We believe in an evidence-based approach when it comes to education reform. Therefore here some studies that might help future space settlements to design their educational policies.
Montessori preschool boosts academic results and reduces income-based inequality
ScienceDaily reports a study by the Boston University School of Medicine: Take-home’ exposure are a public health hazard. To quote from the article:
Workers in many industries inadvertently bring home toxic contaminants, endangering the health of their families.
We have already discussed lead as a cause of diminished general intelligence among the population. However, there are many more substances that have an negative effect on people’s IQ. ScienceDaily has the following report:
Flame retardants and pesticides overtake heavy metals as biggest contributors to IQ loss
We already discussed the relation between air pollution and dementia. Now scientists believe that childhood exposure to air pollution is also related to schizophrenia. This is just one more reason to push for clean air legislation.
Creating an optimal living climate is one of the Four Goals formulated by Gerard O’Neil. This means that urban planners should take public health into account.
We found an important study at ScienceDaily:
Adults in lower walkability neighborhoods found to have a higher predicted cardiovascular risk
One of the Four Goals formulated by O’Neill in The High Frontier is to find an optimal life climate for all of humanity. The major implication of this for space habitats is to eliminate those substances, that are known to have a negative impact on public health. Continue reading Lead: one more time…
Earlier we discussed the importance of choline in raising the level of general intelligence among the public. Now a study conducted by researchers from Arizona State University, reported by ScienceDaily, has found:
that a lifelong dietary regimen of choline holds the potential to prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD). (source: Science Daily)
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and puts a high cost on both individual, their friends and family as well society at large. If choline can play a role in a wider strategy to combat dementia, we have little reason not to do so.
We have earlier discussed the negative effects of environmental lead exposure on pre- and post-natal neural development. A new study from Canada, reported by Interesting Engineering, suggests that also fluoride might have a negative effect on one’s IQ. And this is a serious issue. Continue reading Fluoride and IQ
Dementia is obviously bad for those who suffer from this condition, but it also puts a strain on society. First of all, it removes potentially active people from society and secondly other people have to take care of dementia patients. Continue reading Fending off dementia
Last week Japan announced it would allow experiments to grow human organs in animals. These experiments are controversial, not in the least place because of animal welfare concerns and the possibility of cross-species diseases. However, xenotransplantation is not the only line of research pursued to solve the shortage of donor organs. Continue reading Organ cultivation
