The Malaysian Insider :: Features

Roy Calne: The art in medicine

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:27:31 GMT

PETALING JAYA, May 20 – The disciplines of medicine and art have historically had a long and distinguished connection. Both are concerned with form, processes of observation, and require precise visual and manual skills. Ever since the Renaissance, when Da Vinci’s skilful anatomical drawings and the illustrations of revolutionary anatomist Andreas ...

Our emotions match music to colours

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:29:19 GMT

NEW YORK, May 20 — A new study finds that our brains are wired to make music-colour connections depending on how the melodies make us feel. Mozart’s jaunty “Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major” is most often associated with bright yellow and orange, whereas his somber “Requiem in D minor” is linked to bluish gray, the findings revealed. US researchers ...

Crisis not all bad for doting Greek mothers

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:06:37 GMT

ATHENS, May 20 — In a society where family ties traditionally play a prominent role, Greece’s deep economic crisis apparently offers a few Greek mothers a reason to be happy. While financial hardship may have forced many to seek their fortune abroad, it has also obliged an increasing number of young people to return to the family nest, where they ...

Swimmers get a HUD data-tracking device of their own

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:59:45 GMT

SAN DIAGO, May 20 — Google has Glass and Recon Instruments just unveiled its HUD (heads up display) sport sunglasses for runners and cyclists, but now swimmers can also get into the data-tracking action. Instabeat is a HUD unit that you can attach to a pair of swimming goggles to monitor your heart rate, calories burned, laps, and turns during ...

Coca-Cola ‘recipe’ finds teen buyer — at RM45m

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:43:31 GMT

WASHINGTON, May 20 — What could be a World War II era recipe for Coca-Cola’s secret formula found a buyer last Wednesday on eBay — a 15-year-old who now has three days to come up with US$15 million (RM45 million) to pay for it. Georgia antiques dealer Cliff Kluge listed the yellowing typewritten document—found among papers at a Tennessee estate ...

Parking meter ‘Robin Hoods’ provoke New Hampshire city’s ire

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:09:30 GMT

LITTLETON (New Hampshire), May 20 — In December James Cleaveland made an unusual New Year’s resolution: to do all he could to keep police in the city of Keene, New Hampshire, from issuing parking tickets. Cleaveland and a group of friends took to the streets with pocketfuls of change and began shadowing the city’s three parking enforcement ...

Greying China taps rural elderly to care for those even older

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:49:58 GMT

QIATUN, May 20 — Two years short of 70, Zhang Guosheng spends his days caring for an 81-year-old fellow villager - washing his clothes, bringing meals to his bed, and keeping him company - a routine he’ll keep up until he himself needs the type of care he is now giving. “Living here is better than staying at home alone. We help each other and ...

Germans blame euro zone crisis for Eurovision debacle

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:42:52 GMT

BERLIN, May 20 — Germans lamented their unexpectedly poor showing at the Eurovision Song Contest, blaming Chancellor Angela Merkel’s tough stance in the euro zone crisis for their failure to win any points from 34 of the 39 countries voting. Denmark’s Emmelie de Forest won the event, watched by around 125 million people across Europe, with 281 ...

Bentley launches a home decor collection

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:24:54 GMT

LONDON, May 20 — Luxury carmaker Bentley enters the world of home decoration and design with the new Bentley Home collection, designed in collaboration with Luxury Living Group. “For more than 90 years Bentley has produced the world’s finest hand-crafted car interiors—now we are making our approach to luxury available to people’s homes and ...

Peru cracks down on junk food in schools

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:44:53 GMT

LIMA, May 20 — Peru’s president signed a new law last week designed to reduce child obesity by encouraging healthier eating habits in schools. The law regulates advertising for fatty foods and fizzy soft drinks in schools, the first step in a plan to ban some junk food altogether. Business groups, worried about their revenue, have reacted angrily ...

Road trips good for relationships

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:31:37 GMT

NEW YORK, May 20 — A survey reveals that taking a road trip can be good for strengthening a couple’s relationship. So claim 90 per cent of respondents when asked if taking a road trip with their partner had proved beneficial, with 77 per cent of couples saying they actively look forward to time spent driving together. The “Love on the Road” ...

Max Factor launches ‘72-hour’ mascara

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:18:32 GMT

LONDON, May 20 — Ever wished your mascara could be completely sleepproof? Fans of clean pillows everywhere will be excited to hear that Max Factor has come to the rescue with a new mascara it says works like a long-lasting lash tint. The Lashfinity 3 Day Mascara is completely waterproof, meaning it won’t come off in the shower or in the sea (good ...

Amid frenzy over map apps, new focus on 16th century world view

Sat, 18 May 2013 23:24:05 GMT

WASHINGTON, May 19 — As online titans compete to deliver instant maps to smartphones, the Library of Congress in Washington is focusing attention on an antique “cosmology” printed in 1507 that serves as America’s birth certificate. The black-and-white map created by Martin Waldseemuller, a French cleric, was the first time the name America had ...

Skateboarders fight to save famed London spot

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:25:17 GMT

LONDON, May 18 — Skateboarders soar out of the concrete bowl beneath London's Southbank Centre, as they have done for the past 40 years, while spectators drink beer and hiphop beats stoke up the party atmosphere. But this is no party — it's a protest. These knights of the pavement are jousting with authorities to save one of the world's most ...

Retiring may not be beneficial for your health

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:06:43 GMT

NEW YORK, May 18 — A new study finds that working longer may help you live longer. Researchers found that depression and physical decline are much more likely for those retiring than for those who keep working. While the study found that there is a small boost to your health right after retirement, a significant decline sets in soon ...

In Benghazi, the people slowly take control

Sat, 18 May 2013 03:50:42 GMT

BENGHAZI, May 18 — Benghazi, Libya’s second largest city, was the cradle of the country’s revolution in 2011. Following the ouster and death of the dictator Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011, Benghazi has struggled to rebuild itself as security deteriorated to descend into lawlessness when the security apparatus collapsed. Here’s a little history ...

Euro zone explores scrapping smallest coins

Sat, 18 May 2013 02:15:40 GMT

BRUSSELS, May 18 — Saving pocket change may not end the euro zone crisis, but the European Commission hopes that scrapping the smallest coins could help penny-pinching governments cut costs. The European Commission outlined proposals this week for the 17 euro zone countries to scrap their 1- and 2-cent coins, leaving 5-cent pieces as the smallest ...

Sant Jordi, the celebration of love and literacy

Fri, 17 May 2013 23:42:08 GMT

BARCELONA, May 18 — “And you, are you one of those girls who say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a dance?” a young man once asked the teenaged Sonia Prado at a discotheque. She replied: “Usually, I’d say ‘no’, but since it’s you, I’d say ‘yes’.” And so began the five-year courtship of a couple who are still together after more than two decades. Having lost her ...

Czechs turn Soviet nuclear warhead depot into Iron Curtain museum

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:38:31 GMT

MISOV (Czech Republic), May 17 — A former secret Soviet nuclear warhead shelter in the Czech Republic is being turned into a museum inviting visitors to learn about the Cold War atomic race. The mighty underground cement bunker was ordered by the Soviet leadership under Nikita Khrushchev, and built in the mid to late 1960s in a forest near the ...

Shake off a bad mood with a happy song

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:03:30 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, May 17 — Music can affect how you feel, and now a new study finds that listening to a happy song to boost your mood can help you do just that. Researchers from the University of Missouri in the US enlisted 173 participants in a music listening experiment. Over the course of two weeks, two groups were asked to improve their moods ...

Getting fit in middle age may protect your heart

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:29:35 GMT

TEXAS, May 17 — Middle-aged people who are overweight or out of shape may think it's too late to get fit. But new US research finds that shaping up in midlife can reduce risk for heart failure later on. The reduction risk was also found to be independent of other risk factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, the study ...

Researchers make embryonic stem cells from skin

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:23:04 GMT

WASHINGTON, May 17 — US researchers reported a breakthrough in stem cell research on Wednesday, describing how they have turned human skin cells into embryonic stem cells for the first time. The method described by Oregon State University scientists in the journal Cell, would not likely be able to create human clones, said Shoukhrat Mitalipov, ...

Struggling with math? Plug in to improve

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:16:04 GMT

LONDON, May 17 — Applying painless but targeted electrical stimulation to parts of the brain that play a role in number manipulation may in future be a way to help people who struggle with math, scientists said yesterday. Researchers who experimented with a type of brain stimulation called transcranial random noise stimulation (TRNS) found that in ...

The 7-minute scientifically proven workout

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:32:52 GMT

NEW YORK, May 16 — One of the biggest buzzwords in fitness right now is HIIT, or high-intensity interval training -- and now a new study outlines 12 HIIT exercises that can get you into scientifically proven good shape in as little as seven minutes. The principle of HIIT is short, intense workouts that can give you maximum benefits but in less ...

Yoga may help reduce high blood pressure

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:25:40 GMT

NEW YORK, May 16 — People who practice yoga may be getting an extra health boost — a new US study finds that twice weekly yoga sessions can reduce high blood pressure. In the study, researchers led by Dr. Debbie Cohen of the University of Pennsylvania tracked 58 women and men, aged 38 to 62, for 24 weeks. While the study didn't prove a ...

18 finalists to vie for ‘Best Jobs in the World’

Thu, 16 May 2013 01:20:34 GMT

SYDNEY, May 16 — Finalists for Tourism Australia’s “Best Jobs in the World” contest have been announced, with candidates from the US leading the charge, followed by England and France. In all, 18 candidates from 12 countries have been shortlisted from a pool that started with 330,000 applicants from 196 countries, in one of the most successful ...

Exercise may boost mood, self-esteem

Wed, 15 May 2013 23:27:52 GMT

LONDON, May 16 — If you want to boost your mood, a 10-minute brisk walk could do the trick, according to a new report released from the UK’s Mental Health Foundation. Plus taking part in a regular exercise program can help boost self-esteem while reducing stress and anxiety, according to the report, titled “Let’s Get Physical.” Exercise can serve ...

The universal antioxidant

Wed, 15 May 2013 23:20:57 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 ― An earlier article highlighted the role of certain neutraceuticals employed by anti-ageing doctors for the treatment of chronic diseases. One such nutrient is alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) which has also been called a “universal antioxidant.” It is both water- and fat-soluble, and thus can penetrate tissues composed mainly of ...

US, Britain most desirable spots for foreign workers - poll

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:42:22 GMT

LONDON, May 15 — Britain has leapfrogged Australia to become the world’s second most desirable location for professionals looking to live and work abroad, trailing only the United States, a survey found today. Worries about Britain’s fragile economy, high household bills and squeezed wages were eclipsed by its growing reputation as a centre for ...

Rich nations’ wealth gap widens as welfare cut

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:40:45 GMT

PARIS, May 15 — A growing divide between rich and poor risks will yawn still wider if cash-strapped governments keep cutting back the welfare state, an industrialised nations’ think-tank warned today. Weighing into a debate on inequality in developed countries, the 33-nation Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said welfare ...

Ultra-low salt intake may not boost health, says US panel

Wed, 15 May 2013 06:47:46 GMT

WASHINGTON, May 15 — Americans at high risk for heart problems who have been told for years to sharply cut salt from their diet may not actually benefit from ultra-low sodium diets and could even face some harm, an independent panel of health experts said yesterday. The influential Institute of Medicine, in a report to US health officials, ...

India unveils vaccine for deadly diarrhoea virus

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:34:25 GMT

NEW DELHI, May 15 — Scientists unveiled yesterday an affordable vaccine against a deadly diarrhoea-causing virus that kills some 100,000 children in India every year. Rotavirus, which causes dehydration and severe diarrhoea, is globally responsible for some 453,000 deaths annually and is particularly threatening in Africa and Asia, where access to ...

Southern cities ranked among laziest in US, says magazine

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:37:38 GMT

NEW YORK, May 15 — Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, is also the capital of sloth, according to Men’s Health magazine which ranked the Southern metropolis as the least active city in the United States. It was last on the list of 100 cities based on the activity level of its residents, along with Charleston, West Virginia; Nashville, Tennessee; ...

Ice melt, sea level rise, to be less severe than feared, says study

Wed, 15 May 2013 03:12:19 GMT

OSLO, May 15 — A melt of ice on Greenland and Antarctica is likely to be less severe than expected this century, limiting sea level rise to a maximum of 69 cm, an international study said yesterday. Even so, such a rise could dramatically change coastal environments in the lifetimes of people born today with ever more severe storm surges and ...

Men with guitars are more attractive to women, says study

Wed, 15 May 2013 01:45:37 GMT

NEW YORK, May 15 — For men wanting to be more attractive to the opposite sex, new research suggests grabbing a guitar. Researchers at the University of Bretagne-Sud and the University of Paris-Sud enlisted the aid of an attractive young man who approached 300 women between the ages of 18 and 22 and ask them for their phone number, according to the ...

Jolie surgery sets good example of careful weighing of risks, say doctors

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:19:07 GMT

CHICAGO, May 15 — Angelina Jolie’s decision to have a double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer may have stunned fans of the Oscar-winning actress, but doctors say her choice is shared by many other women with a high genetic risk for breast cancer. Jolie, who described her surgery and three-month recovery at length in an opinion piece in the New ...

Surgery can dramatically reduce genetic cancer risk

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:36:13 GMT

PARIS, May 14 – Women whose genes put them at a high risk of contracting breast cancer can dramatically reduce the danger by having a double mastectomy – but not eliminate it altogether, experts say. The issue has been thrown into the spotlight with Hollywood star Angelina Jolie’s announcement that she had her breasts surgically removed after ...

Airlines bankroll sports glory to win market dogfight

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:13:57 GMT

ANKARA, May 14 — Turkish Airlines has added German highflier Borussia Dortmund to its sponsorship roster, taking fierce competition with Gulf carriers from the skies to the world’s premier football stadiums. After mythic clubs Barcelona FC and Manchester United, Dortmund is the third football giant to be sponsored by THY, which is vying to ...

Adrian Cheng: Updating a Hong Kong family empire for a changing China

Tue, 14 May 2013 02:27:56 GMT

HONG KONG, May 14 — He has trained on Broadway and been a Wall Street banker. Now, Adrian Cheng, 33-year-old scion of the world’s largest jewellery retailer and one of Asia’s leading property developers is gearing up for his latest challenge — modernising his family’s US$25 billion (RM75 billion) empire for what he calls a “new era”. The grandson ...

Gene clues for testicular cancer, heart defect

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:38:14 GMT

HARRISBURG, May 14 — Separate studies of the human genome have found tantalising clues to the inherited causes of testicular cancer and non-inherited causes of congenital heart disease, journals reported on Sunday. University of Pennsylvania researchers looked at the DNA of more than 13,000 men, comparing the DNA code of those with testicular ...

Why study in Australia?

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:17:11 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — Although the Australian currency is still maintaining its strength at a 3.2 exchange rate over the Malaysian ringgit, it is still very much a preferred destination for higher education. So why are students flocking Down Under to pursue their higher education? Work options after graduation Australia has always been a more ...

Astronaut’s ‘Space Oddity’ music video goes viral

Mon, 13 May 2013 23:50:21 GMT

CAPE CANAVERAL, May 14 — A music video shot aboard the International Space Station went viral yesterday, turning an astronaut into an overnight music sensation with his zero-gravity version of David Bowie’s hit “Space Oddity.” As the first Canadian to command the space station, a US$100 million (RM300 million) project of 15 nations, Chris Hadfield ...

Eating insects could help fight obesity, UN says

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:29:18 GMT

ROME, May 13 – The thought of eating beetles, caterpillars and ants may give you the creeps, but the authors of a UN report published today said the health benefits of consuming nutritious insects could help fight obesity. More than 1,900 species of insects are eaten around the world, mainly in Africa and Asia, but people in the West generally ...

Modern Etiquette: When a colleague is abusing alcohol

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:46:58 GMT

SEATTLE, May 13 – The lovely dinner meeting with my colleague turned out to be a bad dream. Sure, we had wine with the meal. I loved every moment, morsel, and drop of it. Yet I was poorly prepared when she not only had wine, but slugged down cognac afterward, and commented that she had preceded our meeting with “a couple of scotches”. I ended up ...

New fitness centres cater to aging baby boomers

Mon, 13 May 2013 06:14:31 GMT

NEW YORK, May 13 — Baby boomers, the generation that vowed to stay forever young, are getting older, designing senior-friendly gyms and becoming their own personal trainers. In exercise havens for the over-50 set, the cardio machines are typically low impact, the resistance training is mainly air-powered and some group fitness classes are taken ...

Sri Lanka sexes up image of Ceylon tea

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:52 GMT

KANDANA, May 13 — A hot cup of Ceylon tea is better known as being soothing and relaxing, but Sri Lanka is now marketing its most profitable export as a luxury boost for the libido. The tea industry is increasingly plugging Ceylon’s supposed aphrodisiac qualities in a bid to radically change perceptions of the brew, which manufacturers say can ...

Hong Kong has world’s most expensive retail space

Mon, 13 May 2013 04:13:50 GMT

HONG KONG, May 13 — There’s expensive and then there’s Hong Kong. The Asian shopping haven in the first quarter kept its crown as having the world’s highest rent for prime retail properties, at nearly 50 per cent more than for similar districts such as upper Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Rents were more than four times the rate in similar areas in ...

New Soutine record set as Christie’s meets Impressionist goal

Mon, 13 May 2013 02:35:27 GMT

NEW YORK, May 13 — A record was set for French artist Chaim Soutine recently at Christie’s auction of Impressionist and modern art, which met expectations with a total of just under US$160 million (RM480 million). The tightly edited sale of 47 works exceeded Christie’s auction a year ago by more than US$40 million, but the earlier evening ...

Scented underpants for men, a ‘Made in France’ special

Mon, 13 May 2013 01:13:54 GMT

PARIS, May 13 — A company that specialises in “Made in France” underwear has raised nearly €19,000 (RM73,726) from enthusiastic investors banking on its next titillating creation—sweet-smelling underpants for men. The so-called “Indomitable” briefs will be manufactured by “Le Slip Francais”, a company set up in 2011 by 27-year-old Guillaume ...

Omega-3 acids not beneficial for cardiac risk group

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:12:59 GMT

PARIS, May 13 — Fish oil supplements rich in omega-3 fatty acids are not beneficial for patients at high risk of cardiovascular troubles and already being medicated, a study found recently. In the study, carried out in 2010 in Italy with 12,513 patients, half the group took an omega-3 supplement and the other half an olive oil placebo. Previous ...