Watching the World

Exotic Meats for Sale

In spite of international laws that outlaw its trade and its use as food in Europe, bat meat is being sold illegally in British shops and restaurants. “It is a real worry that protected bat species are being killed and imported undetected, not to mention the danger to public health of eating uninspected meat,” notes Richard Barnwell, of the World Wide Fund for Nature. In parts of Africa, fruit bats have long been an important food source, and in Malaysia and Indonesia, the number of some of the rarest species of fruit bats has declined dramatically because of the trade in their meat. Also, in the Seychelles, bat curry is considered a luxury. The Sunday Times of London reports, however, that bats “are not the only endangered animals in demand in Europe.” Restaurants in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, are serving chimpanzee meat.

Do You Fidget?

About 15 percent of the general population have nervous mannerisms, says Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper. Researchers note that some fidget by “hair-twirling, foot-tapping, leg-jiggling, fingernail-picking and the like.” Why do people fidget? Peggy Richter, a psychiatrist at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, believes that such ritualistic movements provide a feeling of comfort. On the other hand, clinical psychologist Paul Kelly says that fidgeting is due to tension and is an automatic, unconscious response that kicks in and takes you outside of a stressful situation. According to experts, “you can learn to interrupt and eventually stop the habit by replacement therapy—that is, concentrate on another object when you notice yourself fidgeting,” says the Globe.

Hooked on Cola?

Mexicans drink an average of 40 gallons [160 L] of cola drinks per person per year, reports the Mexican Association of Studies for Consumer Defense. Annually, more money is spent on cola drinks than on the ten most basic foods put together. High consumption of these soft drinks is said by some to be one of the principal causes of malnutrition in Mexico. Some of cola’s ingredients can impede the absorption of calcium and iron. Problems that are also thought to be linked with cola consumption include a greater likelihood of kidney stones, cavities, obesity, and hypertension as well as insomnia, gastric ulcers, and anxiety. ‘We used to be “corn people,”’ says Consumer’s Guide Magazine, ‘but now you could say we are “cola” people.’

A “Just War”?

“The war in Yugoslavia has raised real divisions in churches, based on the interpretation of the traditional notion of a ‘just war,’” notes the French newspaper Le Monde. The idea of a just war (jus ad bellum) goes back to Augustine, who lived in the fifth century. According to Le Monde, the “moral” justifications as formalized by a later Catholic philosopher, Thomas Aquinas, for such a war include the following: There must be a “just cause,” the war should be a “last resort,” the one waging war must have “legitimate authority,” and “the use of arms [should] not lead to more harm and disorder than the ill to be removed.” A further condition added in the 17th century is “chance of success.” While most churches now reject the idea of a “holy war,” they continue to debate what is considered a “just war.”

Brazil’s Sexually Active Youths

In Brazil, “33% of the girls and 64% of the young men have their first sexual relationship between 14 and 19 years of age,” reports O Estado de S. Paulo. Additionally, the number of Brazilian girls aged 15 to 19 who begin sexual activity before marriage has doubled in just ten years. According to demographer Elizabeth Ferraz, there has been “a significant change in attitude regarding sexuality.” For example, another study shows that 18 percent of Brazilian adolescents have already had at least one child or are now expecting a child.

 How Safe Is Your Hospital?

“Patients have more than a one-in-10 chance of picking up infections in an Irish hospital,” reports The Irish Times. Hospital acquired infection (HAI), as it is called, requires extra treatment and a longer stay in the hospital. On average, a single episode of HAI can cost $2,200 per patient and require an extra 11 days in the hospital if it is a bloodstream infection. Especially worrisome are “super-bug” infections, which are “increasingly resistant to a wide range of antibiotics,” says the paper. Those most vulnerable to HAI are “the elderly, the very young, those who spend long periods in hospital, [and] those with underlying chronic conditions such as heart conditions or chronic bronchitis.”

Gene Estimate Increased

Researchers have recently revised the estimated number of genes in each human cell to be 140,000, reports The New York Times. Past estimates ranged from 50,000 to 100,000 human genes. This means that the human organism is considerably more complex than previously thought. Genes instruct the body’s cells to put amino acids in the right sequence in order to build proteins. The sharp upward revision “points up how much there is still to learn about human genetic programming,” says the paper.

Changed View of Hell

For centuries the Catholic Church has taught that hell is a place where the souls of wicked people suffer eternal torment. Apparently, that has changed. Hell “is not a punishment imposed externally by God,” says Pope John Paul II, “but a development of premises already set by people in this life.” So reports L’Osservatore Romano. “Rather than a place,” the pontiff says, “hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy.” He adds that “eternal damnation” is not God’s work; rather, “it is the creature who closes himself to [God’s] love.”

Walking for Health

In addition to helping you to lose weight and relieve stress, walking helps reduce “blood pressure and your risk of suffering a heart attack,” says The Globe and Mail, of Toronto. Staying healthy requires a time commitment. How much? “According to Canada’s Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living, if you’re walking at a moderate pace, you need to work toward logging a total of 60 minutes a day—in periods of at least 10 minutes each.” Brisk walking or biking for 30 to 60 minutes a day or jogging for 20 to 30 minutes daily may also keep you healthy. The Globe recommends wearing lightweight footwear that breathes and that has flexible soles, good arch supports, cushioned insoles, and comfortable toe room.

Early Warning

“The world may be in store for a decade of ‘super-disasters,’” reports World Press Review, based on an article in London’s Financial Times. Citing such natural disasters as cyclones and earthquakes, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warns that large populations are vulnerable to catastrophe. “Of the world’s 50 fastest-growing cities, 40 are in earthquake zones, and half the world’s population lives in coastal regions, exposed to rising sea levels,” the magazine says. Another ominous sign is that while disasters are increasing, government funding for emergency aid has dropped in many nations.

A Long Night

“Majestic darkness.” That is how the Norwegian polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen described the “Mörketid,” or the time when the sun does not rise at all in northern Norway. For two months, only a gray-red twilight glow is visible for a few hours at noontime. But not everyone welcomes this dark period. According to the newspaper Ibbenbürener Volkszeitung, 21.2 percent of Norwegians living beyond the polar circle suffer from winter depression. The cause may be a deficiency of melatonin, a hormone produced in the brain. The only remedy is light. An increasing number of tourists, however, are enticed to the polar circle by the flickering aurora, the glistening of the snow in the moonlight, and the cozy light of scattered villages.