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What do Bon Jovi have in common with the flu shot? Today in The Conversion Canada, Glen Pyle of the University of Guelph raises the rockers’ classic song Shot to the Heart as a fun way to highlight new research that shows getting a flu shot provides protective benefits from heart disease. That’s because many people are vulnerable to having a heart attack shortly after having influenza.
David Chandross of Ryerson University takes us inside an interesting project where seniors, some of whom have dementia, are thriving in university courses on Socrates, astronomy and other topics. One of the purposes of the courses is to reduce social isolation and increase self-esteem among seniors.
Why do seemingly “normal” people commit acts of evil? Cathryn van Kessel of the University of Alberta explores that question in the wake of the horrific mass murders at the Pittsburgh synagogue.
In case you didn’t know, today is World Vegan Day. Sylvain Charlebois of Dalhousie University tells us about a new study on Canadians' attitude towards meat – and how men are less likely to give up their carnivorous ways.
And finally…speaking of meat, I ate at McDonald’s earlier the week and won a free muffin playing the restaurant chain’s Monopoly game. Thanks to a great article by statistician Michael Wallace of the University of Waterloo, I’m able to calculate the odds of winning my small prize. The big prizes…well, I’m not holding my breath.
Regards,
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The flu shot decrease the risk of heart attacks in healthy individuals, according to research. Here, pipettes containing immune cells for testing against possible flu vaccines are seen at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., in 2017.
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Glen Pyle, University of Guelph
Your risk of a heart attack increases 600 per cent within a week of catching the flu. The flu shot decreases that risk, whether you catch the flu or not.
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A new study funded by the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation will investigate the use of learning technologies such as streaming media for people with dementia and those at risk.
(Shutterstock)
David Chandross, Ryerson University
Higher education for seniors shows promise – for combatting social isolation, increasing well-being and delaying the onset, or slowing the progression, of dementia.
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A man adds his comments to a spontaneous memorial of flowers and sidewalk writing that has appeared a block from the Tree of Life Synagogue on Monday, Oct. 29. A gunman shot a killed 11 people while they worshipped at the synagogue the Saturday before.
Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo
Cathryn van Kessel, University of Alberta
To grasp how extraordinary evils are often committed by ordinary people, we need to consider how we define evil, and most importantly, whom we consider to be the agents of evil.
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A new study finds more Canadians are considering giving up meat, but men are less likely to quit their carnivorous ways.
Sander Dalhuise/ Unsplash
Sylvain Charlebois, Dalhousie University
A new study indicates almost a third of Canadians are thinking of eating less meat, but men are less likely to eschew meat. The livestock industry is fighting the protein wars.
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Most Canadians have a higher probability of dying of heart disease than winning something in the McDonald’s Monopoly game.
THE CONVERSATION CANADA/Scott White
Michael Wallace, University of Waterloo
McDonald's Canada has brought back its popular Monopoly game. A statistician explains the odds of winning the top prizes and how that compares to the odds we confront in everyday life.
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Science + Technology
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Victoria Scowcroft, University of Bath
The Gaia satellite has uncovered the remains of a galaxy buried deep in the Milky Way.
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Health + Medicine
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Sarah Robertson, University of Adelaide
A new study shows that as the father’s age increases, so too the chances of the baby being born prematurely, having a low birth weight, or requiring medical intervention after delivery.
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Culture + Society
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Jonathan R. Beloff, SOAS, University of London
The BBC drama about Rwanda tackles post-genocide events in a way few dramas or documentaries have done before.
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