Stock photo | Getty Images | Comstock
Weight-loss? Try jail
"A Florida man earned nine days off his 29-day jail sentence by losing 25 pounds during his stay behind bars," United Press International reports. "George McCovery, 37, who had been convicted of driving with a suspended licence, accepted a deal from Lake County Judge Donna Miller to spend his first 20 days in jail losing weight and then have a day removed from the remainder of his sentence for each pound he had shed, the Orlando Sentinel reported. … Mr. McCovery, who went from 345 pounds to 320 pounds, said he received encouragement from detention deputies. He said he was also helped by the bland jail food and the desire not to disappoint Judge Miller."
Dream your troubles away
"An encouraging new study suggests that time spent in dream sleep can help to heal old memories," Psych Central reports. "University of California, Berkeley, researchers discovered that during REM sleep, the brain processes emotional experiences and takes the edge off difficult memories. In the study, the researchers determined REM, or the dream phase of sleep, is a time when stress neurotransmitters were inactive or slowed. The findings offer a compelling explanation for why people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as war veterans, have a hard time recovering from painful experiences and suffer recurring nightmares. They also offer clues into why we dream. 'The dream stage of sleep, based on its unique neurochemical composition, provides us with a form of overnight therapy, a soothing balm that removes the sharp edges from the prior day's emotional experiences,' said Matthew Walker, senior author of the study."
Texting while asleep
"Increasing numbers of mobile phone users are reporting 'sleep-texting' – text-messaging friends while asleep," The Daily Telegraph reports. "Sleep experts said the phenomenon was a natural extension of the younger generation's reliance on modern technology. However, scientists disagreed on whether it is possible to send a text while technically asleep. … Jessica Castillo, 24, of Italy, Texas, recently sent two multimedia text messages, apparently after falling asleep during an exchange with her boyfriend. The first began 'Baby u there? Need to tell somethin …' before it turned into nonsense. To do so, she had to navigate 11 different stages, excluding the typing."
The latest in cave graffiti
"One is a dazzling set of caveman drawings, found in France, from the Upper Paleolithic period thousands of years ago," says the Mail Online. "The other is an array of doodles, found in London, from the early Punk period around 40 years ago. And both, it would seem, are equally worthy of scholastic debate. Graffiti daubed on the walls of a flat by the Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten could be as important as the discovery of early Beatles recordings – or even the prehistoric Lascaux cave paintings. … John Schofield, of the department of archeology at the University of York [in Britain] and independent researcher Paul Graves-Brown say the graffiti, found behind cupboards in the property in Denmark Street, is 'a direct and powerful representation of a radical and dramatic movement of rebellion.' The researchers carried out a detailed analysis of the graffiti's content and its cultural significance. Though they admit that it could be considered offensive, they argue that its presence confirms the Denmark Street flat as an important historical and archeological site."
Leftover thoughts
"We don't need overconsumption at Thanksgiving to remind us that America is the home of the fat," Prof. Richard McKenzie writes for The Daily Beast. "That fact can be confirmed by standing on any street corner in any city of the [United States]and watching Americans waddle by. … Since 1960, American adults have gained on average 26 pounds, which equals the weight of the largest turkey most families will have this Thanksgiving. … Americans are now … burning annually more than two billion more gallons of gasoline and jet fuel than would have been required had they not put on the added weight, according to research estimates."
Thought du jour
"Why is it drug addicts and computer aficionados are both called users?" - Clifford Stoll, U.S. astronomer and author