Category Archives: Weird Science

While perusing the Sunday paper, an odd scrap often catches in the old cranial craw, requiring rumination and later regurgitation. Case in point, from that paragon of American journalism, Parade Magazine: Nancy Cassidy, from Falls Church, VA, asks Ms. Smartypants, … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A 40,000-year-old skull found in a Romanian cave shows traits of both modern humans and Neanderthals and might prove the two interbred, researchers reported on Monday. If the findings are confirmed, the skull would represent the oldest … Continue reading →

A psychological technique based on Buddhist philosophy and practice may provide a solution for women who struggle with binge eating and bulimia. The technique known as ‘mindfulness’ is being taught to Queensland women to help them understand and deal with … Continue reading →

Scientists have discovered an extinct animal the size of a small squirrel that lived in China at least 125 million years ago and soared among the trees. It is the earliest known example of gliding flight by mammals, and the … Continue reading →

In two studies, researchers in Kenya and Uganda enrolled thousands of uncircumcised men to determine if the procedure could reduce HIV transmission among heterosexuals, with some men having their foreskin removed and others remaining intact. The trial in Kenya, involving … Continue reading →

Tiny animal kingdom: the elephant foetus at 12 months, when it is 18 inches long and weighs approximately 26 lbs. It can use its trunk, and can curl it right up into its mouth and over its head. An unborn … Continue reading →

The solar system has 12 planets. That is the conclusion, to be announced today, of an international panel formed to devise a scientific definition of a planet and settle an increasingly intense dispute over whether Pluto qualifies. The panel suggests … Continue reading →

Boston will tap a nonprofit corporation to blanket the city with “open access”; wireless Internet connections, under a plan to be unveiled today by Mayor Thomas M. Menino. The plan, which envisions raising $16 million to $20 million from local … Continue reading →

Ames, IA — Physicist Costas Soukoulis and his research group at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory on the Iowa State University campus are having the time of their lives making light travel backwards at negative speeds that appear … Continue reading →

GUBEN, Germany — Dr. Gunther von Hagens, the German inventor of a body-preserving process called plastination, is always eager for volunteers, people willing to donate their corpses for his public anatomical displays. He says 6,800 individuals have pledged their mortal … Continue reading →

Older farmers are at high risk for injury when they stop taking prescribed pain medications, shows a study done in part by the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. A case review of farmers aged 66 and older in Alberta, … Continue reading →

An ocean speed limit proposed by the federal government yesterday could help protect endangered right whales, but is expected to face stiff opposition from the shipping industry. The migration paths of the North Atlantic right whales significantly overlap with major … Continue reading →