Time to get a new pair of specs!

This pair was promised to be flexible, durable and lasting. Well, it had been a good 10 months. My friend suggested that should try army spectacles instead. But I heard it is not so lasting either. heh.

As usual, instead of studying, I was surfing the net and jumping from hyperlink to hyperlink.

and I chanced upon this!
http://www.who.int/whosis/mort/profiles/en/index.html#S
mortality profiles of ALL the countries~

I was comparing between singapore (classic first world), saudi arabia and sudan (super poor war torn african country). What surprised me was that the main cause of death for all three countries is Ischaemic heart disease, which I initially thought of as a first world disease. Surprisingly it is the first for Sudan as well, killing 8% of the total population. Saudi arabia, which I always thought of as a first world country, seems to be bogged by third world diseases such as perinatal conditions and diarrhoeal diseases. (severe diarrhoea, interestingly, can be "cured" by drinking a mixture of water, sugar and salt) It is fascinating what mortality statistics can tell you about a country. Saudi Arabia probably has a large rich-poor divide, with the rich suffering from diabetes mellitus (4% killed), and the poor dying from diarrhoea. Saudi arabia and sudan probably have poor road etiquette too (6% and 3% respectively), unlike singapore (death from road accidents not in top ten). and we are still super concerned about drink drivers and young (not teenage anymore ='( ) risk-loving drivers like yours truely. Looks like we should be more worried about dying from cancer. stomach cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer. Oh the good life we have, drinking smoking eating too much.

Sudan's mortality profile is particularly depressing.
Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Diarrhoeal diseases, Measles, Tuberculosis, War
All preventable and relatively easy, in terms of medication, to cure.

Another interesting note about the causes of death in children under five is that congenital anomalies, preterm birth and others is the highest amongst the first world countries, even higher than the average of the region. I am curious what others imply. Placing a child in a microwave perhaps? or death by flinging off a bridge...

I wonder whether the rate for congenital anomalies rise as a country becomes a first world, or did it remain the same?
i.e. you initally have 10 kamquats where 1 is always genetically rotten. Due to the environment, (damp weather, locusts, whatever) 6 of the 10 becomes rotten too. Therefore, genetics is the cause of rotten-ness in 1 out of 7 kamquats. Now the farmer buys a greenhouse to prevent the invasion of locusts, therefore only 2 kamquats out of 10 becomes rotten. 1 kamquat will always be rotten due to genetics, but now 50% of rotten-ness is caused by genetics instead of 14.3% previously.
So have the rate of congenital anomalies increase? well, technically it should as we are ingesting more cancerous food (according to researchers) and we are exposed to harmful mutagens. (like cigarette smoke@!)

anyway, the point is, gene therapy is the job of the future!

$_$

*needs to study harder*

This is how I waste my precious study time. I read other cool stuff just now but if I'm going to share them all, I would not be able to sleep tonight. >.<