Getting Strangled by a Boa Constrictor - BBC video

"Steve Backshall risks being strangled by a Boa Constrictor snake as he demonstrates their lethal killing technique - on himself! Incredible clip from Deadly 60 series 2."



Source: Strangled by a Boa Constrictor - Deadly 60 - BBC - YouTube http://bit.ly/XCfXhK

The Brain of a Murderer - Are You Good Or Evil? (BBC video)

Professor James Fallon from University of California, Irvine explains the beginnings of his work studying the brains of criminals and murders. Would his work prove the existence of a signature brain profile of a serial killer or are there other factors to consider?



Jim Fallon recently made a disquieting discovery: A member of his family has some of the biological traits of a psychopathic killer. "These results will cause some problems at the next family party," he said, reviewing the data on his laptop in his backyard. Fallon had already been studying the brains of psychopathic killers for years when his mother told him that he comes from a long line of murderers. Is he one of them?

After a PET scan, Professor Jim Fallon made a shocking discovery about his own brain - that he had the neurological and genetic correlates of psychopathy. However, he is not concerned by the findings and believes that his positive experiences in childhood negated the genetic susceptibility to violence and emotional issues.



References:

What's on Jim Fallon's Mind? A Family Secret That Has Been Murder to Figure Out - WSJ.com http://on.wsj.com/9CUbjG
A Neuroscientist Uncovers A Dark Secret - NPR http://n.pr/V2LMNl
Jim Fallon: Exploring the mind of a killer | Video on TED.com http://bit.ly/V2LNAI
Three Ingredients for Murder: Neuroscientist James Fallon on psychopaths - YouTube http://bit.ly/V2M2M9

Comments from Twitter:

Gia Sison MD @giasison: Wow To Watch! Great share Ves!!!!

Cirrhosis: Phil's story

From NHSChoices: Many people enjoy a drink in the pub after work without realising how social drinking can damage health. Phil didn't realise the harm his alcohol intake was doing until he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. He talks about his experience and the shock he felt at being diagnosed.

Related reading:

Cirrhosis - JAMA Patient Page, 2012.

Alternative to alcohol - BBC video

Psychologist and addiction expert Dr John Marsden takes part in a radical experiment as he trials an non-addictive drug alternative to alcohol:



A single injection reverses the 'drug' alternative to alcohol and Dr John Marsden is left to reflect on whether this is indeed be the way forward in reducing alcohol dependency in future generations:



Twitter comments:

@yayayarndiva (P. Mimi Poinsett MD): How about water? -- Searching for non-addictive alternative to alcohol - BBC video http://goo.gl/KYtss

Alcohol literally kills: Gary Moore had 380mg/dL in his blood, Winehouse 416mg/dL when she died surrounded by 3 empty vodka bottles. Telegraph UK, 2012. 

Tips for managing stress (2-minute BBC video)

Managing Stress - Brainsmart - BBC video.

- Take a few deep breaths
- Get plenty of exercise
- Socialize - don't stress alone, talk to someone and have a laugh
- Get out - go to the park

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/brainsmart

How to keep your brain in top performance shape - BBC video

Look After Your Brain - Brainsmart - BBC video.

Get these right and your brain will be in top shape:

- Diet - slow and steady release of glucose
- Water
- Exercise
- Sleep

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/brainsmart

Kylie Minogue on cancer - BBC video

Kylie Minogue on cancer - Friday Night with Jonathan Ross - BBC One.

Twitter addiction: Could you get by without Twitter?

From BBC:

A popstar gave up on social networking after a dinner party at which she realised she spent more time updating Twitter than interacting with her companions.

Online communities like Twitter, where people follow each other without being acquainted in real life, can be brutal: "If you're going to broadcast as a tweeter then you need to be thick skinned," says Dr Yeung, "If you're the kind of person who takes things personally, opening yourself up to criticism from strangers is not a good idea."

A Twitter user: "I could not fully concentrate on anything for longer than 20 minutes," says Carolyn. I simply had to check and update the feed. What if someone had asked a question of me? What if there was an interesting piece of information related to our experiment that I could read? It was highly distracting and I felt genuinely anxious."

"Everybody craves information," says applied psychologist Dr Lucy Atcheson, "It's what makes the world interesting. But you have to ask whether you need it all. Twitter has an element of making people feel important."

"You can get addicted to thinking that somebody is interested in your every move. You have this idea that there is a virtual audience. But when are you tweeting information, and when is it just vanity?"

References:
Could you get by without Twitter? BBC.