Bin Laden’s bad health, and more

Bin Laden’s bad health

The medicines recovered from Osama bin Laden’s compound show he no longer suffered from kidney ailments, but he did have drugs for treating ulcers and high blood pressure, as well as Avena syrup—an extract of wild oats marketed as a “natural Viagra.” Bin Laden, 54, was living with three wives.

New York Daily News

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Higher temperatures and the price of food

Higher temperatures in Europe, Africa, and Asia have reduced grain yields in recent years, costing consumers about $60 billion a year, according to a new scientific study. Researchers say their calculation is a conservative estimate of climate change’s impact on food prices, since it doesn’t include the impact of heat waves or flooding exacerbated by changing temperatures.

The New York Times

Beware of tatoo inks

One out of three adults under the age of 40 has a tattoo. The inks injected under the skin—including a new, “glow in the dark” variety—are not regulated by the FDA and can contain harmful chemicals that cause skin and immune-system damage. “Nobody knows for sure what’s really in them,” says dermatologist Tina Alster.

NPR.org

Detroit's illiteracy rate

Almost half the adults in Detroit (47 percent) are functionally illiterate, a new study found. Only 10 percent of those who are unable to read have made attempts to learn how.

Associated Press

Birthrates and the global population

At the current birthrate, the world’s population, now 7 billion, will reach 10 billion before the end of the century, the U.N. estimates. But if the global birthrate increases even slightly, the global population could soar to 15.8 billion by 2100.

Beijing People’s Daily