Our fragrant world
Climate change will make the world more fragrant, writes Matt Walker of BBC News. "As carbon dioxide levels increase and the world warms, land use, precipitation and the availability of water will also change. In response to all these disruptions, plants will emit greater levels of fragrant chemicals called biogenic volatile organic compounds [BVOCs] … According to scientists leading the review, the world may already be becoming more fragrant, as plants have already begun emitting more smelly chemicals. … [T]ey feel the impact on plants around the world could be significant and underappreciated. Communication between plants could be affected. For example, some BVOCs [act]as airborne signals between plants, warning them of an attack by herbivores. Plants forced to produce more of such chemicals could therefore be in a constant state of high alert. Or it could be that a more fragrant atmosphere confuses pollinators such as bees, altering plant reproduction, or insect pests."
Ancient glimpses
"Scientists have pieced together most of the DNA of a man who lived in Greenland about 4,000 years ago, a pioneering feat that revealed hints about his appearance and even an increased risk of baldness," the Associated Press reports. "It's the first genome from an ancient human, showing the potential for what one expert called a time machine for learning about the biology of ancient people. Analysis suggests the Greenland man probably had type A-positive blood, brown eyes, darker skin than most Europeans, dry earwax, a boosted chance of going bald and several biological adaptations for weathering a cold climate, researchers report in [Thursday's]note/> issue of the journal Nature."
Some dinosaurs had russet-coloured feathers, and one jazzy specimen had a Mohawk crest and stripes, researchers say in the first reports to confidently assign colours to dinosaurs. In a study published this week in the journal Science, researchers were able to assign colour to individual feathers and work out colour patterns for the entire fossil of Anchiornis huxleyi, a small, feathered, two-legged dinosaur that lived roughly 150 million years ago. The animal would have weighed about 110 grams and had a dark grey or black body and wings with some white feathers that gave it a stripe pattern, plus a reddish-brown crest and freckles on the face.
Other source: M2 Presswire.
Valentine's in Japan
"Japan's unique Valentine's Day tradition of women giving chocolate to men is melting away as more women show a preference for pampering each other instead of their boyfriends and spouses," Kyodo News reports. "The practice of giving tomo choco (friendship chocolate) has been highlighted as a new trend in a recent survey that found 74 per cent of women plan to give a Valentine's gift to a female friend but only 32 per cent intended to buy something for a boyfriend. … The popularity of tomo choco has been attributed to the way that the custom offers women an excuse to have a girls' night out - something pertinent at a time when so much social interaction is going digital."
Sultan and duffer
"The obituaries were respectful when Sultan Mahmud Iskandar al-Haj ibni Ismail al Khalidi, 24th Sultan of Johor and eighth king of Malaysia, died at 77 in his fairytale palace by the shores of the South China Sea on Jan. 22," reports Michael Sheridan in The Sunday Times of London. "Nobody reading Malaysia's tightly controlled press would have guessed that he had been found guilty of manslaughter. … He is known to have shot one man dead and is alleged to have fatally battered another man with a golf club. The story goes that the ruler turned on a caddy who laughed when he missed a putt. His weapon of choice, it is said, was a six-iron. The caddy's brother, who also was attacked, is said to have gone mad. Neither victim has ever been officially named."
Office irritants
Grumpy co-workers are the worst thing about working in an office, according to a British survey. "Temperamental workmates were identified as the biggest irritant, ahead of computer troubles or office politics," says The Daily Telegraph. The survey of gripes was compiled by Opinium Research. "More than a third (37 per cent) of those surveyed found it hard to work when those around them are sulky, grumpy or irritable. That figure is 1 per cent higher than the frustration of computer breakdowns."
Parasite diet
"Hong Kong health officials warned residents against ingesting intestinal worms as a weight-loss remedy after websites were found to be promoting so-called parasite diets," reports Jason Gale for Bloomberg news. "Ingesting parasites, including the Ascaris roundworm, isn't a scientifically proven weight-loss treatment and may cause abdominal pain and distention, vomiting, diarrhea and malnutrition, the city's Health Department said in a statement on its website. … 'Parasite infestation may also be fatal if serious complications such as intestinal, biliary tract or pancreatic duct obstruction arise,' the department said. 'The worms may even invade such organs as the lungs.' "
Thought du jour
"The second day of a diet is easier than the first. By the second day, you're off it." - Jackie Gleason