A new editorial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that you may be wasting your money on multivitamins. The LA based Space Exploration Technologies Corp., won the leasing rights to to a Kennedy Space Center launch pad used for myriad moon missions over the decades. Later, we discuss the constitutionality of Utah's anti-polygamy law.
Doctors say stop wasting money on multivitamins
Is your daily multivitamin just a waste of money? That's the message from a new editorial published in the influential medical journal, the Annals of Internal Medicine. The authors looked at the results of three studies into the efficacy of vitamin and mineral supplements and concluded that they're not beneficial and a waste of money. That's probably news to the 53 percent of Americans who have spent some $28 billion a year on supplements and vitamins.
Many Americans take a daily multivitamin to help prevent cancer and heart attacks but the physicians who analyzed the studies said there is no evidence that a daily vitamin does anything to prevent chronic conditions. Proponents of vitamins claim that the studies were flawed and only looked at healthy participants that don't reflect the average American population.
There are still some agreed upon benefits of multivitamins. Daily prenatal vitamins are still essential for women of childbearing age to help prevent birth defects. But the jury seems to be out on whether vitamins do anything for the general population.
Are vitamins just a waste of money? Does it depend on what type and dosage you're taking? If the supplements aren't harmful, could it hurt to pop a vitamin anyway in case it might help? Why do so many American swear by their daily vitamin?
Guests:
Marian Neuhouser, member in cancer prevention at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
Cara Welch, PhD, Senior VP of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at the Natural Products Association, a nonprofit organization representing the supplement and natural product industry in D.C.
SpaceX scores rights to historic NASA launchpad
Los Angeles-based Space Exploration Technologies Corp., AKA SpaceX, has won leasing rights to a Kennedy Space Center launch pad used for myriad moon missions over the decades. Elon Musk's company was up against Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight company, Blue Origins, which challenged the decision-making process of the the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
SpaceX acknowledged the disgruntlement by saying it will give other commercial entities access to the launch pad. Both companies have received NASA funding to develop spaceships capable of sending astronauts to space. It's another development in the continuing trend of joint public-private spaceflight advancement.
Guest:
Joel Achenbach, National Reporter at the Washington Post
Designing running shoes to prevent injury
It’s easy to sustain injuries or re-aggravate old ones if you are an avid runner. Researchers in Europe are hoping that some instant feedback would help runners improve their techniques and keep them from getting hurt.
Researchers with the RUNSAFER project at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, in partnership with other universities and a shoe manufacturer, are building a running shoe that has sensors to transmit data to a smartphone and then to a computer.
The shoes will collect data such as foot speed at when a runner’s foot hits the ground, which allows software to determine if a runner’s gait is correct. The RUNSAFER project is one of several efforts to create a smarter running shoe.
While experiments are still being conducted, it is reported that the shoes could be in stores within 2 years. Have you ever suffered from a running injury that could have been prevented from this type of technology? Would you wear a smart running shoe?
Guests:
Jay Dicharry, physical therapist and director of the REP biomechanics lab in Bend, Oregon. He’s also the author of the book, “Anatomy for Runners” (Skyhorse Publishing, 2012)
Max Prokopy, Director of University of Virginia’s Strength, Power, Endurance, Education, and Development Clinic (SPEED), which works with athletes to prevent injuries
Judge rules NSA domestic phone data-mining program unconstitutional
A federal court judge ruled on Monday that the National Security Agency's bulk collection of phone metadata is unconstitutional. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon placed a temporary injunction on the PRISM program but left the door open for the government to appeal his decision.
The case was brought by plaintiffs Larry Klayman and Charles Strange, which alleged that the U.S. Security agency violated the Fourth Amendment.
PRISM was one of the first NSA secret surveillance programs to be exposed by the so-called "NSA files," the trove of classified documents obtained by former contractor Edward Snowden.
Guests:
Alan Butler, Appellate Advocacy Counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
Robert Kaufman, Professor of Public Policy, Pepperdine University; Author, “In Defense of the Bush Doctrine” and “Henry M. Jackson: A Life in Politics”
Does Utah’s anti-polygamy law violate the Constitution?
A federal judge ruled Friday that provisions of Utah’s ban on polygamy violated the constitutionally protected rights of free exercise of religion and due process. In a case brought by television’s favorite polygamous patriarch—Sister Wives’ star Kody Brown—the court said it was unconstitutional to prohibit a married person from cohabiting with another person.
In the 91-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups explains that the state’s ban on straightforward polygamy—where an already married person enters into a formal marriage with another—is constitutionally permissible. But, he said, the state’s cohabiting provision is irrational and discriminatory because only religious individuals and families are prosecuted and not—for example—married adulterers who cohabit with someone other than their spouse.
Utah first outlawed polygamy more than a century ago—when the practice was commonplace among Utah’s Mormon communities. Last week’s decision is expected to appealed to a higher court, and the constitutionality of polygamy bans will be further examined.
Does this ruling raise any concerns? Is it time to rethink the longstanding ban on plural marriage? Do these bans further a valid public policy?
Guests:
Adam Winkler, Professor of Law, UCLA; Author “Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America” (2001); Writer for The Huffington Post
Dr. John C. Eastman, Ph.D., Henry Salvatori Professor of Law & Community Service; Dale E. Fowler School of Law at Chapman University; Founding Director, The Claremont Institute's Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence
Babyseat with iPad holder – parents’ worst nightmare or best friend?
Sure, you want to be a good parent. That probably means limiting screen time for your newborn or toddler, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. But certainly there are a plethora of educational opportunities online to share with our kids, via digital devices.
And haven’t all modern parents had moments of weakness, where it was easier to show their kid a YouTube cartoon on an iPhone than…engage?
Now, Fisher-Price has come out with a bouncy seat for babies complete with a holder for an iPad. At least one group has demanded that the toy company stop selling the item immediately.
Fisher-Price, for its part, says the $80 Apptivity Seat has a 10-minute timeout, which requires manual reset and that early reviews from parents who have purchased it, “show strong parent involvement and support.”
What do you think? Is there a responsible way to use a baby seat like this? Or is it just too dangerous for infants to consider?
Guest:
Ina Fried, Senior Editor, AllThingsD