Science Niblets

Botox is used for banishing crow's feet and tightening sagging jowls. Six million Americans each year and an estimated 75% of celebrities over the age of 35 use it. But did you know that Botox is composed of the same deadly toxin responsible for botulism poisoning that can cause paralysis and respiratory failure?

Are you not able to sit still while watching TV or at a meeting? Do you keep shaking your legs? You may have restless legs syndrome (RLS) or periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD).

(Image by Nicolas P. Rougier)

If you made a resolution for 2012, chances are you're still going strong. Nearly a month in, you've been faced with the temptation, the test of willpower, and likely some teasing from loved ones. And you've only got 340 days left to call your resolution a success? Easy as pie...

When I was in elementary school, my teacher told my class that the full moon makes people crazy. She said it was caused by the gravitational tug of the moon on the Earth—the same forces that cause high and low tides—the argument being that our bodies are more than 60% water. I was impressionable and fascinated by weird science—who isn't at that age?—and have long since stored that "fact"oid in my ever-developing hippocampus. The full moon last week (which, not to mention, was GINORMOUS—did anyone else notice?) reminded me of this theory and made me want to do a little research of my own. Does the full moon really do something to our brains?

(Photo by Luz Adriana Villa)