By Cate Nelson •
August 3, 2009
Renowned researcher Michael Kramer, who has advised the World Health Organization and Unicef, said that he was misquoted after being interviewed regarding supposed benefits of breastmilk.
You may remember the post regarding feminist Joan Wolf, who believes there are very few benefits of breastfeeding, very much in the same style of Hanna Rosin.
In the same Times article, Dr. Michael Kramer was “grossly misrepresented”. He said that the Times completely misquoted him and that he still very much believes in the benefits of breastmilk. He is quite angry at being put on the other side of what he sees as part of his life work. From the Independent:
There really isn’t any controversy about which mode of feeding is more beneficial for the baby and the mother, but when you read the article in The Times it sounds like there is. I’m not aware of any studies that have observed any health benefits of formula feeding. That’s important, and any mother weighing the benefits of breastfeeding vs formula feeding needs to know that.
By Andrew Williams •
July 29, 2009
Toyota has revealed that its eagerly anticipated iQ-based all-electric car will receive its own individual body-style makeover, to create a stand-alone model set to become Toyota’s first all-electric car.
It appears that the electric iQ, due for launch in 2010, will not be pushed in the same market sectors as the original. Speaking about the strategy Hiroki Nakajima, chief engineer for the iQ said, “We wanted to position the iQ as premium, but not so the BEV (battery electric vehicle).” Perhaps they think that your average EV user is a little more low-rent than other drivers?
By Daniel Hohler •
July 27, 2009
As a pollutant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (or PAH’s as we call them in the business), are of concern because they have been identified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic (not good things if you were wondering). PAHs are created as a byproduct of the burning of coal, oil, and fossil fuels. Often they are of concern in urban areas where there is a higher carbon footprint, and it forms that nice cloud of yellow smoke you see floating over some of your major cities.
Now, new research out of Columbia University is showing that exposure to PAHs, can reduce neonate’s intelligence. The study performed in New York city where PAHs are in no short demand, showed IQ scores that were 4.31 and 4.67 points lower, respectively than those of less exposed children.
UK luxury car-manufacturer Aston Martin has teamed up with Toyota in a trail-blazing deal to make a ‘cheap’ version of the Toyota iQ for £20,000 ($32,000), making it the world’s smallest luxury supermini.
The new model, called the Aston Martin Cygnet, will be offered to the company’s existing customers (and those with vehicles on order) by the end of the year and will go on general sale following an introductory period.
By Cate Nelson •
June 10, 2009
In another odd study where correlation and causation seem very distantly related, researchers in Canada found that women who experienced morning sickness had children with higher IQs.
Researchers at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children say that these nausea-inducing bundles of joy later score higher on IQ tests.
And seriously, they say that the sicker the moms got, the higher the IQs.
It’s just one of life’s many tests, apparently.
By Cate Nelson •
January 20, 2009
Jesus was on to something…
A New Zealand study gives some insight on food for you smarty pants to-be parents. Kids with higher IQ consume fish at least once a week and the full four servings of breads and cereals daily. Oddly, those smart kids also had mamas who drank moderately during their pregnancies
Certain food also played a role in a lower IQ for kids. Singled out was margarine, which had strong links to lower scores.
By Nick Chambers •
January 10, 2009
In a wide-ranging statement on its future, Toyota has announced that it will bring a plug-in extended range Prius to market by the end of this year, will introduce as many as ten completely new hybrids by the early 2010s, and will bring a fully electric car to market in 2012.
Irv Miller, Toyota’s Vice President of Environmental and Public Affairs, had this to say about the announcement:
“Last summer’s four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline was no anomaly. It was a brief glimpse of our future. We must address the inevitability of peak oil by developing vehicles powered by alternatives to liquid-oil fuel, as well as new concepts, like the iQ, that are lighter in weight and smaller in size. This kind of vehicle, electrified or not, is where our industry must focus its creativity.”
By Nick Chambers •
November 10, 2008
Much of the attention surrounding the upcoming 2008 LA Auto Show (Nov. 21-30) has been directed at cars like the 2010 Ford Mustang and the 2009 Nissan 370Z. Yet, while glitzy, fast, and heart-poundingly desirable, these types of cars already seem like relics of a different era — a weird and surreal window on the past. To celebrate them feels mostly cheap and material, and does a disservice to the reality of our current world.
Given announcements last Friday that the American auto industry is on the brink of extinction, it seems to me that the more important cars at the show are the ones that, if they’re smart, the American auto industry will quickly turn to as the future of transportation. In honor of these sentiments, it’s only fitting for Gas 2.0 to do a preview of the cars and technologies you care about, and leave the relics to the pros.
I’ll be covering the LA Auto Show during press days on November 19-20, so stay tuned to Gas 2.0 for live coverage. Until then, check out the small taste of what’s to come below.
By Nick Chambers •
October 14, 2008
By Nick Chambers •
October 13, 2008
Perhaps the ultimate city car for the childless, the Toyota iQ includes all of the safety, comfort, and convenience you’d expect from a larger car, but packaged in the world’s smallest 59 mpg 4-seater.
Before the details fanatics among us get all hot and bothered, the 59 mpg (4.0 liters/100 km) rating refers to the diesel iQ’s combined city/highway fuel economy expressed in U.S. miles but as measured by European standards (base directive 80/1268/EEC, latest amendment 2004/3/EC).
With lower carbon dioxide emissions than the Prius — around 159 grams of CO2 emitted per mile by the 1.0 liter gas engine and 166 g/mile for the diesel version — not only does the iQ deliver on fuel economy, but its straight-up conventional engine is a pollution winner too.
Renowned researcher Michael Kramer, who has advised the World Health Organization and Unicef, said that he was misquoted after being interviewed regarding supposed benefits of breastmilk.
