Hallucination Nation …
British researchers report that a high intake of caffeine—more than the equivalent of seven cups of instant coffee a day—may cause you to hear voices and see things that aren't there. The authors from Durham University (England) say “high caffeine users” were three times likelier than “low caffeine users” (less than that instant cuppa's-worth daily) to have hallucinatory experiences—voices, imaginary friends, and “the presence of dead people.” Of course, it's not just food equals mood—there's the intermediate chemistry of stress, particularly the stress hormone cortisol, which caffeine tends to boost, the paper published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences notes. Still, it's kind of deflating to think the “I see dead people” kid in “The Sixth Sense” movie may just have had a few too many Cokes or hot chocolates.
… and a Handy Head-Trip Guide
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Golf Car Nation
Golfers enjoy a 5-year life expectancy edge over non-golfers of the same age, sex, and socioeconomic status, according to Karolinska Institute researchers. But the Bureau of Indications would like to point out that the findings are based on walking golf—and if European researchers saw a U.S. golf course on a typical weekend, they'd realize that walkers are a minority in our car-crazy country. But for those who would pursue this “low-intensity form of exercise,” the researchers had another interesting conclusion: The better you play golf, the more health benefits you gain; that is, low handicappers lived more than 5 extra years. So the obvious question is, will Tiger Woods live to the age of 200 … or 250?