Commercials and ads touting brain games as a way to boost cognitive function are everywhere; supporting data is not.

In a recent study, researchers tested two groups of 64 young adults. One group played Lumosity games for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, for 10 weeks; the other group played online video games on the same schedule. Researchers conducted decision-making and cognitive tests before and after the gaming period. Both groups showed improvement in cognitive testing, but Lumosity's specific brain training wasn't any more effective than just playing video games.

A Lingering Price

A new study of Holocaust survivors suggests another way their suffering did not end with the conclusion of World War II. They were also vulnerable to higher risk of developing cancer over time.

Researchers looked at health data for 152,622 Holocaust survivors over 45 years. They were divided in two main ways: persons whose country was occupied by Nazi German and persons who qualified for compensation after the war.

Individuals from occupied countries had an 8 percent higher risk of developing any type of cancer. Individuals who received compensation had a 6 percent higher risk.

Body of Knowledge

The skin of the average adult weighs roughly 8 pounds and covers 22 square feet. A standard doorway encompasses 21 square feet. Given the increasing obesity epidemic, many Americans are probably now the equivalent of double doors.

Life in Big Macs

One hour of quietly standing in line burns 81 calories, (based on a 150-pound person) or the equivalent of one-tenth of a Big Mac. If you're standing in line at a McDonald's to buy a Big Mac, you're going to have to be in line a long time to even things out.

Doc Talk

SOB: No, it's not a medical opinion of a patient's parentage, but an acronym for "shortness of breath."

Phobia of the Week

Phalacrophobia: Fear of becoming bald

Never Say Diet

The Major League Eating record for sweet corn is 61.75 ears in 12 minutes, held by Carmen Cincotti. Warning: Most of these records are held by professional eaters; the rest by people who really should find something better to do.

Best Medicine

A man went to his dentist because his recently installed upper dental plate felt wrong. The dentist took one look and told the man the plate was badly corroded. "What have you been eating," the dentist asked.

"A few weeks ago," the man replied, "my wife made a new dish with asparagus and some sort of wonderful sauce. It was so delicious that I now put Hollandaise sauce on everything."

"Well, that's the problem," declared the dentist. "Hollandaise sauce is made with lots of lemon juice, which is highly corrosive. I'll make you a new plate and this time I'll use chrome."

"Why chrome," asked the man.

To which the dentist replied: "Simple. Everyone knows that there's no plate like chrome for the Hollandaise."

Observation

"Poisons and medicine are oftentimes the same substance given with different intent."

—English physician and educator Peter Mere Latham (1789-1875)

Medical History

This week in 1903, inventor extraordinaire Thomas Edison weighed in on the potential of newfangled X-rays. He wasn't a fan. In a front-page story in the New York World, under the headline "Edison Fears Hidden Perils of the X-rays," he recounted a history of injuries to his lab employees caused by X-rays, including cancers and vision damage. It was enough to persuade him to abandon his own research on x-rays and other radioactive materials. "I am afraid of radium and polonium, too, and I don't want to monkey with them."

Sum Body

Bodily fluids you can't live without:

Bile: Produced by liver, stored in gallbladder, released into intestines to break down dietary fats. Its dark green to brown hue is partly responsible for the color of vomitus and stool.

Blood: The average adult contains roughly six liters.

Menstrual fluid: Half blood, with the rest being cervical mucus, vaginal secretions and endometrial tissue.

Mucus: A slippery, clear liquid produced by mucous glands to provide moisture, lubrication and protection against pathogens. It lines the lungs, stomach, intestines, urinary and reproductive tracts, eyes and ears.

Pus: A viscous fluid generated as an immune response, accumulating at infection sites. It usually consists of bacteria, white blood cells, proteins and cellular debris. It's the immune system at work.

Semen: A teaspoon of semen contains approximately 300 million spermatozoa.

Saliva: Like mucus, saliva in the mouth contains antibacterial enzymes and antibodies. It moistens food to aid chewing and swallowing, and enhances taste. The average adult produces a liter of saliva daily.

Sweat: Like saliva, sweat is almost entirely water, plus some minerals that give it a salty taste. The body possesses 3 million sweat glands, which can generate two or more liters of sweat per hour during intense exercise.

Tears: They serve three functions: lubricate the eye, rinse away irritants like smoke or dust and indicate emotional state, such as sorrow or joy.

Urine: Produced by the kidneys and stored by the bladder, urine is mostly water but importantly contains substances that must be removed from the body, such as protein metabolism byproducts that become toxic when allowed to accumulate and excessive salt.

Vomitus: Unlike the other fluids, vomitus is not produced regularly. It is a purging of toxins or poisons. It's often acidic due to stomach secretions. May be triggered by inner ear disturbances or infections.

Med School

Q: What is the defining characteristic of glabrous skin? (We all have some.)

A: It's hairless.

Curtain Calls

In 1814, nine people were drowned when the vats at the Meux and Company Brewery in London burst, suddenly spilling more than 323,000 gallons of beer onto the street.

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.