Interesting ↓

Worms Are World’s Most Influential Species

“They’re silent, slimy and wriggly, utterly devoid of personality and shaped so that you can’t even tell one end from the other – that’s what most people think about earthworms… Nothing, not even humans, can match the impact these noiseless digesters of the Earth have had on the history of planet, life and people. Worms are the ultimate survivors with a direct ancestry stretching back an epic 600 million years. That puts us in our place, since our human lineage manages only a paltry four million at a stretch. When they first appeared, at the bottom of the seas, wriggling worm-like bodies quickly became the generic design for all animal life… But to me, earthworms are the most extraordinary creatures ever to have lived. After an exhaustive 21/2 year study of 100 of life’s most successful species (from viruses and bacteria to fish, fungi, plants, insects, mammals and humans) I have come to the humble conclusion that, despite their lowly lifestyle, earthworms sit at the very top of the evolutionary tree.” w/ photos

Chocolate Can Melt Away Pain

“Nibbling on chocolate or even sipping a glass of water can relieve aches and pains, a study has shown. A team of researchers says the distraction of eating or drinking for pleasure acts as a natural painkiller. Although the findings come from studies on animals, the scientists believe the same effect takes place in people. Dr Peggy Mason, of Chicago University, found that rats were less bothered by pain if they were eating a chocolate chip or drinking water. ‘It’s a strong, strong effect, but it’s not about hunger or appetite,’ she said. ‘If you have all this food in front of you that’s easily available to reach out and get, you’re not going to stop eating, for basically almost any reason.’ Past studies have shown that eating can ease pain.” w/ photo

Sugar Heals Wounds Faster

“A British-based scientist has won a $37,000 grant to develop an African tribal remedy of healing wounds – with SUGAR. Zimbabwean-born Moses Murandu, 43, stunned doctors when he sprinkled granulated sugar on infected cuts to heal them earlier this year. Incredibly, the ancient remedy cured 21 patients quicker than conventional medicines. Bosses at the Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham have been so impressed that he has been awarded $37,000 to treat up to 100 more patients with sugar. Delighted Moses, a medical lecturer from the University of Wolverhampton, said: ‘Using granulated sugar in wounds has never been done in the UK before, although sugar paste has been used. ‘When I was a child, my father used sugar or salt on wounds and I grew up without realising that not everybody else uses it. ‘While salt is painful, sugar is not and it reduces the pain drastically. Sugar is also much cheaper than expensive medicines and it has proven to be just as effective.’ Moses learned the treatment after seeing wounded warriors regularly cured with sugar in the Zimbabwean village where he grew up. He was baffled when he arrived in the UK to find that sugar was not used in any hospitals and funded a six-month pilot study himself.” w/ photo

180 Other Things You Can Do With A Pig

“When we tuck into a bacon sandwich, few of us wonder what has happened to the other parts of the pig whose life has been sacrificed so we can enjoy a juicy breakfast. But one inquisitive writer set out to trace where all the body parts of one porker ended up. Christein Meindertsma, 29, said: ‘Like most people, I had little idea of what happens to a pig after it leaves the abattoir so I decided to try to find out. I approached a pig farmer friend who agreed let me follow one of his animals. Identified by its yellow ear tag number, 05049, her pig trail ended with her identifying an incredible 185 different uses to which it was put – from the manufacture of sweets and shampoo, to bread, body lotion, beer and bullets. Christein said: ‘I was shocked when I began to find out just how unusual and varied the different uses for a ordinary pig were. It’s almost as if these days, a pig is no longer thought of an animal – more like an industrial raw material with a mind-blowing amount of different uses.” w/ photos

Oldest Member Of The Human Family Tree

“She lived at the dawn of a new era, when chimps and people began walking (or climbing) along their own evolutionary trails. This is Ardi – the oldest member of the human family tree we’ve found so far. Short, hairy and with long arms, she roamed the forests of Africa 4.4million years ago. Her discovery, reported in detail for the first time today, sheds light on a crucial period when we were just leaving the trees. Some scientists said she could provide evidence that our ancestors first started walking upright in the pursuit of sex.” w/ photos

Did Pesticides Kill The Honey Bee?

“Honey bees are being wiped out by a new generation of pesticides, it is claimed today. Chemicals routinely used on maize, oil seed rape and garden plants could be responsible for the mysterious decline, according to new documentary film Vanishing Of The Bees. Honey bees are essential for the food supply and British farmers, contributing about $200million to the economy by pollinating crops. Scientists admit they are baffled by plummeting bee numbers in Europe and America over the past decade. Last year nearly a fifth of UK colonies were wiped out – more than double the usual number that come into existence to replace them, according to beekeepers.” w/ photo

The Unique Origins Of 25 Popular Products

“Happy accidents make good inventions. Spills, explosions, odd chemical reactions, and plain old forgetfulness produced some of today’s most practical products. From saccharin to shopping carts, each of the inventions below has a strange and unique origin.” w/ photos

Mapping The 7 Deadly Sins

“We’re gluttons for infographics, and a team at Kansas State just served up a feast: maps of sin created by plotting per-capita stats on things like theft (envy) and STDs (lust). Christian clergy, likely noting the Bible Belt’s status as Wrath Central, question the “science.” Valid point—or maybe it’s just the pride talking.” w/ photos

What’s REALLY Going On Inside Our Brains

“Are women more emotionally aware than men? Why does your arm hurt during a heart attack? Could people who see fairies be telling the truth? These are just some of the questions answered in a fascinating new book on the brain. Written by Rita Carter, a leading science and medical writer, it provides extraordinary insights into the way our brains work – and why we behave and act in the ways we do.” w/ photos

Things About The Brain You Didn’t Know

“The brilliant brain! here are six facts about the brain that you didn’t know. The brain enables people to feel, think, and move, as well as automatically regulating most of the activities that go on inside the body.” w/ photos