June 18: AROUND THE WORLD
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in JUNE
USA
Polluted air makes us commit crimes
Unethical behaviour
Breathing in polluted air makes us more likely to commit crimes and cheat in relationships, new research shows. Scientists suggest this is because exposure to pollution makes us more anxious, which is known to trigger unethical behaviour.
Researchers at Columbia Business School in New York examined air pollution and crime data for 9,360 American cities collected over a nine-year period. The study showed cities with higher levels of pollution tended to have higher levels of crime. Three controlled experiments were also conducted to ascertain the causal relationship between air pollution and unethical behavior.
Moral cost
INDIA
J&J asked to pay Rs. 20 lakh for faulty hip implants
Defective deviceÂ
A Union health ministry panel has recommended compensation with a base amount of Rs. 20 lakh each for patients who received hip implants from Johnson and Johnson (J&J) seven years ago. The implants were faulty and had to be replaced with corrective surgery. Due to a design flaw, toxic chromium and cobalt in the device leached into the body, endangering lives.
The device was sold in India by DePuy International, a subsidiary of J&J. It was recalled in 2010, following global reports of metal poisoning and high failures. According to news reports, the committee held J&J responsible for not issuing warnings to the patients of the harm posed by the implants and also delay in recalling the device.
Endangering lives
SPAIN
Laughing at yourself is good for you
Suppressing anger
Researchers at the Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center in Spain have found that those who crack self-deprecating jokes may be happier and more sociable. They say that laughing at oneself helps you suppress anger. This study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, contradicts earlier research which suggested that making fun of oneself consistently is linked only to negative psychological effects.
The researchers have said that the specifics of this finding vary depending on where one lives as there were cultural differences on what constitutes a sense of humour. They also clarified that people who practice self-deprecating humour do not excel at ‘managing’ anger but are more likely to quell angry feelings.
Benefits of humour Â
