THE WORLD
From Issue #16
...and beyond
DIAGNOSING CANCER FASTER
Herbert Hedberg, a Massachusetts teen won the top
prize in a national contest for young scientists when he
devised a faster way to DIAGNOSE CANCER. This eager
scientist created a way to screen for telomerase
inhibitors (found in cancer cells) and rank their strength
in SUPPRESSING TUMORS. His passion for curing cancer was
piqued when his grandmother was undergoing cancer
treatment. The aspiring physician-scientist has been
awarded a $100,000 COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP to pursue his
studies in medicine.
Source: Associated Press
GET PAID TO STAY IN SCHOOL
A NEW program has been developed in Britain’s high
schools to encourage teens 16 years and older to stay in
school. Students 
are paid £30 a week (ABOUT $72) to attend
all their classes — if they miss a single class, they lose
their weekly allowance. Aimed at students from
low-income families, the program hopes to help teens
get out of the cycle of unskilled, badly paid jobs, while
encouraging higher education. Students who have taken
part in the PILOT PROJECT say that it makes the difference
between staying on and dropping out. Britain has one of
the highest drop-out rates in the developed world for teens in
school beyond the age of 16.
Source: BBC
STRESSING OUT ANTELOPE
Six teenagers in WYOMING were cited for harassing a herd
of antelopes in a sport utility vehicle. The driver was fined
$410 for ‘harassing big game animals with a vehicle’ and
the passengers were let off with a warning. The game
warden John Schneidmiller witnessed the incident and said
this sort of harassment could cause SERIOUS INJURY OR
DEATH to the animals. The antelopes were already
stressed facing drought, and didn’t need the additional
stress of being harassed. The driver also created danger
for himself and his passengers by ZIGZAGGING off-road around
the herd.
Source: Associated Press
I’M IN A BAD MOOD. GIVE ME FOOD
University of TEXAS scientists say new studies show teens
turn to comfort food when a bad mood strikes, causing a
risk of serious weight gain. The study compared body
weights of 160 teens between 14-17 YEARS to their ‘anger
control scores’. One theory suggests that parents may be
too quick to give upset toddlers comfort food, causing kids
to confuse emotional distress and hunger later in life.
Another theory — ‘WHAT-THE-HELL EFFECT’
suggests
overwhelmed
teens in a bad
mood abandon
disciplined
EATING HABITS
and grab
whatever is
available
right away.
Source: Health Day News
ARGUMENTS WITH MOM
Researchers at Cambridge University say a teen girl’s
arguments with her mother could be a good thing.
They say arguments are often used by teens as a
COMMUNICATION TOOL, and that daughters use arguments
as a way to update their moms about what’s going on in
their lives and what’s important to them. The study found
an average spat lasts 15 minutes, every two and a
half days. And daughters get frustrated with their dads
because they get the cold shoulder — homework,
boyfriends or untidy rooms — doesn’t matter what the
topic may be. Meanwhile, a guy argues with his mother
on average every four days, for six or so minutes.
Source: Reuters
