A Duke University study, conducted on November 4th, 2008, measured voters' testosterone levels before and after the winner was announced. Participants were asked to chew a piece of gum at 8pm, when the polls in North Carolina closed, and then again at 11:30pm after Obama's election was announced. By analyzing the spit samples in the gum, the researchers were able to analyze the testosterone levels of the participants.

Men generally experienced a slight drop in testosterone over the course of the night, but the participants who voted for Obama did not experience a drop in testosterone. Male voters who voted for McCain or Libertarian candidate Robert Barr, however, experienced a significantly greater drop in testosterone than would be expected. Female voters did not show a significant change in testosterone, regardless of whom they voted for.

Duke neuroscientist Kevin LaBar was excited by the indication that voters are physiologically so affected by election outcomes, and plans to perform a similar experiment involving sports instead of politics. He figures studying Duke basketball fans is a good place to start.

[Physorg]

Since ghrelin isn't regulated, a fast food restaurant that wanted to sell more food could easily turn it into an additive in their hamburgers or donuts, essentially "addicting" people to their food. Or making them hungrier so that they buy more.

On the other hand, drugs that tamper with ghrelin could also be made to have the opposite effect. they could be used in diet pills to make you feel less hungry, and make food less memorable or appealing. Reports New Scientist about such drugs:

But they might have unintended behavioural side effects, as well, [researcher Alain] Dagher says. Meddling with ghrelin levels could alter the brain's natural sense of rewards, potentially causing mood changes and even depression.

A diet drug called rimonabant that acts on a similar but separate brain system has been linked to depression and suicide, and although it is on sale in other countries, the US Food and Drug Administration has been slow to approve the pill.

But knocking out ghrelin could help scientists pick apart the hormone's effects on the brain, says Matthias Tschop, an obesity expert at the University of Cincinnati.

"Does the pizza not smell that good anymore? Does the pizza not look as good anymore?" he adds.

Research in mice and rats suggests that the hormone changes how they see and smell food, and the same might be true in humans.

Stomach Hormone turns Hungry People into Junkies [New Scientist]

The American Gladiators aren't competing in a professional sport, so why do they need to be subjected to weekly pee-in-a-cup sessions? If they want to amp themselves up with human growth hormone and horse steroids, then shouldn't it be their own business? These people are trying to stop the puny humans from winning the dough, so they need to be able to crush them, just like the Hulk.

We say, bring it on and give us an all-steroid using cast that doles out massive doses of punishment in order to keep the cash in their coffers. These are American GLADIATORS, for pete's sake. They have names like "Crush," "Venom," and "Mayhem. They're supposed to be huge and scary. Plus, are they testing any of the regular joe contestants? And what about host Hulk Hogan?

NBC Testing Gladiators For Steroid Use [TV Squad]