Did you know that male nipples need to be surgically detached and repositioned sometimes? Then you probably didn’t know that the same Golden Ratio used in modern architecture is employed to make sure a gentlemen’s chest nubs look A-OK.
Science!
GPS tagged coyotes are roaming the streets of Chicago as part of an urban coyote research project. The coyotes are allowed to roam the streets as part of the program in order to eliminate nuisance rodents. The Chicago Commission on Animal Care and Control assures Chicago that everything is fine.
“He’s not a threat…He’s not going to pick up your children,” Block said. “His job is to deal with all of the nuisance problems, like mice, rats and rabbits.”
He’s not going to pick up your children; carry on.
[Chicago Breaking News via Gizmodo]
Researchers have discovered that all primates have an innate ability to repair spinal damage, including humans. They have never noticed this before because scientists usually use rodents in neurology experiments and rodents simply don’t possess neural sprouting.
The researchers found that the injured nerves didn’t regrow. Instead, new nerves sprouted in a process called “spontaneous plasticity,” essentially routing the spinal column around the injury. This kind of neural sprouting doesn’t occur in rodents, which are the animals that scientists typically use in neuroscience experiments. As a result, nobody had noticed this phenomenon before. This new study may lead to more testing on monkeys, but hopefully it will lead to discoveries that allow all primates to grow new nerve cells in the future.
The music is creepy and the alleged act is even grislier. Is this really a video of a German film crew digging up the remains of Andy Kaufman to prove he isn’t really running around in a Tony Clifton outfit?
What do you folks think? Fact or hoax?
Thanks to reader Zakk for passing this along.
“Illustrator Sammy Hall made this incredible version of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Scientists have started to believe that just like many other biped dinosaurs, T-Rex had also been covered with feathers.”
All of these magpie attacks are suddenly starting to make a lot more sense. Full size image here.
[BuzzFeed via Geekologie]
A new all-female species of lizard (Leiolepis ngovantrii) that reproduces itself by cloning was discovered being served up in Vietnamese restaurants in the Mekong River delta. The first batch that was being saved for the scientists to review went missing when “Unfortunately, the owner wound up getting drunk, and grilled them all up for his patrons…” However, they checked other nearby restaurants and were able to gather about sixty specimens.
How awesome tasting are these lizard treats you ask?
“You take a bite out of it and it feels like something very old and dead in your mouth”
THAT awesome.
[CNN]
“Members of Britain’s Special Air Service (SAS) special forces have begun parachuting into enemy strongholds in Afghanistan with Taliban-seeking German shepherds strapped to their chests. Once on the ground, the dogs hunt for Taliban insurgents in buildings and — with cameras strapped to their heads sending back video — act as forward scouts for the British special forces unit.”
Cry havoc, indeed.
[Wired]
Sometimes, science tells us things we didn’t particularly need to know. Why are roaches getting bigger? Live Science investigates…
Voting is still open for the 2010 Zombie Safe House Competition. Choose between the 40 Day Z POD, the SS Huckleberry, Mountain Getaway, and Sears Roebuck 003-b. I am personally rooting for the SS Huckleberry because “Mobility = Security”.
A graduate student attending the University of Georgia has created a 52-minute album featuring musically transcribed HIV afflicted DNA.
On sale now at Amazon!
[Amazon via reader Tess]
Researchers have created an electromechanical sommelier for identifying wines, cheeses, and meats. However during one exhibition the terrible, terrible future was revealed in the childlike voice of the robot.
“But when some smart aleck reporter placed his hand in the robot’s omnivorous clanking jaw, he was identified as bacon. A cameraman then tried and was identified as prosciutto.”
Prepare yourself for the robot apocalypse.
[Wired]
If you were discovered in Beirut, as the center of attention making everyone around you laugh it up only to be found by some new friends who insist you travel with them to Brazil, you might think yourself a pretty lucky jet setter.
If you are Omega the chimpanzee, it’s even more impressive. Sure he was nabbed by animal rights workers who were revolted by the idea of him blowing buts in a Lebanon zoo. But still, free trip to Brazil!
“The chimp still regularly smokes … if someone will throw him a cigarette he’d pick it up and go for it straight away,” said Jason Meier, executive director for animal rights group Animals Lebanon.
Organizers of Omega’s evacuation say it marks the first time a chimpanzee has been rescued in Lebanon, a country with virtually no animal rights protection laws.
In his younger years, Omega was used in one of the local restaurants to entertain people and was made to smoke cigarettes and serve water pipes to customers. After he grew stronger, he was locked up and taken to a zoo where for the past 10 years he has lived in a cage measuring 430 square feet (40 square meters).
Hopefully, they packed some Nicorette. Quitting smoking could be quite the monkey on Omega’s back.
[AP]
Newly discovered 50 million year old amber deposits in northwest India have revealed more than 700 insect species representing 55 families of insects inside. Included in the findings so far are many social insects such as bees, termites, and ants. Scientists will compare these insects to thier modern cousins to try and obtain a better understanding of their evolution. Or perhaps they will just try to pull out DNA and start a theme park.
[Wired]
