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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">If the
theory put forth in my first book, <I>The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific
Expedition Into the Forces of History</I>, is at all correct, evolution has
riddled us with self-destruct mechanisms, mechanisms that do away with us when
we are not a part of the solution, we are part of the problem.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>By shutting us down, our self-destruct
mechanisms shunt resources to those who have a handle on the crisis at hand and
snatches the goods away from those who can’t get a grip on things.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>She turns on those who contribute
to the neural net, to the complex adaptive system, to the collective learning
machine—just as she hands out bio-prizes to useful citizens of the immune
system, lymphocytes and bio-punishments to citizens whose specialization is
momentarily irrelevant.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Evolution,
biology, physiology, or whatever you choose to call our stress mechanism and her
grim reapers do this to maximize the intelligence of the collective
enterprise.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In the case of the
immune system, some are made wealthy and vigorous, and some are made weak and
imporvished so that the overall system can defeat
invaders.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">The key
determiner of whether you are of value or not seems to be the extent to which
you feel you have control.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Is the
fact that,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">“The
pressure of meeting a work deadline can produce a sixfold increase in the risk
of suffering a heart attack over the course of the following day. And
competition at work could double the ongoing risk” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">an
example of a self-destruct mechanism at work?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Has evolution done what my second book,
<I>Global Brain: The Evolution of Mass Mind From The Big Bang to the
21<SUP>st</SUP> Century</I>, claims?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Has it seated inner judges within us to determine who wins and loses the
competition and who is and is not up to the challenge-of-the-day?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Howard<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Retrieved
</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">December
15, 2004</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">, from
the World Wide Web<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><A
href="http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996786"><FONT
color=#00ff00>http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996786</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Stressful deadlines boost heart attack
risk 00:01 14 December 04 NewScientist.com news service <B>The pressure of
meeting a work deadline can produce a sixfold increase in the risk of suffering
a heart attack over the course of the following day. And competition at work
could double the ongoing risk, according to a new study.</B><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Previous research has shown that
<B>intense anger, sexual activity and emotional stress can all lead to heart
attacks.</B> But this is the first time having an intense work deadline has been
singled out as a trigger for heart attack over such a short timescale.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“This is potentially important for
patients and for Swedish work law,” says lead author Jette Möller of the
Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. “Changes in the labour market
organisation have created more stress and people should be aware of the impact
on health.” She cites workload, lower job security and increased competition in
the workplace as factors.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The study
questioned nearly 1400 heart attack survivors from the Stockholm area, aged 45
to 70, about the period leading up to their first heart attack. They were
compared with a control group of about 1700 people who had not had a heart
attack.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The volunteers were asked
questions about their work over the last year and over the days immediately
before their heart attack. The questions included whether they had been
criticised for their performance or lateness, been promoted or laid off, faced a
high-pressure deadline at work, changed their workplace and whether their
financial situation had changed. Money worries<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The results show that intense pressure
over a short period increased the risk of a heart attack more than a build up of
stress over an entire year, and that the heart attack can follow very soon after
this spell of increased pressure. Amongst the heart attack group, 8% had faced a
significant event at work less than 24 hours before their attack.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, long-term changes also play a
part. Taking on extra responsibility at work over the last year - if viewed
negatively by the participant - increased the chance of a heart attack by almost
four times in women and over six times in men. And a deterioration in financial
situation tripled the risk of a heart attack amongst women.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Subscribe to New Scientist for more news
and features<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Related Stories
Downsizing raises risk of death in workers<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>23 February 2004<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Science
graduates live long and prosper<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>01
August 2003<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Unfair bosses make
blood pressure soar<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>24 June 2003
For more related stories<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>search the
print edition Archive Weblinks Social Epidemiology Research, Karolinska
Institutet, Stockholm<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>George
Fieldman, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Journal of Epidemiology and Community
Health George Fieldman, an expert in cognitive therapy and health psychology at
Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College in the UK, says the sixfold
increase in risk caused by meeting a deadline is massive, but not
surprising.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He points out that
previous research has shown that a person’s chance of suffering a heart attack
is higher on a Monday morning. He adds these studies can help to pinpoint the
stress risk factors for heart attacks. “It is difficult to unpick the details of
what constitutes stress for different people in different situations,” he
says.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The study shows that stress
at work can pose a very real and immediate threat to health, Fieldman says, and
adds: “I must remember to take it easy.” Journal reference: Journal of
Epidemiology and Community Health (DOI: 10.1136/jech.2003.019349)<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Katharine Davis </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"></SPAN><FONT
lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">----------<BR>Howard
Bloom<BR>Author of The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition Into the
Forces of History and Global Brain: The Evolution of Mass Mind From The Big Bang
to the 21st Century<BR>Visiting Scholar-Graduate Psychology Department, New York
University; Core Faculty Member, The Graduate
Institute<BR>www.howardbloom.net<BR>www.bigbangtango.net<BR>Founder:
International Paleopsychology Project; founding board member: Epic of Evolution
Society; founding board member, The Darwin Project; founder: The Big Bang Tango
Media Lab; member: New York Academy of Sciences, American Association for the
Advancement of Science, American Psychological Society, Academy of Political
Science, Human Behavior and Evolution Society, International Society for Human
Ethology; advisory board member: Youthactivism.org; executive editor -- New
Paradigm book series.<BR>For information on The International Paleopsychology
Project, see: www.paleopsych.org<BR>for two chapters from <BR>The Lucifer
Principle: A Scientific Expedition Into the Forces of History, see
www.howardbloom.net/lucifer<BR>For information on Global Brain: The Evolution of
Mass Mind from the Big Bang to the 21st Century, see
www.howardbloom.net<BR></P></FONT></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>