Chatting about the common cold
Sep 23
2010
Salon.com has a fascinating interview up with science journalist Jennifer Ackerman, author of Ah-Choo! The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold. I had no idea I'd find the subject so interesting, but in addition to providing an easy-to-follow explanation of the science behind colds, Ackerman also points out some previously-unconsidered silver linings: you catch fewer colds as you get older, having a cold allows you time for uninterrupted reading (how Wordcandy-friendly!), and there is some very early, controversial science suggesting that having a cold might actually keep the 'flu at bay.
Posted by: Julianka
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Comments
Guinevere
I have to agree about the reading time... it'd be worth it to me to have a cold right now so I could skip work and curl up at home for a few days. :) Alas, I have not been sick at all this year...
Yulianka
I actually read the full book yesterday morning (it's quite short), and the author makes an excellent argument for getting a cold and lying in bed reading, drinking tea, and eating soup. The picture is so alluring, in fact, it kind of sounded like a vacation... in direct contrast to the last cold I had, which involved a full week of wheezing soggily into tissues and whining.