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Subscribe to RSSThe recession may have kept many of us from going on vacation, but look on the bright side – at least shark attacks are down.
That's one of the quirky things our partners at LiveScience found when they took a look at some of the unexpected results of the recession, which began in December of 2007 and officially ended in June of 2009. (Yes, we know it doesn’t feel much like the recession is over.)
According to ichthyologist George Burgess of the University of Florida, shark attacks hit a five-year low in 2008. LiveScience says the scientist saw this as a sign that fewer Americans were taking a trip to the beach, and thus reducing their risk of being chomped.
It would be a stretch to say the recession has made our celebrities fat, but the beauty icons of today may not be as super-skinny as they were before the downturn. LiveScience said researchers at Coastal Carolina University found that when the economy is bad, people tend to favor women who are heavier and taller, with larger waists and less babyish features.
Economic hard times also have reduced our desire to bring those little bundles of joy (and expenses) into the world. LiveScience cites a Pew Research Center analysis showing the decrease in birth rates in 2007 and 2008 roughly mirrored an increase in foreclosure rates in 2007.
Have you seen any unexpected results of the recession? Share your thoughts below.
Leave a Comment:
See, there's green shoots out there!
Of course there's less shark attacks, since there's less people in the water cause with this economy, most can't simply afford vacations now so the sharks starve!
And we needed a college educated explanation to figure this out? How dense are we REALLY becoming that someone would actually think this is "outstanding reporting of an IMPORTANT FACT"?
For God's sake, if you're that desperate to print or broadcast this type of info, FIND ANOTHER JOB, cause you're not qualified for NEWS!!!!!!!!!
They must have got all the cats out of trees and this reporter needed something else to do.
What a dumb assumption, isn't the reduction in shark attacks really due to BP killing off the sharks with it's oil spill?
Ok this is ridiculous- shark attacks are not down because of the recession and that no one is vacationing in these places. You're an idiot if you don't consider the fact that the shark populations have plummeted in the past decade due to overfishing. This is ultimately due to the popularity of shark fin soup around the world (recently it's been very popular in Brazil, while in the past it was popular in Japan).
If you people think that the recession is the ultimate cause of this effect you need to have your head evaluated. I can't believe this "journalist" even made this cause and effect relationship. Here's what they do to these poor animals when they cut their fins off:
Usually they are caught with huge hooks and they are ripped out of the water and flung onto the boat deck. A fisherman then proceeds to cut off the dorsel and side fins of the shark. Then, without killing the shark, they usually throw these sharks back into the water- ALIVE people. The shark can't swim of course without fins so it essentially just sinks to the bottom until it's killed or dies. How horrible is that? do your damn research next time Allison then you might actually get people the whole story and the real cause as to why shark attacks have gone down.
(recently it's been very popular in Brazil, while in the past it was popular in Japan).
Actually "am," not Japan, but China, where it is considered a delicacy and therefore honorable to serve to your guests at a banquet. It has been a popular banquet food since the Ming Dynasty.
So much for research...
Here's the original story specifically on the shark attacks, am. Interestingly, the scientists involved correlate attacks more to human population, not shark population.
http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/090219-recession-sharks.html
See! even the loan sharks have been effected by the recession. They don't even have money to lend thus less hands are being broken...oh wait wrong story.
Sharks Starving!!!! Maybe the gov't can bail them out!
This is the dumbest thing i have ever seen, the media must think were all really fn stupid.
Has anyone thought that the reason shark attacks are down is due to decreased shark populations?
Forced to drink Mist,instead of Crown,Natural Lite,instead of Coors...chicken instead of beef...
Life Inc. needs to get a life!
Shark attacks and money - next we will be measuring sneezes to pennies.
i wonder how much the obama administration paid for this information?
Assuming less people took trips to the beach just because there were fewer shark attacks is a stretch. One doesn't fully correlate to the other. Maybe it's a sign that over fishing of sharks or their prey has caused a significant reduction in population. Without facts on how many people made trips to the beach, especially beaches in regions with historically aggressive shark populations, you might as well claim that there were less attacks because Dick-head Cheney was no longer VP.
By the way Bill Armour, did the Obama administration pay anything for this? Not sure how you read the article and found that LiveScience or George Burgess were in any way connected to the Obama administration. Wonder how you tie your shoes in the morning without blaming someone for the stuck double knot (oh, my mistake, you wear loafers).
OK, the story is silly - but the bulk of replies are simply idiotic.
Should be a hunting season on DEMS if u voted for OBAMA this is what you get. Check it out that check he promised you went into his and the rich people VOTE REBUBLICAN Before another country comes in and takes over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think personally that if we are going to get the government straightened up we need to put a lower working class person in there who knows how to streach every penny til it squeals like a little pig . then maybe we would get hammers for the armed forces for a five dollars instead of 75 dollars each . go independant and replace them all and start new!
Thanks for posting this important story. I posted it on the front page of Conservapedia.