In the News

Compiled by Amanda Stiver

Faith Helps Fight for Life

Those with strong religious beliefs, a recent study finds, are more likely to seek aggressive life-prolonging care when faced with a potentially terminal illness like cancer.

The Coping With Cancer study, funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Mental Health, also found that nearly 80 percent of those enduring advanced stages of cancer felt they were better able to cope because of their primarily Christian, religious faith (Madison Park, "Religious Patients Are More Likely to Get Intensive Life-Prolonging Care," CNN.com, March 18, 2009).

Proverbs 17:22 states, "A merry heart does good, like medicine," and nothing is more positive than knowing of and having faith in the long-term positive future that God has planned for His creation.

E-readers: Ink of the Future

Like something out of Star Trek, a newspaper editor reaches across his desk for a slim, page-sized rectangular sheet of plastic, pushes a button, touches the screen and the daily headlines appear. He tosses the e-reader from one hand lightly to the other, lets it drop to the desk and turns to his computer to reprimand an employee for a typo...

Elsewhere, a student picks up his e-reader and taps the screen until the correct page of his textbook appears, reads a sentence or two, and then continues writing his essay assignment for the day...

Okay, back to reality. But is this all that far-fetched? Kindle, an electronic reader specifically designed to be easy on the eyes and user-friendly, is currently available from Amazon.com. Sony has a similar design, and many technology companies will follow suit with similar readers for books, magazines and newspapers during the course of the year (Michael Copeland, "The End of Paper?" Fortune, March 3, 2009). A new technology and a new era of the "printed" word...Stay tuned for its impact on life as we know it!

Teen Traits and Abstinence

The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health found that young people who abstain from sex before marriage share eight specific character traits (Jennifer Mesko, "Eight Traits Characterize Teens Who Abstain From Sex," Citzenlink.org, Jan. 13, 2009):

• Being willing to postpone momentary pleasures for long-term goals.
• Ability to stick to a task or a commitment.
• Belief that current behavior can impact the future.
• Future focus.
• Control of impulses.
• Resistance to peer influence.
• Respect for parental values.
• Sense of personal dignity.

These traits are similar to various biblical principles, including characteristics constituting the fruit of God's Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). God's way of life really works!

Internet Dictionary to Shake Bookshelves

Erin McKean, a professional lexicographer (word researcher), is launching a Web site called Wordnik.com which is intended to revolutionize the dictionary world. The member site will include larger numbers of new words, increased word-use examples and will allow user interaction.

The endless space of the Internet provides room to address the rapidly growing slang of the English language, audio features that allow users to hear words pronounced correctly and pictures when applicable (Jina Moore, "New Online Dictionary Redefines 'Look It Up,'" Christian Science Monitor, March 16, 2009).

Trend Toward Online Education

With economic uncertainty around the world, many workers are turning to online higher education courses to help them retain their current jobs or improve their résumés as they look for new jobs.

As economies slow and jobs are cut, colleges and universities are seeing an increase in both traditional and online degree programs, according to a study by the Sloan Consortium. Experts recommend a bachelor's degree for those who are without one as a necessity when applying for any job. For those who already have an undergraduate degree, they recommend volunteering at a corporation as a means of résumé building (A. Pawlowski, "Riding Out the Recession in a Virtual Classroom," CNN.com, March 18, 2009).

Superheroes: Signs of the Times

Toward the end of the Great Depression in the 1930s, comic book superheroes Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Captain America made their debut. They grew in popularity; and today, during an era that is beginning to mirror the hardship of the '30s, they continue to win big with movie audiences (Douglas Hyde, "Superheroes Rise in Tough Times," CNN.com, March 20, 2009).

When times get tough, everybody wants a hero. However, it's important to rely on a hero who can actually save people. The name Jesus means "Savior" and there's a reason. He will save the entire planet one day soon.

No More Scratches?

Even though shellfish are unclean and not fit to eat (Leviticus 11:10), they are useful in developing scratchproof coatings. A new mixture using molecules made from chitosan, derived from the shells of crabs and other crustaceans, self-heals with exposure to ultraviolet sunlight after being scratched. The process takes about 30 minutes, a significant improvement over previous self-healing substances ("Coatings That 'Self-Heal' in Sun," News.BBC.co.uk, March 12, 2009).

Obesity Limits Length of Life

British researchers at the University of Oxford analyzed the findings of 57 studies, following almost 1 million people for 15 years, including 100,000 who died during that time. Their studies revealed that those with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 to 35 lowered their life expectancy by three years. Those with a BMI of 40 and above cut 10 years from their lifespan ("Study: Obesity Shaves Years Off Life," Associated Press, March 18, 2009).

The results of this study aren't groundbreaking, but they are an impressive reminder of the importance of living a fit and healthy lifestyle and staying in a moderate weight range for longer life.