogen!

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non commercial purposes.

Neil deGrasse Tyson: The Most Astounding Fact, by Gavin Aung Than

(Reblogged from Zen Pencils)

Zen Pencils is a website launched in February 2012 by Gavin Aung Than, a freelance illustrator living in Melbourne, Australia. On Zen pencils you will find inspirational quotes from famous people adapted into cartoons. The site is updated once a week, every Tuesday (Australian Eastern Standard time). What type of quotes does Gavin adapt? Anything and everything. Poets to Presidents, comedians to colonels – anyone who inspires him, challenges his way of thinking, wakes him up or just makes him laugh.

Neil deGrasse Tyson (1958-) is an astrophysicist, director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York, TV host and one of the current rockstars of the science world. He’s gained mainstream and pop-culture fame thanks to his books, TV show and frequent appearances on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Like the late Carl Sagan, Tyson has the ability to communicate the wonders of science to a mainstream audience with charisma and a sense of humour. It’s fitting then that Tyson will be hosting the upcoming sequel to Sagan’s iconic series Cosmos. Tyson also has a great podcast, StarTalk Radio.

ADHD Theory Does Children No Favours

Researchers at Cardiff University have now jumped on the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) bandwagon with the theory it is caused by 'genetic faults'.

ADHD is a subject I have followed for some ime, not as a scientist but as a humanitarian. In a world where drugs have been singled out as a major cause of social decline, I couldn't understand why children were being advised to take drugs for a so-called mental illness that had never been scientifically proven.

Both the children's minister, Sarah Teather, and Ofsted have raised concerns that branding children as having special needs, which includes the ADHD label, is being used to excuse poor behaviour. Boisterous, argumentative or disruptive behaviour has been redefined as a mental illness and the latest theory of 'genetic faults' is just another smokescreen that feeds the profit-driven psychiatric industry. From 2000 to 2009, NHS spending in England, Scotland and Wales to chemically subdue ADHD 'patients' was almost 250 million pounds.

Children and adolescents are not experimental animals. They have every right to expect protection, care and the chance to reach their full potential. They will be denied this from within the verbal and chemical straitjackets that are psychiatry's labels and drugs.

Writer: Brian Daniels, Citizens' Commission on Human Rights, United Kingdom

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Toxic Tsunami: Red Sludge Causes Chaos in Hungary

A dam at an aluminum plant in Hungary broke - sending 35 million cubic feet of toxic sludge rushing through nearby towns. The waste destroyed homes, and killed at least 4 people.

“It’s being called a toxic tsunami. A wave of noxious red sludge poured from a burst damn at a metal processing plant; flooding towns, engulfing cars and houses, sending residents running for their lives.” (ABC)

Western Hungary is the latest victim – of a major ecological disaster. An aluminum plant is responsible, and now officials and media outlets debate how toxic is it?

We are following coverage from ABC, NBC, BBC, The New York Times, and France 24.

First to NBC News who reports on the immediate – and potential long-term effects of the disaster: “Some 35 million cubic feet came pouring through their villages, killing at least 4 people and injuring more than 120, many with skin burns and eye damage. ...The red muck which contains lead and is slightly radioactive which can cause lung cancer if inhaled…”

Hungary’s Prime Minister declared a state of emergency and is warning people to keep calm. But the BBC explains how the government and the people affected are seeking answers: “There are already demands from local people and the top levels of government for an explanation from the company responsible for the containment damn which collapsed. The firm had a contingency plan for only 200-300,000 cubic meters of waste, we already know here we’ve faced 700,000-800,000 cubic meters. Our question is how it could happen that a lower number have been calculated in the official plans.”

Some officials are saying the red mud is not as dangerous as the media is portraying. The New York Times quotes an official and the plant’s owner, both of whom say the mud is not considered a “Hazardous Waste”: “The final material contains trace amounts of nearly every element found in the earth’s crust, but the United States Environmental Protection Agency does not consider red mud a toxic or carcinogenic substance … The plant’s owner issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying that ‘the red sludge waste is not considered hazardous waste’ according to European Union standards.”

France 24 and the BBC report on one of the concerns for clean-up crews - containing the spill and not allowing it to reach rivers and streams: “But authorities are worried the sludge could reach the Danube – only 60 kilometers away. ... Large quantities of clay have been dumped into the river to try to bind the heavy metals before they reach the Danube further north.”

Hungary says it is the worst man-made disaster in the country’s history – and say that clean-up could take a year or longer.

Writer: Charles McKeague

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Scientists Make Stem Cell Breakthrough

A new technique makes the practice of turning adult skin cells into stem cells much faster and more efficient.

A new development in stem cell research has the potential to make creating stem cells much easier. Scientists are now able to quickly and reliably create stem cells from adult skin cells.

Fox News correspondent Molly Line explains: “It was discovered a couple of years ago, about four years ago, that you could take ordinary cells and turn them into these more powerful stem cells. But there was a catch: the method used genes and viruses that could ultimately lead to cancer.

This new method, developed by researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston in the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, uses a synthetic molecule that acts as a messenger, and the end result not only more closely resembles embryonic stem cells but reduces that risk of cancer.”

The new technique uses messenger RNA to coax a cell to create a handful of specific proteins. These proteins then transform the cell into something a lot like an embryonic stem cell. The technique was surprisingly successful: the cells were converted in half the time and 40 to 100 times more efficiently than with older techniques.

The breakthrough has opponents of embryonic stem cell research saying destroying embryos is no longer necessary. David Stevens of the Christian Medical and Dental Association told the Washington Times: "I think this is a stunning development. ... People have been saying we have to use embryonic stem cells because we don't have an alternative. Well, now we have an alternative."

But Douglas Melton, co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, says abandoning the use of embryos would be premature. The Boston Globe quotes Melton: "Does this mean we're done with human embryonic stem cells? I think all of us would like to find the day, as soon as possible. ... Our goal is to make cells that are identical to embryonic stem cells. ...[Lead Developer Derrick Rossi] wouldn't even know if he were getting close to the goal unless he could use embryonic stem cells as the standard."

While the new research may be big news in the debate over embryonic stem cell research, Rossi says the RNA technique could also be useful in other areas of medicine. Rossi spoke in a video produced by Children’s Hospital Boston: “In terms of therapeutics, any genetic disease that involves the mutation of a gene that doesn’t make a certain protein, we can now approach that with this technology to reintroduce that protein into those cells and reestablish proper function to those cells.”

Researchers say diseases that could be treated with the new technique include diabetes, Parkinson’s, and degenerative muscle diseases, which could be treated by inserting RNA into the cells. While inserting RNA usually makes a cell fight as though the RNA is a virus, Rossi says his lab has solved that problem, too.

Writer: Steven Sparkman

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

The Story of Bottled Water

The Story of Bottled Water with Annie Leonard - How Manufactured Demand pushes what we don’t need and destroys what we need most

The Story of Bottled Water employs the Story of Stuff style to tell the story of manufactured demand—how you get Americans to buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows from the tap.
Over eight minutes, the film explores the bottled water industry's attacks on tap water and its use of seductive, environmental-themed advertising to cover up the mountains of plastic waste it produces. The film concludes with a call to take back the tap, not only by making a personal commitment to avoid bottled water, but by supporting investments in clean, available tap water for all.

The Story of Bottled Water was released on March 22nd, 2010, World Water Day, an annual UN-sponsored day of action to support access to clean, safe water for the world’s people. Globally, more than 1 billion have little choice but to use potentially harmful sources of water, leading to what the World Health Organization calls “a silent humanitarian crisis.” Meanwhile, many Americans, who generally have access to safe and abundant water from the kitchen tap, drink bottled water despite the enormous waste of money, energy and resources it represents.

Production partners on the bottled water film include five leading sustainability groups: Corporate Accountability International, Environmental Working Group, Food & Water Watch, Pacific Institute, and Polaris Institute.

And, for all you fact checkers out there http://storyofstuff.org/pdfs/StoryOfBottledWater_pdfs.zip

The Story of Bottled Water companion website (www.storyofstuff.org/bottledwater) will serve as an interactive launch pad for information and activism. The site offers viewers a series of ways to get involved, including links to the partners’ campaigns, as well as downloadable resources and information, including an annotated script.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: BP Begins 'Top Kill' Effort to Stop Gulf Spill

BP is attempting an almost last-ditch effort to stop its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, while others are calling for the military to take over.

“BP has started the unprecedented top kill procedure, in essence they’re gonna try to fill the hole with mud and cement and cap it off, but it has never been tried at this depth, 5,000 feet.” (Fox News)

37 days after an oil rig exploded and after millions of gallons have been spilled in the Gulf of Mexico, BP is implementing what it calls their best chance yet to stop the spill: a ‘top-kill.’

If this procedure doesn’t work, BP has said it could take months to stop the flow of oil, a flow that has already covered hundreds of square miles.

Dylan Ratigan of MSNBC put the spill into geographic perspective: “Their effort to contain the enormous slick on the surface that now not only covers the equivalent of our nation's capital, but would touch all five states that border it. Pick your metaphor, this slick is massive.”

President Obama is planning to visit the Gulf region on Friday, one day after BP says it will know whether the top kill procedure will work. Democratic senator Bill Nelson of Florida told Ratigan the military should take over all cleanup operations if this move fails: “Well, if this plugging doesn't work today, I would have the president completely take charge. I'd do it with the military. ...Now, you've got to keep BP in the loop because they have the instruments in order to do this, but you've got to take it over. ...If all of this doesn't work, we're looking at two to three months of this thing continuing to gush, and that's going to cover up the Gulf of Mexico.”

Talking with Gen. Russell Honore, who oversaw military operations in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, CNN’s Rick Sanchez wanted to know why the military hasn’t been leading the cleanup already: "Why are we now 37 days into this without the U.S. military taking an active role? I know they're there. I know there are parts of the military being used. I know the Coast Guard is being used, but I'm talking something that's even more prevalent."

Whether the move succeeds, Jim Iuorio of CNBC says all the cleanup efforts seem a little ridiculous: “Well, I think the backlash against BP is going to last a long time, and not just the punitive one, the public backlash as well, and deservedly so. I mean it's been five weeks. Nothing seems to be happening, and their high-tech solution today is to rub some dirt in it. It seems almost comical really.”

So what do you think? Will this latest effort by BP to stop the oil work?

Writer: Mike Bushnell

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Landis Admits to Doping, Says Armstrong Taught Him

After four years of losing his Tour de France title to Galician Óscar Pereiro, Floyd Landis admits to using performance enhancing drugs and accuses former teammates of doping as well.

LANCE ARMSTRONG ON ESPN: "He said he has nothing, he's got no proof, it's his word versus ours. We like our word, we like where we stand, we like our credibility.” “I don't think there's a lot of credibility on the other side."

That was seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong commenting on the doping allegations made against him by former teammate, Floyd Landis, who was stripped of his Tour de France title in 2006 after he was found to have used banned performance enhancers.

After four years of denying his positive test for synthetic testosterone, Landis tells Sports Illustrated, "I want to clear my conscience," and "I don't want to be part of the problem anymore" as his reasons for finally coming clean.

In his confessions, Landis emailed top cycling officials his history of doping as well as giving the names of many of his former teammates, including Armstrong, who he says not only used but also taught him how to use the banned enhancers.

BILL STRICKLAND ON CNN: "Floyd is a sort of an interesting character, he's a bit of a circus,"..."Unfortunately for Floyd, he's just discredited himself to the point where the allegations by themselves mean nothing."

Forbes.com says very plainly on one of its blogs that, "Landis has, to say the least, very shaky credibility."

Phonak team owner Andy Rihs issued a statement to ESPN saying "Landis' claims were 'lies' and a 'last, tragic attempt' to get publicity."

Despite his shattered credibility, some find reasons to believe him. Here's ESPN and CNN:

ESPN: “The question is, 'Where is the line between being a whistleblower and a snitch?'"

CNN: "It seems the allegations have never stuck"..."So I guess the question is, if you're Lance Armstrong how many times can you deny this?"

Back Porch Fanhouse is willing to hear what Landis has to say: "... you shouldn't dismiss Landis' claims simply because he lied in the past. After all, he has nothing left to lose now."

So what do you think? Is Landis finally telling the whole truth or is he just seeking another fifteen minutes of fame?

Writer: Jessica Duong

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Synthetic Cell Creation

It could be the first step to creating synthetic vaccines and biofuels. Its inventor says it's "the first self-replicating species we’ve had on the planet whose parent is a computer."

Is it a huge new step toward creating artificial life? Or altering life as we know it? Genome pioneer J. Craig Venter has synthesized an entire bacterial genome. Then, he let it take over a cell. Venter says its the first self-replicating species on the planet --- whose parent is a computer.

We're looking at reaction to the creation from the Center for American Progress, Friends of the Earth, Kotaku, Forbes.com, and The New York Times.

First to Jonathan D. Mareno with the liberal think tank Center for American Progress who explains why this creation is so important: "What the institute has been able to do is take one of these synthetic chromosomes, put it into the nucleus of a cell, and in a sense, reboot the cell, to make it follow the instructions of this synthetic chromosome, so you might say they made a synthetic cell."

Friends of the Earth, an environmental group, denounced the synthetic genome: "...(Venter) has taken genetic engineering to an extreme new level. These new synthetic chromosomes mimic billions of years of evolution." 

The blogger Kotaku says, we're doomed: "In layman's terms, he wants to create life. Not just any life, but the sort that we humans can control to our own ends....If that's not the plot to a 70's B-grade horror film, I don't know what is."

Venter just spoke to GenBank's 25th Anniversary courtesy Video Latte. He admits, now that he's taken over one cell, doing it again and again -- should be a cinch: "What took us four years to do in making this first large chromosome we can now do in a very short period of time."

But in an article entitled Forbes.com's Health Care Blogger says, this doesn't mean computer-created life-forms are about to take over the earth: "Don't panic, or get caught in the circle of hype that will be created as these critics clash with gauzy eyed scientists. There's plenty of time for society to figure out what to do with this new technology..."

In fact, scientist David Baltimore tells The New York Times, he's not sure this is all that big a deal: “To my mind Craig has somewhat overplayed the importance of this, He has not created life, only mimicked it."

So what do you think of synthetic cells? Unlocking the door to a better life? Or Pandora's box?

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Study Links Pesticides and ADHD

Debate ensues as a new study suggests a correlation between children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) symptoms and the levels of pesticides in their bodies.

A new study finds that 94 percent of the children tested had detectable levels of pesticides in their bodies. Those with the highest levels also showed an increased risk of ADHD.

CNN’s senior medical correspondent reports large doses of a particular pesticide could be to blame for the increased risk.

COHEN: “They’re called organophosphates, and they’re everywhere. ... this is a very commonly used pesticide. This is the first time that they've found a link between pesticides and ADHD. What they found in the study is that kids who took in large levels of really high levels of this pesticide were twice as likely to get ADHD.”

Conversely, ABC writer Andrea Canning of "Good Morning America" emphasizes the study's claim that even low levels of pesticide consumption might alter brain activity.

CANNING: "...more research is still definitely needed in the future to confirm a connection. Still, the study's researchers claim even tiny amounts of pesticides may affect brain chemistry in children.”

The study’s main author, a researcher at the University of Montreal, explains the underlying biological effects in an article on Medscape Medical News: "It is very well established that organophosphates disrupt brain neurochemical activity. Indeed, their efficacy as pesticides result from their toxic effect on the central nervous system of insects."

But NBC's "Today Show" emphasizes the study did not find a DIRECT link between the two: “It’s an association, not a cause-and-effect, but I have to say, alarming and yet one more arrow in, I think, the concern we all have about our food chain.”

CropLife America, acting as a representative for the pesticide industry, responded by saying the study’s findings are not conclusive and more research is needed.

WRITER: Krysta Brown

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Gattaca

Attention 3rd ESO students! It is now the time to decide whether to choose 4th ESO Biology in English or in Galician. We hope this post will help you make a decision. We also hope both you and present 4th ESO Biology students will try and watch this exciting, very intelligent and thought-provoking film: maybe that was why it didn't do so well at the box office... perhaps most cinema-goers don't want their thoughts to be provoked.

Gattaca is a 1997 American science fiction drama film written and directed by Andrew Niccol, starring Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law with supporting roles played by Loren Dean, Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal and Alan Arkin. The film was a 1997 nominee for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction — Set Decoration. 

The title is based on the initial letters of the four DNA nitrogenous bases (adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine). During the credits the letters G, C, T, and A are all highlighted.

The film presents a biopunk vision of a society driven by liberal eugenics. Children of the middle and upper classes are selected throughpreimplantation genetic diagnosis to ensure they possess the best hereditary traits of their parents. A genetic registry database usesbiometrics to instantly identify and classify those so created as valids while those conceived by traditional means are derisively known asin-valids. While genetic discrimination is forbidden by law, in practice it is easy to profile one's genotype resulting in the Valids qualifying for professional employment while the In-Valids who are susceptible to disease are relegated to menial jobs. The movie draws on concerns overreproductive technologies which facilitate eugenics, and the possible consequences of such technological developments for society. It also explores the idea of destiny and the ways in which it can and does govern lives. Characters in Gattaca continually battle both with society and with themselves to find their place in the world and who they are destined to be according to their genes.

The beautiful music for Gattaca was composed by Michael Nyman.

And now, if you wish to learn more, you can take a look this on-line Biology book or explore the best links on Biology here.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Growth hormone stopped the bullying

Hayley with friend Hannah Muddle before and then after treatment

When Hayley Cowan was 14 she was barely five foot tall.

Some children at her secondary school bullied her badly, constantly referring to her size.

"I hated going to school because people kept making comments about my height.

"They called me very unoriginal names, like 'midget'," she said.

"You start to think your height is your defining feature."

"I was always short, but I got progressively lower than average as my friends grew taller so the difference between me and my friends grew."

Hayley, now aged 18 from Hertfordshire, was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.

Doctors started her on a growth hormone and within four years she had grown four inches.

But not all children are as lucky as Hayley and medics worry that some are slipping through the net.

Hormone controversy

Now Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry have launched an appeal to fund a new child health research centre to look into diseases like abnormal growth.

Adrian Clark, Professor of Medicine at Barts, said: "New research is urgently needed to increase our understanding of these serious health problems as, if they are not treated early, they can cause even greater difficulties in later life.

"Our aim is to raise £2.4 million to fund a team of researchers which will translate into better care for sick children and improvements in their long-term health."

In the past there has been controversy surrounding the use of growth hormone, with suspected links to Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD) - or so-called "mad cow disease" - low IQ and an increase in tumours.

But Dr Helen Storr, consultant in paediatric endocrinology at William Harvey Research Institute, Barts, said that these studies were old and no longer relevant.

This is particularly the case with the CJD link, as the hormone used is synthetic rather than taken from a pituitary gland as in the past.

And growth hormone was not linked with an increase in tumour risk - unless a child has a tumour already - Dr Storr added. Nor was there a link with a decrease in intelligence.

She said children reaching a normal height tended to have better health with stronger bones and better muscle tone, as well as an increase in confidence.

"Hayley was helped and many children like her do have a positive outcome," she said.

Borrow clothes

Hayley said she had no qualms taking a growth hormone and that it had transformed her life.

"They did consult me about the side effects, but I really wanted to try it because I was so unhappy I have would tried anything. But I didn't really have any problems.

"I am happy with my height now."

"My body has become more adult. I used to think I was quite fat. I hated the way I looked, now I am much happier.

"Now I can buy clothes and can borrow my friends' clothes because they are the same size."

And best of all Hayley, who has been offered a place at Oxford to study maths, said the bullying has stopped.

"The difference in my attitude towards school now and six years ago is unimaginable.

"I used to dread going to school and count down the time until I could leave.

"I had much lower self-esteem than my friends, which probably was not helped by the continual questioning of my age by people at cinemas, shops and restaurants."

"But now, thanks to the growth hormones, I look the same age as my friends and can match them in self-assurance."

Human Growth Hormone

Human growth hormone (HGH) has been helping stunted children in the UK to grow normally since 1959

Concerns about the transmission of CJD mean that all supplies of HGH are now manufactured using artificial techniques

Human growth hormone is made naturally in the pituitary gland of humans, deep inside the brain just behind the eyes. It is a microscopic protein substance that is secreted in short pulses during the first hours of sleep and after exercise

By Jane Elliott
Health reporter, BBC News

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Study Links Chocolate and Depression

A new study says chocolate consumption and depression are linked, though it's unclear how.

Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is good for your health, or so we think. A new study is claiming there's a link between chocolate — and depression.

A report on Connecticut's ABC affiliate WTNH points out it's still unclear which came first — the chocolate or the depression: "Researchers are not sure if depression stimulates the craving for chocolate, or if depressed people eat chocolate trying to improve their moods."

The researchers say more research is needed. A Washington Post blogger is surprised this isn't clear yet: "It seems obvious to me that we reach for the bag of Hershey's kisses when we feel blue, but apparently that's not been established after all."

A medical correspondent on Fox News says this study doesn't really prove anything: "Chocolate itself, it's not a reason to say, you know it could lead to depression. It is a comfort food, but you know what, at the end of the day chocolate is very good for your health in moderation."

A Cornell University based research blog, Evidence Based Living, says the media took the study out of context: "It’s clearly written, sound research. And it absolutely does not say that chocolate leads to depression... But because some media sources jump to the most 'newsworthy' (some might say sensationalist) presentation, there’s no substitute for going back to the actual source."

But a medical expert on Canada's CTV says the study does raise new questions: "But you know, you have ask yourself, does depression cause chocolate cravings because it maybe has a treatment benefit but there really is no treatment benefit? Or does chocolate cause cravings that have nothing to do with depression whatsoever and this is just fortuitous or is it possible that chocolate really does cause depression and the more you have, the worse it is?"

What do you reach for when your feeling down? Does chocolate make you feel better or worse?

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: FDA Wants to Shake Out Salt

“A recent study estimates that up to 150,000 lives could be saved if Americans would just cut about a teaspoon of salt a day.”(CBS)

Americans consume more than double the recommended daily sodium intake. Now, the FDA wants to cut that down. Their plan, which would take about 10 years, will gradually set limits for the amount of salt allowed in commercial food products.

We’re looking at perspectives from CBS News, ABC News, Fox News, CNBC and the Washington Post.

ABC News says for most people, less salt means better health — And if America wants to be healthier, someone needs to regulate our intake: “Now we can control the stuff we use ourselves in salt shakers, but the processed food stuff is so hidden, and we don’t know what it is, and we don’t read the label — so, the only way we’re going to make a dent in this is to have these processed food makers either voluntarily do it or the government require them to do it.”

Fox News’ Sean Hannity says the initiative is just another example of “too much government.”: “You know, this drives me nuts. Government, get out of my life. Leave my french fries alone. Leave my chips alone. Leave my cheeseburgers alone. Leave my Philly cheesesteaks alone. Leave me alone! I don’t need the government to tell me what to eat.”

MeMe Roth is president of National Action Against Obesity. She told CNBC that most Americans don’t have to worry about losing that salty taste — And the potential health benefits of cutting salt are too great to ignore: “We could save 100,000 lives or more a year if we just reduce the salt intake. And very few people will even notice the change in taste — you have maybe a 20 percent decrease. You need a little salt to live, but it takes a lot of salt to kill us, and we are eating A LOT of salt.”

A representative from the Salt Institute told The Washington Post he doubts the science behind the salt strategy: “If you consume a lot of salt, you also get rid of a lot of salt — it doesn’t mean it’s an excess ... I want to make sure they’re basing this on everything that is in the scientific literature, so we don’t end up being guinea pigs because someone thinks they’re doing something good.”

So, what do you think? Should the FDA slowly shake the salt out of America’s diet? Or should government stay out of our meals?

Writer: Steven Hsieh

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Oxygen, by Christopher Hendryx

This is Oxygen, produced at the Ringling College of Art + Design as Christopher Hendryx's thesis for the department of Computer Animation.

Learn a little bit of basic chemistry while watching Oxygen try to make friends in Element-ary school. Expect future shorts with these characters late 2010!

Visit Christopher Hendryx's website at particleart.com to see his reel and other work!

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.