Do Martians burp?
“Hopes of finding life on Mars have been boosted by British scientists studying sources of methane on the planet,” Britain's Press Association reports. “They have ruled out any possibility of meteorites delivering the high levels of the gas detected in the Martian atmosphere. That leaves only two alternatives: Either the methane is created by chemical reactions between volcanic rock and water, or it is being generated by living organisms. … The gas has a short lifetime of just a few hundred years on Mars because it is continuously being destroyed by sunlight in the planet's atmosphere. Yet its levels remain constant, leading scientists to speculate about what might be topping it up.”
Reaping and raiding
Differing roles in prehistoric times have evolved into different shopping styles, U.S. researchers say. “While women spent their days gathering food, often with children, men were hunters who made specific plans about how to catch and kill their prey,” The Daily Telegraph reports. Prof. Daniel Kruger of the University of Michigan, who led the study, said:
“When gathering, women must be very adept at choosing just the right colour, texture and smell to ensure food safety and quality,” he explained. “They must also time harvests … In modern terms, women are much more likely than men to know when a specific type of item will go on sale. Women also spend much more time choosing the perfect fabric, colour and texture.”
In prehistoric times, men had to hunt for specific items, which meant they had to be clinical in their approach as they are now with shopping. “Men often have a specific item in mind and want to get in, get it and get out,” he said. “It's critical to get meat home as quickly as possible. Taking young children isn't safe in a hunt and would likely hinder progress.”
Burgers' footprints
“As soon as I am through the door of the brightly lit Max Burger restaurant in central Stockholm, spokesman Par Larshans insists I eat not one, but two of their fast-food snacks,” Tom Burridge writes for the BBC. “The first is a falafel burger. The second is a half beef/half soy burger. They're tasty … but I'm a carnivore who is not planning to go vegetarian any time soon. … It's the illuminated menu, above [workers'] heads, that is the real reason for my visit. Max Burger claims to be the first restaurant chain in the world to publish carbon-dioxide emissions on its menu.” Mr. Larshans said: “We hope to change the whole of the fast-food industry by this. … We want people to eat less meat.”
Pregnancy and Dad
“Fatherhood, as Miller-McCune magazine reported earlier this year, alters a man's neurochemistry,” Tom Jacobs writes for Miller-McCune.com, “increasing his ability to cope with stress and generally making him a better mate. Just-published research suggests the benefits of this transformation extend far beyond one's immediate family and remain robust as the years go by. … ‘We find that middle-aged men who at some point in their lives become fathers are significantly more likely to have altruistically oriented social relationships and be involved in service organizations compared with men who never become fathers,'” a Penn State University research team writes in the Journal of Family Issues.
“There is … some evidence that testosterone levels tend to drop in men during their partner's pregnancy, perhaps to make expectant fathers less aggressive and more likely to bond with their newborns,” Dr. Richard Friedman, a professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College, writes for The New York Times. “Given the known association between depression and low testosterone in middle-aged men, it is possible that this might also put some men at risk of postpartum depression.”
Ta, Tiger
A British university professor is a beneficiary of the scandal engulfing Tiger Woods, The Times of London reports. John Gribbin is the author of an obscure scientific manual, Get a Grip on Physics , which was photographed in the wreckage of Mr. Woods's car on Nov. 27. The astronomy professor says he is delighted this exposure has improved his book's Amazon sales ranking from 396,224th place to 2,268th.
Beware the petunia?
“Petunias and potatoes may actually be carnivorous plants, scientists now suggest,” Charles Choi writes for LiveScience. “Indeed, carnivorous behaviour may be far more widespread in plants than commonly thought – if we take a closer look, botanists said. At least six different kinds of killer plants have been recognized since the time of Darwin, such as Venus flytraps … Many other plants, some quite common, have also been suggested as potential carnivores over the years [and] have failed to gain wide acceptance as such thus far. Petunias and potatoes, for instance, have sticky hairs that trap insects, and several species of campion flowers have the common name catchfly for the same reason. ‘We may be surrounded by many more murderous plants than we think,' said botanist Mark Chase, keeper of the Jodrell Laboratory at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in England.”
Source: MSNBC.com
Thought du jour
“Gardening is an active participation in the deepest mysteries of the universe.”
– Thomas Berry
