Monkey Business

Scientists have discovered that baboons can distinguish four letter English words from nonsense words. "A 2011 study concluded that the visual analysis of letters, called orthographic processing, happens in a region of the brain associated with object recognition, suggesting that when we read, we are adapting brain pathways which evolved to recognize everyday objects, like rocks and trees, to identify printed words,"(Scudellari, 2012).  Based on this finding researchers at the National Center for Scientific Research and Université d’Aix-Marseille that an existing language might not need to exist for the brain to engage in orthographic processing.  Once the baboons were taught which words weren't nonsense words they remembered them with surprising accuracy.  This research could lead to further investigations about whether words can be processed as visual objects.http://the-scientist.com/2012/04/12/monkeys-read-writing/

Monkey See Monkey Do

Now you're just going to feel a little pinch...

In recent years an increasing number of parents are refusing to get their children vaccinated because they fear that it will cause autism.  Vaccines are necessary if children are going to be immune to certain deadly diseases. If more and more babies are not vaccinated the risk of diseases spreading could increase affecting large populations.  Idaho has a very low rate of vaccinations and other states like New Jersey are following suit.  "And in 2011, the country had more than 200 cases, many of which were imported from Europe, which is currently experiencing large measles outbreaks, with over 26,000 cases in 36 countries, as reported by the World Health Organization. Whooping cough is also on the rise. From January to October 2010, there were 455 infants hospitalized in California and 10 deaths due to Bordetella pertussis, the highest number of cases in over 60 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," (Tinker, 2012).  Scientists must convince the public that vaccinations are safe if incidences like these are going to be stopped. http://the-scientist.com/2012/04/03/opinion-the-risk-of-forgoing-vaccines/