Beer may actually improve your memory, a new scientific report by the University of Auckland states. The study found that moderate beer drinking of two or three beers a day improved the recognition ability of rats. Scientists attributed this to the fact that alcohol stimulates the Nr1 neuron receptors, which are critical for cognitive functions in the brain. The studied maintained, however, that it is still better to abstain from alcohol than to abuse it. Rats who were given excessive amounts of alcohol performed worse on recognition tests than rats that received no alcohol. The alcoholic rats did, however, perform better on an emotional memory test. "People often drink to 'drown sorrows,'" molecular medicine professor Maggie Kalev said. "Our results suggest that this could actually paradoxically promote traumatic memories and lead to further drinking, contributing to the development of alcoholism."
A Massachusetts appeals court ruled Wednesday that a Harvard student must be given additional break time to pump breast milk during a medical licensing exam. Sophie C. Currier, 33, sued the National Board of Medical Examiners after it originally denied her request for an additional sixty minutes of break time during the 9-hour licensing exam. The exam is normally given over a one-day period with 45 minutes of break time. Currier, who had been previously granted permission to take the exam over a two-day period to accommodate her dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, said that she risked medical complications if she was not able to either nurse her 4-month-old daughter Lea or pump breast milk every two to three hours. The ruling judges found that, as students cannot change their answers after they leave the exam room, the additional time does not give Currier an unfair advantage.
New Hampshire Hall experienced extreme heat on Thursday night, with a room in the basement reaching almost 100 degrees, due a broken steam valve. A sensor on the outside of each residence hall on campus is supposed to prevent the main steam valve in each building, which allows heat to circulate throughout the hall, from opening until the temperature falls bellow 55, the Office of Residential Life website states. In New Hamp, however, this valve was stuck open, preventing the heat from being turned off -- a process that takes two to three days even under normal circumstances. A letter sent to building residents said that because most Facilities, Operations and Management personnel were busy preparing for Wednesday's debate, the problem will likely remain unresolved for several days.
