Amy Bhasin: Really Serious Baby Babble

Amy Bhasin: Really Serious Baby Babble: "AUTISM Till now, we thought baby talk was just ata-pu, gadda-badu. A new study has shown that babble can actually predict if a toddler is on..."

Really Serious Baby Babble

AUTISM Till now, we thought baby talk was just ata-pu, gadda-badu. A new study has shown that babble can actually predict if a toddler is on the autistic spectrum. Scientists at the University of Memphis have used a computer programme to study baby talk and all the codes that lie within it. This audio analysis has already identified more than 85 per cent of autistic and non-autistic kids. Toddlers with autism tend to mangle syllables more. This programme could be used to screen children; early diagnosis means early intervention. In America, one out of 110 kids are on the autistic spectrum. Incidence is also on the rise in India.

Amy Bhasin: Toxic Whales

Amy Bhasin: Toxic Whales: "POLLUTION Sperm whales, feeding in places like the Arctic and Antarctic, are showing high levels of toxic and heavy metals, according to a $..."

Toxic Whales

POLLUTION Sperm whales, feeding in places like the Arctic and Antarctic, are showing high levels of toxic and heavy metals, according to a $5 million study by Ocean Alliance, an American research and conversation group. The whales ingested pollutants that may have been produced by humans thousands of miles away. High levels of cadmium, aluminum, chromium, lead, silver, mercury and titanium were found in tissue samples taken by dart gun from nearly 1,000 whales over five years. Mercury levels were as high as 16 parts per million. Fish high in mercury, like shark and swordfish, typically have levels of about 1 part per million. Chromium, an industrial pollutant that causes cancer in humans, was found in all but two of the 361 sperm whale samples.

Pedal Power

CYCLE DRIVE Here’s something Indian cities could learn from the United Kingdom. London has launched a Cycle Superhighway to make more people commute via bicycles. Highly visible bright blue cycle lanes, symbolizing freedom, now run from the southern suburb of Merton to the city center, as well as from Barking, in eastern London. The remaining ten routes are eventually planned to radiate out from the centre of London like spokes, and will be finished by the end of 2015. Cycling has become an effective form of alternate transportation is congested metropolises like New York City and Paris. Promoting a pedal culture improves traffic conditions while lowering the city’s carbon footprint.