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Science

High-Tech 'Band-Aids' Call Doctors

Smart bandages, including this one from Corventis, can transmit cardiac data in real time from a patient's body to a doctor. Courtesy of Mark Dastrup hide caption

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Courtesy of Mark Dastrup

Your Health

High-Tech 'Band-Aids' Call Doctors

CPR News

A new generation of wireless medical sensors mounted on an adhesive strip can call a doctor and transmit key data when they detect a problem. But federal regulators, who want to make sure the technology is safe, have yet to iron out regulations for these devices.

Just Buy It: Impulsiveness Tied To Brain Chemical

This composite image of brain scans shows two traits of a highly impulsive individual. The cool colors in the midbrain are indicative of a decrease in dopamine receptor levels while the warm colors show elevated levels of dopamine in a different part of the brain called the striatum. Joshua W. Buckholtz and David H. Zald hide caption

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Joshua W. Buckholtz and David H. Zald

Health

Just Buy It: Impulsiveness Tied To Brain Chemical

From proposing to a loved one to going on a shopping spree, many of life's decisions are guided by the brain chemical dopamine. Scientists now say dopamine might explain why some people are more impulsive than others when it comes to planning and thinking.

During CPR, Locking Lips May Not Be Necessary

A woman performs chest compressions on a mannequin while learning CPR on the steps of San Francisco City Hall. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Health

During CPR, Locking Lips May Not Be Necessary

Many people are uncomfortable with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, so they don't attempt CPR at all. Two big studies show that a streamlined, hands-only CPR method could be just as good. Experts hope the findings will get more bystanders to try CPR -- and, in the end, save more lives.

The Food Chain's Weak Link: Tiny Ocean Plants Dying

A Pleurosigma, a type of phytoplankton in the ocean. Phytoplankton generate more than half of the Earth's oxygen. Harry Taylor/Nikon Small World hide caption

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Harry Taylor/Nikon Small World

Environment

The Food Chain's Weak Link: Tiny Ocean Plants Dying

Microscopic plants in the ocean are among the most important creatures on Earth and produce half of the planet's oxygen. But they are in trouble. A new study finds that since 1950, the amount of phytoplankton in the ocean's surface waters has declined by 40 percent.

Impact Of Childhood Obesity Goes Beyond Health

A group of teenagers take a morning jog at the Wellspring Academy in Reedley, Calif., in 2009. The school specializes in helping teens and college students lose weight. A new study shows teens who remain obese risk a lifetime of chronic health problems and poverty. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Health

Impact Of Childhood Obesity Goes Beyond Health

Adults who have been overweight since high school risk a lifetime of disease, discrimination and poverty. A new study of obese 40-year-olds found those who were overweight teens were three times more likely to suffer chronic health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. They were also much more likely to be unemployed or receiving welfare.

Opinion

Politics

Former Green Jobs Czar Identifies With Shirley Sherrod

Van Jones, the former White House adviser for green jobs, says he can personally relate to Shirley Sherrod, the former USDA official who was forced to resign last week after her comments about overcoming racial prejudice were taken out of context. Both individuals resigned from the Obama administration amid strong political pressures. Host Michel Martin talks to Jones about the parallels he sees between his highly publicized resignation in 2009 and Sherrod's, and what he's learned since leaving the White House.