Rubbing Away Pain

Gently rubbing a bump or scrape actually can make it better, a study has revealed.

British scientists discovered that people experience far less pain when they touch a sore part of their body with their hand.

However, rubbing away pain only works when we do it ourselves.

Research leader Dr Marjolein Kammers of University College, London, said the study had shed light on the origins of pain.

“Pain isn’t just the signals coming from the body to the brain but it is also the way the brain processes those signals,” she said.

Teacher sorry for murderous maths quiz

A Japanese primary school teacher has been reprimanded for giving his pupils a maths problem in which he asked how long it would take to kill 18 children at a rate of three murders a day.

The 45-year-old male teacher, whose name has been withheld, has apologised for giving the quiz to his pupils, aged seven and eight, at his public school in Okazaki, central Japan.

“I did it carelessly. I deeply reflect on my conduct,” he was quoted as saying by the officials over the incident in May, which apparently led to a parent complaint to the school in July.

The teacher reportedly asked the children: “There are 18 kids. If we kill three per day, how many days it will take?”

The school board said it handed the teacher a “strict reprimand”.

“It should not happen again,” said Kumiko Atsumi, a board official.

“We are very sorry. We are taking measures to prevent a repeat of similar cases.”

News of the incident emerged as new education ministry statistics said cases of violence at Japanese schools rose for a fourth straight year to hit a record 60,913 cases for the year to March.

What do you think of the idea?

Image Source: Kevin Grimm

Coincidentally, just before I read the article referred to above, I came across EcoFont a few days before – a font which has holes in it to use less ink (they claim it will save up to 25% of ink or toner).

View a PDF Sample (the first picture is at normal size, the second is enlarged so you can see the holes):

From Norton, comes this report of the top 100 searches for 2009.

Youtube, Google and Facebook come in for the top three, nothing surprising there perhaps.

But the 4th and 5th most popular search term may be a bit more worrying.

I heard this on the news tonight and thought how ridiculous.

TEACHERS are being warned to use bean bags to reduce student stress, organise “mind dumps” to clear kids’ thoughts and even stop using “aggressive” red pens.

In a controversial suite of tips that has divided psychologists, a Queensland Health kit tells teachers to use blue or black pens to mark assignments because red is considered too confrontational.

The effort to handle students with care – backed by Health Minister Stephen Robertson, pictured – also includes teachers being told to apologise to them when necessary and organise “check-ins” at the start of each day to assess how they are feeling.

The Queensland Council of Parents and Citizens Associations last night demanded the kit be scrapped.

“It is definitely over the top and quite unbelievable,” council president Margaret Black said.

“We’re calling for our children to grow up normally, including their work being marked with a red pen.”

The Good Mental Health Rocks kit – of which 1000 have been distributed – was revealed in State Parliament yesterday by the Opposition, which has labelled the red pen advice “kooky, loony, loopy, Left policy”.

The kits were distributed to 29 schools which participated in the Queensland Rock Eisteddfod this year.

The Bligh Government yesterday defended the kits, which cost almost $3000, and labelled the attack a “cheap political stunt” which failed to understand serious mental health issues.

Mr Robertson said teachers did not have to use the advice devised by specialists as it contained only hints and tips.

“This is not something you ridicule,” he said.

“You only have to look at the suicide rates in Queensland to know that this is no laughing matter.”

Opposition health spokesman Mark McArdle said the pen advice showed priorities were wrong when literacy and numeracy levels were so low.

“This is a kooky, loony, loopy, Left policy from a Labor Government that is out of touch,” he said.

The kit said the so-called “mind dumps” allowed students to write down everything in their mind and then throw the piece of paper in the bin.

Another tip was a “steam time”, allowing for one-on-one chats with teachers each week.

Psychologists are split on the red pen advice but Toowoomba child psychologist Paul Bramston said a softer colour could help some children with problems.

“The red pen brings up association of aggression more than blue or black as red is linked more with dramatic things like stop signs,” Dr Bramston said.

Queensland Teachers Union president Steve Ryan hung up on The Courier-Mail after claiming the kit did not exist and the Government would never give that advice to teachers.

“Mental health is a serious issue,” Mr Ryan said.

“It is disgraceful the Liberal National Party would make fun of mental health.”

Mental illness group Mind Frame said about 14 per cent of children between four and 17 suffered from mental problems.

Of course, nobody wants to see their work looking like this:

If you think you’re going to need it, you can always order the shirt…

Hopefully, things never get this bad.

Comic from F-Minus. See more of them at Comics.com

What is interesting though is actually hearing it come from a minister within the Government.

Maybe we’ll need to keep an eye on the positions vacant within ACT over the next couple of years???

The ACT’s best teachers could earn six-figure salaries within three years under an ambitious plan to halt a skills shortage and increase the status of the profession.