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Physiology & Medicine / How does lithium therapy help in bipolar disorder?

« on: 15/07/2008 17:56:16 »

Thanks. None of my teachers could give me any history, and it seemed rather odd that a potentially toxic substance would just randomly be used on depressed patients. Your story is at least plausible. The wiki explanation seems as though there is still some speculation.

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Physiology & Medicine / How does lithium therapy help in bipolar disorder?

« on: 13/07/2008 18:17:51 »

I was curious about the mechanism of action for lithium in bipolar disorder, and if anyone knows why it was tested in the first place? What exactly about this element, led whoever first began testing it, to try it for treatment of this disorder?
Thanks

3

The Environment / Is heat from human bodies causing global warming?

« on: 10/07/2008 21:56:23 »

Bryan Howser asked the Naked Scientists:

My name is Bryan and I am a nursing student in New Mexico US. i look forward to listening to your podcast weekly on my way to school.

I was wondering with all of the calculations done on the rate of rising temperatures, eg carbon emissions and such, have such figures taken into account the radiant heat given off by human bodies? With rising populations can this be a factor; both locally and globally?

Thanks,
B

What do you think?