So it's a few days late but here we go with some choice points from the current issue of New Scientist.
Know When Your Time's Up?
Ever wanted to know how long you had left to enjoy and thrills and spills of life, well according to Sei Lee of the San Fransico Veterans Affairs Medical Center you can. Sie Lee has complied a series of questions that can predict whether someone over 50 is going to die in the next 4 years. However with an 80% accuracy rating do you want to take that risk!
Luck as Good as Skill?
The Olympic Figure Skating judging system is again on thin ice! A study was carried out on the new system and found that luck has a large part to play in the placings. With a computer randomly selecting which 3 of 12 scores to drop, you could be unlucky and see your three highest scores dropped, whilst your opponent drops his 3 lowest scores.
Juicy Gossip.
Apparently we remember juicy gossip about our friends and acquaintances far more readily than other details. A study was carried out by Alex Mesoudi, Andrew Whiten (both of St. Andrews) and Robin Dunbar (University of Liverpool). The study found that information of a gossipy nature was remembered and transmitted in greater quantity and greater accuracy.
Formation of the Man in the Moon.
Ralph von Frese of Ohio State University has come up with a theory as to how the "man in the moon" was formed. It seems that whilst the moon was still geological active asteroids struck the far side and caused the near side of the moon to crack and produce volcanic eruptions. This allowed magma to flood onto the surface and form the eyes, nose and mouth of the man in the moon.
Burrowing Bombs!
It seems that your "safe" bunker will no longer be safe from the Americans (if it ever was). The US Army is developing a bomb that will burrow through solid rock before going off.
Get up and Go!
It seems that producing that last minute coursework might become a whole lot easier if new drugs that help you go without sleep and give you a good night's sleep in just two hours, work.
Take a look at the Cover Story of New Scientist for more details.
From Soundbites
"I don't expect teenagers to become nuns and monks for the duration of their university career, but I would encourage them to be aware of the symptoms." - Linda Glennie, head of research at the UK's Meningitis Research Foundation, on the discovery that intimate kissing can quadruple a young person's risk of contracting meningoccal maningitis.
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