rainbows and babies cause it too, didn't you know?

seems now a-days, absolutely EVERYTHING causes cancer... it's actually kind of funny (not like funny haha people are suffering and dying but more like ironically funny haha) when you think about it... like being punished for our technological advancements... teflon causes cancer, aluminum foil causes cancer, radiation causes cancer, UV rays cause cancer, plastic causes cancer (don't put in the microwave! doubly as bad - i hear microwaves cause cancer too!), asbestos causes cancer, velcro causes cancer... ok, so maybe not that last one... but like it or not, it seems our own technology is killing us! and now this:

"Working overnight shifts linked to cancer"

Scientists theorize 'graveyard' work disrupts body's natural rhythm, affecting production of melatonin

so this melatonin hormone can suppress tumour development and it's normally produced at night... i don't exactly get this... is it produced when it's dark out or when we sleep? or does it have to be both? i guess it has to be both or there wouldn't be a problem... i guess humans just weren't meant to be nocternal!

apparently, in the 1930s when "nighttime work was considered a hallmark of progress" the incidence of breast cancer increased sharply... and in more recent studies, it has been shown that work night shifts ARE more prone to preast cancer.

next month, overnight shift work is being added to the list of probable carcinogens... this has LARGE implications. in developed countries, approximately 20% of the working population work night shifts. now night shifts can be considered "hazardous work" and those night shifters are going to demand a "danger pay" salary increase. also, WSIB (workplace safety & insurance board) gives a worker the right to refuse any work that they feel is unsafe - for example, working with asbestos, another noted carcinogen. employers are going to have to provide training for working in hazardous conditions for all night shift employees! just imagine the money that will have to be spent on training and on pay raises... think of all the lost productivity from people refusing to work overnight...

let's just wait and see how this all plays out. i doubt it's going to be pretty...