As reported in the January 2004 edition of Discover, the power of meditation is one of the "100 Top Science Stories of 2003." Leading researchers have demonstrated that meditation works to relieve stress by stimulating a specific area of the brain associated with positive emotions. Richard Davidson, director of the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, randomly selected a group of volunteers with stressful jobs to participate in an eight-week course in Mindfulness Meditation given by author Jon Kabat-Zinn. A control group received no meditation training. The group who practiced meditation showed a marked increase in electrical activity in their left prefrontal cortex, the locus of positive, optimistic emotions—more than they had in their baseline test or than the control group had in either their before or after testings. "This shows that these changes are not just 'in your head,' so to speak," says Davidson. "The meditation produced real changes in the brain."

Please refer to OPEN EXCHANGE's Yoga & Meditation category for access to local classes.

Measuring The Power of Loving Thoughts

As reported on 2/20/04 on KRON Television, Bay Area researcher Ellen Levine, PhD, is attempting to quantify the healing power of love at the California Pacific Medical Center. She is studying how loving thoughts and intentions can help breast cancer patients and their partners.

Carol McFall, a breast cancer survivor, has been participating in this study with her partner, Mary Hastings. When someone is going through cancer therapy, their partners often feel powerless to help them. Levine says the study is trying to find ways to break through that sense of isolation. "Can we help partners of breast cancer patients feel like they are doing something that is helpful, to give them a little bit of control?"

The study is trying to see if you can measure loving thoughts. Mary has been trained in meditation and concentration techniques to help her direct thoughts of love and compassion at Carol. Carol sits in a sealed room and is wired up to measure her brain wave activity, heart rate and skin temperature. Mary is also wired up, but sits in another room.

Every few minutes a video camera shows Mary an image of Carol, and she directs loving intentions towards her. Carol never knows when the images are being shown.
Now here's the interesting part. Their brain wave measurements show similar activity whenever the video image appears.

"I felt that I could sense it," says Carol McFall.

OPEN EXCHANGE asked Levine to speculate on the significance of her findings. By what mechanism can healing thoughts be transmitted? Some skeptics charge that mental projection, if proven, would overturn the known laws of physics.

"I leave the theorizing to others, such as Elizabeth and Russell Targ, who have pioneered research into distance healing. I want to move it closer. I don't really know how it works. As a researcher I'm just interested in results."

Many people believe in the ability of love to heal and the positive power of prayer, but belief is not proof. Mary and Carol have no doubts, however. Mary says, "It helped tremendously." "I think this made a big difference in helping us get through it," says Carol.

Early results are encouraging and research is ongoing. So far, Levine and her staff have only trained four couples in the technique, so they are still looking to recruit more volunteers for the study.

Interested couples are invited to contact Ellen Levine, PhD, at 415-600-1447 or email her at elevine@cooper.cpmc.org or Shahram Nejad at 415-600-1456 or email at snejad@cooper.cpmc.org.

Tummy Trouble? Try Hypnosis Instead Of Tums

How do you spell "relief"? No, not Rolaids either, but hypnotherapy. Irritable bowel syndrome, an ailment afflicting up to 58 million Americans, causes abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea—and diets and drugs often fail to help. As reported in Scientific American (January 2004), British researchers followed 204 patients for up to six years and found that 12 weekly one-hour hypnotherapy sessions significantly improved symptoms 71 percent of the time. Of these 81 percent maintained gains for years after stopping hypnosis. Hypnotherapy sessions are not inexpensive, but they may work better than doctors and drugs, and without effects! Slowly but surely, science is accumulating evidence of a mind-body connection and developing technologies to foster positive feedback for optimal health.
The original study was published in the October 2003 issue of the journal Gut. Please refer to OPEN EXCHANGE's hypnotherapy category for access to local hypnotherapists.

Science Diet for People

In the never-ending quest to find the optimal diet, the science magazine Discover (February 2004) weighs the evidence and comes up with its own recommendations for health and longevity.

Reviewing several popular dietary approaches, the authors dismiss the American Heart Association's prescription for a diet composed of 30-40% fats as not going far enough. They also warn of the dangers of the dangers of high fat, low carbohydrate Atkins type diets. While admitting Atkins' approach may help some people lose weight in the short term, the long term effects of high fat diets include an increased risk of cancer and heart disease. (New York City medical examiners reported on 2/10/04 that Atkins himself was clinically obese and suffering from heart failure when he died.) While commenting favorably on the ultra low fat, near vegetarian approach championed by Dean Ornish, they suggest that this diet may be tough to stick with and not optimal for everybody.

Discover believes that current research favors a diet of moderation commonly called the Mediterranean diet. Walter Willet, in his book Eat, Drink & Be Healthy, recommends a similar approach. As with most responsible diets, Willet stresses daily exercise and avoiding overeating. He would replace white bread with whole grains, avoiding candy bars, sugary breads and pastries. He emphasizes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, reducing or eliminating hydrogenated oils (trans fats) and substituting monounsaturated fats. This diet, which includes satisfying amounts of lean meats, nuts, and olive oil, is lower in fat than Atkins but not as low as Ornish. Willet concedes that Atkins "was really onto something. He believed, correctly, that most people can better control their weight by reducing the glycemic load of the diet than by any other means." For example, Willet would rather have you eat eggs than a white bagel. Ornish notes that only his diet has been proven to reverse heart disease. Willet counters, "Replacing saturated with unsaturated fats is a safe, proven, and delicious way to cut the rates of heart disease." He makes a point to distinguish between good fats and bad, as well as between good carbs and bad.

Analyzing the evidence, Discover recommends the Mediterranean diet as the one best diet for most people. The authors also point out that Willet, Atkins, and Ornish all agree on reducing blood sugar spikes by reducing the glycemic load, and all three condemn trans fats, white flower, and sugar.

But why assume that there is just one optimal diet? The Atkins diet has helped some obese people lose weight where other approaches failed. The Ornish diet has literally saved many lives from the ravages of heart disease. Clearly, there is more research to be done to differentiate body types. Please refer to OPEN EXCHANGE's Weight Issues category for access to local weight management counselors.

Bush's Science Fundamentally Wrong

The Bush administration, which had successfully deflected criticism of its policies in the aftermath of 9/11, is finally coming under more intense scrutiny in the mass media during this election year. As reported in the New York Times (2/19/04, "Scientists Say Administration Distorts Facts"), more than 60 influential scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates, issued a statement asserting that the Bush administration had systematically distorted scientific fact in the service of policy goals on the environment, health, biomedical research and nuclear weaponry at home and abroad.

The Union of Concerned Scientists, an independent organization that focuses on technical issues and has often taken stands at odds with administration policy, accused the administration of repeatedly censoring and suppressing reports by its own scientists, stacking advisory committees with unqualified political appointees, disbanding government panels that provide unwanted advice, and refusing to seek any independent scientific expertise in some cases.

"Other administrations have, on occasion, engaged in such practices, but not so systemically nor on so wide a front," the statement from the scientists said, adding that they believed the administration had "misrepresented scientific knowledge and misled the public about the implications of its policies."

Dr. Kurt Gottfried, an emeritus professor of physics at Cornell University, who is also chairman of the board of directors at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the administration had a "cavalier attitude towards science" that could place at risk the basis for the nation's long-term prosperity, health and military prowess.

Dr. John H. Marburger III, science adviser to President Bush and director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House, said it was important to listen to "the distinguished scientific leadership in this country." But he said the report consisted of a largely disconnected list of events that did not make the case for a suppression of good scientific advice by the administration.

"I think there are incidents where people have got their feathers ruffled," Dr. Marburger said. "But I don't think they add up to a big pattern of disrespect."

The science adviser to Mr. Bush's father, Dr. D. Allan Bromley, went further. "You know perfectly well that it is very clearly a politically motivated statement," said Dr. Bromley, a physicist at Yale. "The statements that are there are broad sweeping generalizations for which there is very little detailed backup."

The scientists denied that they had political motives in releasing the documents as the 2004 presidential race began to take clear shape. The report, Dr. Gottfried said, had taken a year to prepare, much longer than originally planned, and was released as soon as it was ready.

According to the report, the Bush administration has misrepresented scientific consensus on global warming, censored at least one report on climate change, manipulated scientific findings on the emissions of mercury from power plants, and suppressed information on condom use.

The report asserts that the administration also allowed industries with conflicts of interest to influence technical advisory committees, disbanded for political reasons one panel on arms control and subjected other prospective members of scientific panels to political litmus tests.

While the union's report did not speculate on the reasons for the Bush administration's excesses, OPEN EXCHANGE notes that Bush's most powerful constituencies include apocalyptic Christian fundamentalists, corporate industrialists, and military unilateralists, each rigidly ideological with overarching political agendas.

The letter supporting the union's position was signed by luminaries from an array of disciplines. Among the Nobel winners are David Baltimore and Harold Varmus, both biomedical researchers, and Leon M. Lederman, Norman F. Ramsey and Steven Weinberg, who are physicists.

The full list of signatories and the union's report can be found at www.ucsusa.org.

Produce Sticker Logic:
Organic = Number 9;
Genetically Modified = Number 8

Those annoying little produce stickers have a special purpose other than pricing at the checkout line. Want to avoid genetically modified fruits and vegetables? Don't purchase any with stickers containing five digits starting with an 8. Want to know if your produce is organic, grown without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers? Look for stickers with five digits starting with a 9. If the sticker has four digits it simply means that the food was commercially grown, neither organic nor genetically modified. Keep in mind, however, that prepared foods may be genetically modified without such notification or warning.

Vermont Senate Protects Farmers Against GMO Contamination

Montpelier, VT, March 10, 2004: Vermont Senators voted 28-0 to support the Farmer Protection Act (S.164), a bill to hold biotech corporations liable for unintended contamination of conventional or organic crops by genetically engineered plant materials. This historic decision was peppered by debate on the patent laws that allow biotech corporations like Monsanto to sue farmers for patent infringement who are contaminated with GMO pollen or plant materials. Senator Vincent Illuzzi (R-Essex-Orleans) dramatically illustrated cross-pollination of corn varieties with multi-colored ears of Vermont corn. Today's vote comes after 79 Vermont towns have passed Town Meeting measures calling on lawmakers in Montpelier and Washington to enact a moratorium on GMOs, and 10% of Vermont's conventional dairy farmers have pledged not to plant the crops. Vermont joins Mendocino County, California, at the forefront of domestic resistance to genetically engineered crops.

"Big biotech corporations are writing the rules in their own interests at the national and international level and using their patented GMOs as a tool to contaminate and control farmers," said Doyle Canning, a campaigner with the GE Free VT campaign. "Vermont is showing that a little state can make a big statement against corporate greed."

The GE Free Vermont Campaign on Genetic Engineering is a statewide coalition of public interest groups, businesses, concerned citizens, and farmers organized to oppose genetic engineering and calling for a "Time Out" on GMOs.

For more information: www.gefreevt.org.

Is Bush's Hydrogen-Economy An Oil Pipe Dream?

This from the February 6 edition of the online environmental newsletter Grist (www.gristmagazine.com):

The hydrogen-powered cars and "hydrogen economy" touted by President Bush in last year's State of the Union address are several decades from viability, says a report released Wednesday by the National Academy of Sciences. Until hydrogen lives up to its promise, "the government should keep a balanced portfolio of research and development efforts to enhance U.S. energy efficiency and develop alternative-energy sources," said Michael Ramage, chair of the panel that produced the report. The least-expensive methods of creating hydrogen use coal or natural gas, but those methods cause pollution, according to the report. In addition, hydrogen has a "chicken and egg" problem, in that there's no profit to be had creating hydrogen fuel cells until a hydrogen economy exists to consume them. Until hydrogen becomes viable, say enviros, the administration should concentrate on raising fuel-efficiency standards for SUVs and promoting gas-electric hybrid cars.

Sources: The New York Times, Matthew L. Wald, 06 Feb 2004; MSNBC.com, 05 Feb 2004.

Jesus Christ's Supercar? Hybrid SUVs to Hit U.S. Market

As reported in the February 17 edition of the environmental magazine Grist (www.gristmagazine.com), hybrid cars are bigger than ever! While a "green SUV" may sound like an oxymoron, Toyota and Ford plan to roll out new gas-electric hybrid SUVs later this year that warrant the label "greener" — or, at least, less egregiously wasteful.

Ford's hybrid Escape will hit U.S. showrooms this summer, while Toyota will start selling a hybrid version of its luxury Lexus RX330 in November or December. Hybrid SUVs are expected to get 27 to 40 miles per gallon—comparable to standard cars.

Enviros don't love 'em, but say they're a definite improvement over current gas-guzzling models. "I would definitely encourage people who need four-wheel-drive vehicles to look at these," said Jim Ball, president of the Evangelical Environmental Network, which spearheaded the much ballyhooed "What Would Jesus Drive?" campaign. No word yet on whether He would prefer an Escape or a Lexus.

Straight to the source: The New York Times, Danny Hakim, February 16, 2004.

Are Hybrid Cars All Hype?

Just when it seems that everyone is jumping onto the hybrid car bandwagon, consumer advocates are warning that hybrids may have been over-hyped. They may not even be as green as conventional alternatives.

It was fun seeing the likes of Sting, Robin Williams, Charlize Theron, Tim Robbins, and Susan Sarandon arrive at this year's Academy Awards, not in stretch limos, but in hybrid Toyota Priuses. Compared with your typical stretch limo or nine-mile-per-gallon Hummer, hybrid Hondas and Toyotas are some of the best ways to sip gasoline and reduce American dependence on foreign oil.

But are they truly economical? OPEN EXCHANGE did its own back-of-the-napkin calculations and came up with some serious reservations. The Toyota Prius costs around $20,000 and rates an impressive 50 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving. At $2/gallon for gasoline, after driving for 100,000 miles, the combined initial purchase and gasoline costs would total $24,000. However, a similarly equipped conventional compact, the Toyota Echo, costs only about $12,500 and still manages over 35 miles/gallon. After 100,000 miles you'd have spent only about $18,200 for the Echo and gasoline, less than the initial cost of the hybrid alone, a savings of $5,800!

Some environmentalists argue that hybrids are superior because they burn fuel more cleanly than most conventional cars. Others counter that hybrids rely on bulky chemical batteries, the manufacture and disposal of which is a secondary cause of pollution. What to do? Years ago, when OPEN EXCHANGE asked Ecotopia author Ernest Callenbach for transportation advice, he noted wryly, "I drive the least car that money can buy."

"The citizens of Ecotopia didn't drive. They either rode bicycles or walked. And they were much more healthy and physically fit, too."

Publishing Goes Greener at www.openexchange.org

While OPEN EXCHANGE has been a green operation from its very inception, the new online version of OPEN EXCHANGE promises to deliver its services faster, cheaper, and greener.

Publisher Bart Brodsky reports on OPEN EXCHANGE's green philosophy:

"Since our inception in 1974 we've always encouraged readers to recycle our magazine when they were finished reading it. We've also instructed our distributors to recycle the occasional overage. Newsprint is commonly made from recycled stock, and for years the only paper we used was newsprint. We made a conscious decision not to upgrade to a glossy cover until the mid-1980s, when the technology of recycling became sophisticated enough to deal with coated paper. Of course, we recycle office paper and printing supplies, too.

"Now, with the majority of households online, we have an unprecedented opportunity to use the emerging internet technology to go to the next level of green. Many readers will always prefer the printed word, but now that we're also published online, readers have a choice. Our web edition delivers most of the content of our print version—and many extras, such as archiving—to readers worldwide and around the clock, all without using trees, trucks, or oil. The whole point is to connect people to people, so whether we do it in print or online is simply a matter of choosing the best tool for the job."

The future is green, and OPEN EXCHANGE will see you there!

FutureHealth™: Gay Monogamy Fosters Family Values

WASHINGTON, DC, April 1, 2014: Marriage is on the rise and divorce rates are down, resulting in less childhood poverty, less teen crime, fewer single mothers, and a lower incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, according to newly released federal statistics. The trend toward monogamy started over a decade ago when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom defied convention by sanctioning lesbian and gay marriages. With hip homosexuals leading the way in matrimony, a trend toward lifetime partnerships eventually spread to the heterosexual community, where short-lived serial monogamy had heretofore been the norm. The only region of the nation where most marriages still end in divorce is the conservative southern Bible Belt, whose peculiar institutions rigidly adhere to a quaint notion of patriarchy. Nevertheless, sociologists predict that the South will soon undergo a "queer makeover" in order to preserve the unions.