The £400 test that tells you how long you'll live...

On sale later this year in Britain is a blood test that will tell you how fast someone is ageing and how long you have left to live. The test measures vital structures on the tips of a person’s chromosomes, they are called; telomeres. By these telomeres scientists can see if a person is older or younger than their biological age or can see how fast they are ageing. A lot of people request for a test like this and scientists believe that when they bring down the cost of the test, thousand more people would request for the test. People need to know what their lifespan is so they can adjust their lifestyles to it. The test now costs about €500 (£435).

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I think this is a very difficult subject for me to have an opinion about. On one hand I don’t like the idea of knowing when your life is over, it should come when you don’t expect it or you will be miserable for a long time, waiting for death. But I also believe that it’s useful to know when you are going to die because than you can adjust your lifestyle, like spend all your money before you are going to die or do something crazy. But if I have to choose which way I like it better I would have to say the first, I wouldn’t like to know when I’m going to die, I would be curious but I don’t want to know.

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/the-163400-test-that-tells-you-how-long-youll-live-2284639.html

Ban mobile phones and wireless networks in schools, say european leaders.

A council of Europe committee has reported that our technology has a ‘potentially harmful’ affect on humans and that we should now take action to protect children. That is why they want to ban mobile-phones and laptops from school so that they are not disposed to harmful energies. This also means that teachers are not allowed to carry a mobile phone. The committee thinks that those electromagnetic radiation causes cancer and that is why children should be prevented from it and use mobile phones as little as possible. Others say that exposure to electromagnetic fields poses little or no risk to human health.

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I think the council of Europe committee is exaggerating. Ban mobile-phones and laptops from schools is useless, because they will use their mobile phones at home or any other place. There is no way to prevent children from using their mobile phone. I also think that if we aren’t allowed to use phones because of the electromagnetic energy than what can we do? People are exaggerating more and more when it comes to health. At this rate we aren’t allowed to drive cars in about five years because the car would contain a gas that is bad for human health. Or we aren’t allowed to eat bananas because they are from a weird tree that is infected with some weird unknown liquid. So I think that we should not prevent children from using their phones because it has no use and it’s ridiculous.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8514380/Ban-mobile-phones-and-wireless-networks-in-schools-say-European-leaders.html

Taxi driver ordered to remove 'phallic' cross

A taxi driver was told to remove a cross from his dashboard because it looked phallic. This order came from a 15-year-old boy who was driving in his vehicle. He told his school and the school council complained about it to the taxi company. The 61-year-old taxi driver, who is originally from France, removed the cross because he didn’t want to cause any trouble for the taxi company.  He said that being known for picking up teenagers with a phallic symbol in his car reflected him badly. He is very angry about the situation because the boy took his conclusions without asking him for further information. A meeting was arranged with York council and Clair Cook, the 29-year-old director of the cab company, she said that ‘if the cross had been dangling that could have been different because it may have been obstructing his vision but there was nothing wrong with that crucifix.’

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I think this is ridiculous because the boy should have asked the man about it first or the school should have. Now this man has a bad image because of a 15-year-old boy. This is the man’s religion and it’s being mocked by a schoolboy. I do think that when somebody sees something suspicious they should report it but this is a harsh accusation, and not even checked properly first. I also find it good manners that he already removed the cross while this incident was happening so it wouldn’t damage the band between the taxi company and the school.

Source: Metro Newspaper- Date *13-05-2011

metro.co.uk

Backpacker clipped by road-rage coach driver

Matthew smith a coach driver lost his temper while he drove an eight-tonne vehicle. He deliberately drove his vehicle against a pedestrian who was clipping his backpack. Before this happened, he was already enraged about another vehicle parked and standing in the way, he got out of the coach, released the handbrake of the obstructing car and pushed it down the street.  The enraged driver got back behind the wheel and than deliberately drove against a backpacker who was clipping his backpack. Before this he was already involved with an incident in Bath’s Dorchester street station in February, he admitted dangerous driving and using threatening language while driving. Now he has been given a 15- month driving ban, ordered to pay 50 pounds to the pedestrian, a 12- month community order with 160 hours unpaid work and an eight week curfew.

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I think it’s good that he has been punished for this, especially because this happened before. I do think the punishment is enough but I wonder if he will ever get back to work as a coach driver, I think he should be fired and never work behind a vehicle again. I also agree that he must pay the pedestrian because it could have ended a lot worse if he drove faster. I think the Netherlands should follow this example, because in Holland you can get away with everything or a little punishment.

Source: Metro Newspaper- date * 13-05-2011
metro.co.uk