Cancer Can Be Cured -- The International Union Against Cancer says that forty percent of the world’s cancer can be prevented. The organization emphasized immunization against cancer-causing diseases, includ-ing human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis C, HIV and Epstein-Barr virus. The full 40-percent reduction in cancer cases would require lifestyle choices, including eating a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco, drinking in moderation (if at all) and limiting exposure to the sun. (Yahoo! News, 2/2/10)

It Takes a Family to Keep Kids Fit -- Basic habits, including eating as a family, limiting TV and electronic gaming time, and getting enough sleep, can reduce the odds of childhood obesity by 40 percent, according to a study done on 8,000 four-year-olds. The study’s criteria were 5 meals per week, 10.5 hours of sleep per night and less than 2 hours per day of TV and gaming. Each of these factors alone had a benefit, with benefits that were independent of such things as race and income. (NPR.org, 2/8/10)

Herbal Research -- A pilot study in Shanghai, China, found that a proprietary elderberry extract (sold in the U.S. as Immunity Take Care by New Chapter, Inc.) was associated with rapid reduction in flu-like symptoms. The randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study included 64 patients. A Swiss study found that an echinacea-sage throat spray (from A. Vogel Bioforce AG) was as effective as a chlorhexidine/lidocaine spray in treating sore throat symptoms. (HerbalGram, Feb.-Apr. 2010)

Genes Can Be Patented—So Far -- In a landmark case that could affect all gene patents, a Utah biotech company named Myriad Genetics claims that it owns the rights to two genes that are strongly related to cancer of the breast and ovaries. They are defending their ownership of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in Federal court, arguing that without the opportunity to profit off their knowledge, businesses like theirs would perish, and women would not be able to know their risk of cancer. On the other side is a broad coalition of science and rights groups, representing 150,000 researchers, among others, who argue that the patents limit scientific progress by turning fundamental knowledge into proprietary information. (wired.com, 2/4/10)

Expiration Dates Only a Guess -- Expiration dates on foods, whether they say “sell by,” “use by” or “best if used by,” may seem reassuring, but they are voluntary measures used by manufacturers to help inspire consumer confidence. They have no legal definition, and in fact the goodness or badness of a product depends not on the date printed on the package, but on how it was produced, packaged, stored, transported and merchandised. Consumers should trust in their own eyes, noses and mouths to detect spoilage. (slate.com, 2/17/10)

Wind Potential Triples The first comprehensive assessment in 17 years has more than tripled the estimated amount of energy the U.S. can produce from wind. That number seems like it shouldn’t change, but advances such as taller and bigger wind turbines make a huge difference. America now consumes 3 million gigawatt-hours of electricity a year. In 1993 the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory estimated our wind potential at nearly 11 million gigawatt-hours. The latest estimate, by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and AWS Truewind, puts that number at 37 million gigawatt-hours—more than a dozen times the electricity we consume today. (wired.com, 2/19/10)