Today in Research: Popularity of Hearing Aids; Babies Understand

Discovered: Electric cars aren't so green after-all, another earthquake on the way for Fukushima, hearing aids are not popular, everyone hates their bosses, babies understand language.

• Hearing aids are not popular. Even though over 26.7 million Americans need hearing aids, only about one in seven uses them, found research out of Johns Hopkins. One barrier to getting people to wear them: The assumption that hearing loss is a natural part of getting older: "There's still a perception among the public and many medical professionals that hearing loss is an inconsequential part of the aging process and you can't do anything about it. We want to turn that idea around," said researcher Frank Lin. [Johns Hopkins]

• Babies understand things. We're totally the types who would reveal national secrets in front of our babies, so we'll keep this in mind. Children ages six to nine months old have comprehension skills, finds research out of the University of Pennsylvania. "I think it's surprising in the sense that the kids at this age aren't saying anything, they're not pointing, they're not walking," researcher Elika Bergelson said. "But actually, under the surface, they're trying to put together the things in the world with the words that go with them." [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]

Read the full story at The Atlantic Wire.