Timely Vaccinations Up Among Low-Income Children, But Class Disparities Remain

With the whole world buzzing about the swine flu, vaccinations are a hot topic

By Rachel Durfee Posted 05.07.2009 at 11:27 am 2 Comments

By the time they are two years old, most children from middle and upper-income families have been vaccinated against polio, mumps, measles, rubella and tetanus. But many low-income children--too many, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Vaccines for Children Program-- have not. A new study examining the results of the U.S. National Immunization Survey carried out between 1995 and 2007 showed "significant disparities in timely vaccination coverage...

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READ MORE ABOUT > charity, children, health, kids, swine flu, vaccinations

Is Scientific Ignorance Environmental Bliss?

What do young people think about the environment? A new report surveying teens from 57 countries has some surprising answers

By Dr. Bill Chameides Posted 05.04.2009 at 9:53 am 10 Comments

PopSci.com welcomes Dr. Bill Chameides, dean of Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment. Dr. Chameides blogs at The Green Grok to spark lively discussions about environmental science, keeping you in the know on what the scientific world is discovering and how it affects you – all in plain language and, hopefully, with a bit of fun. PopSci.com partners with The Green Grok, bringing his blog posts directly to our users. Give it a read and get in on the discussion!

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READ MORE ABOUT > he green grok, kids, knowledge, OECD, research initiative, teenager

Spring is in the Air, but Maybe Wait on Those Birds and Bees

Study shows pesticide levels likely linked to birth defects in babies conceived during spring and summer months

By Rachel Durfee Posted 04.02.2009 at 3:11 pm 1 Comment

It seems like every couple of years there are some new baby rules. Don’t lay them down on their stomachs. Don’t lay them down on their backs. Do yoga while pregnant. Don’t do yoga while pregnant. Breast feed. Don’t breast feed. In light of a new study, the latest piece of baby advice you might hear from your doctor may be “don’t conceive in the spring or summer.”

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READ MORE ABOUT > babies, birth defects, children, kids, parenting, sex

The Science of Survival

A traveling exhibit predicts the future

By Laura Silver Posted 01.21.2009 at 10:10 am 1 Comment

I've seen 2050. It's an interactive exhibition animated by four noseless characters with British accents.

Buz, Eco, Tek, and Dug (the orthography of the future is apparently destined to be streamlined) each have unique views on how the human race can best careen forward. And they each have an "S," presumably for Survival, on their futuristic garb.

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READ MORE ABOUT > exhibits, future, kids, museums, survival