Bearback riders?
"Polar bears have been spotted carrying their cubs on their backs while they swim through icy waters, according to researchers," The Daily Telegraph reports. "It is thought the practice is new and the result of the bears having to swim longer distances in the sea because of reductions in the Arctic ice in the summer. The scientists say that in the face of the longer swims, travelling on the mother's back could be vital for the survival of the cubs in waters surrounding scattered ice, which is prime seal-hunting territory for the animals. … The young polar bears have not built up a sufficient layer of fat to stop them getting cold if they are swimming in the sea for a prolonged period of time."
Plants get a glow on
"Red roses with glowing petals, poinsettias lit up for Christmas and shrubbery that illuminates communities at night, rendering street lights unnecessary - that's the vision behind the company BioGlow, Inc.," Livescience.com reports. "This vision made an important step toward reality when one of its founders, Alexander Krichevsky, and other researchers succeeded in transplanting into tobacco plants the genes that allow marine bacteria to light up. This is the first time plants have been made to glow on their own, according to Krichevsky, an assistant professor of genetic engineering at the State University of New York in Stony Brook. … 'You have to be five minutes in the dark to see them with your eyes,' Krichevsky said, referring to the period humans' eyes typically need to adjust to the dark. But, 'we are sure we are going to make them glow as bright as fireflies.' "
Bacteria solve Sudoku
"The appeal of Sudoku has spread to the prokaryotic world. A strain of Escherichia coli bacteria can now solve the logic puzzles - with some help from a group of students at the University of Tokyo, Japan," New Scientist reports. " 'Because Sudoku has simple rules, we felt that maybe bacteria could solve it for us, as long as we designed a circuit for them to follow,' says team leader Ryo Taniuchi. The team began with 16 types of E. coli, each colony assigned a distinct genetic identity depending on which square it occupied within a four-by-four Sudoku grid." Researchers "programmed" them to use RNA packaged in viruses to send information about their location in the grid. "By expanding these principles, 81 types of bacteria could solve a full nine-by-nine grid, says Taniuchi."
Healthier eating
"There are many simple tricks that can help ensure you buy and eat healthier foods," The (Allentown, Pa.) Morning Call reports. "One of them, it turns out, will also help you save money. It's this: Pay for your groceries in cash. Researchers from Cornell and the University of Buffalo found that using a credit card caused shoppers to purchase more unhealthy foods than when they paid for groceries in cash. They also made more impulse buys." More tips:
- "Keep many different types and varieties of fruits and vegetables at home. If you have them on hand, you'll be a lot more likely to eat them."
- "Before eating anything - especially junk - take a brisk walk. The walk will put you in a health-conscious state of mind, one that is likely to carry over into healthier eating choices."
Powerful poses
"I am composing this letter with my feet up on the desk and my keyboard balanced on my thighs. Because the position isn't terribly comfortable, I had better be quick," Lucy Kellaway writes for BBC News Magazine. "The reason for sitting in this curious way is to test a new scientific theory that states that by assuming a powerful position you become more powerful. To sit legs up does not merely make you more impressive in the eyes of the world, it makes you more impressive in your own eyes, too. According to research from Harvard Business School, striking a 'power pose' raises testosterone levels by an average of 20 per cent and lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) by a similar amount. … The theory explains why women don't do so well at work. It's not so easy for us to sit legs on the desk if we are wearing a skirt. And we aren't good at gestures of power. Even though we might be skilled at fooling others, we are less good at fooling ourselves."
Thought du jour
"Worrying is the most natural and spontaneous of all human functions. It is time to acknowledge this, perhaps even learn to do it better."
Lewis Thomas (1913-93), physician and author