There are some interesting ideas in this world (and a lot we still don’t know about ourselves), but this idea is so radical I’m almost afraid to write about it. There is a short video on YouTube entitled “You Have a Second Brain” that claims your digestive system acts as another brain and it has
Do you have a dog? Then you might be interested in a Yale University study that has shown that dogs are so smart, they will ignore your bad directions. In the study, a treat was placed inside a puzzle. Solving the puzzle involved one step — lifting the lid — but the researchers added one
This piece combines two of my favorite interests — the English language and Disney. In 1950, Disney produced a Goofy cartoon entitled Motor Mania, in which a mild-mannered “Mr. Walker” transforms into a manic “Mr. Wheeler” every time he gets behind the wheel of his car. (There are multiple uploads on YouTube.) It’s a great
I’ve noticed two things about this presidential election I’ve never seen before. First, so few people have yard signs or expressions of support for a candidate. Second, there is a very unusual yard sign in my neighborhood. The American flag serves as the background, but the the top line simply says “Civilize It”. The fine
You’ve probably heard that if you drop a piece of food on the floor and pick it up within five seconds, it’s okay to eat because germs hadn’t had enough time to get to it. (Personally I’ve always used a three-second rule, with a five-second corollary for chocolate.) Is this true? Scientists are actually beginning
You don’t have to be big or technologically sophisticated to alter the environment. Recently I ran across a science piece about the impact of earthworms in North American forests. I have always thought earthworms were good — they aerate and enrich the soil. But according to a new study published September 3, 2016 in the
You’ve seen them in parking lots — donation bins. It’s a great way to dispose of old clothes. Especially with the holidays coming up, it’s also a good way to donate to charity. Or is it? The BBB Wise Giving Alliance, an organization that rates charities (http://www.give.org/), has some useful information in the cover story
I know crazy things can happen during football season, but this study really surprised me — Two economists at Louisiana State University (LSU) have analyzed juvenile court decisions made between 1996 and 2012. They found that for judges who attended LSU as undergraduates, a football loss led to disproportionately stiffer sentences. If the loss was
A belated birthday greeting to Tarzan, who debuted on August 27, 1912 in the pages of All-Story Magazine. The title was Tarzan, King of the Apes, and the story was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who had failed at a whole list of occupations before he tried writing. His inspiration came from the pulp magazines
Have you heard the latest from the world of science? We are entering a new epoch. For some 12,000 years, we have been living in the Holocene era, a stable and relative warm climate that has allowed the present world to develop. But on August 29, a working group of scientists at a meeting of
