Dear Santa, Here’s what I’d like for Christmas. Since I’ve behaved myself exceptionally well this year, please bring me a pair (for later breeding) that are only 6-8 weeks old, so they’ll still be in their language acquisition stage. Love, Kat
- Neanderthal women joined men in the hunt.
- ‘Little Foot’ skeleton too young to be our ancestor.
- Buried babies suggest prehistoric compassion.
- Egyptian archaeologists find 4000-year-old doctor’s mummy, bronze surgical tools. But try this site for an interesting misspelling of our favorite Egytologist’s name.
- Ancient Irish tomb a big draw at winter solstice.
- From ruins of Afghan Buddhas, a history grows.
- St. Paul’s tomb found under altar.
- Lost hoard of 2,000-year-old Afghan gold now on display for the first time.
- See what the Maya Empire really looked like, according to National Geographic artists and ancient murals.
- Original Edison light bulbs to be auctioned.
- Displaying horrific table manners, a giant black hole has been caught in the act of guzzling a star.
- Critics say the Space Station’s original goals are barely recognizable now.
- An amazing first: Two species cooperate to hunt.
- Ebola is killing thousands of gorillas.
- If your aging cat has bats in the belfry, it may be suffering from feline Alzheimer’s.
- A pelican has fallen in love with the woman who nursed it back to health.
- Enviro-cateclysm of the week: New data show global warming kills marine life. Plastics are also poisoning the world’s seas.
- Global warming: a few skeptics still ask why it’s happening.
- Natural selection for everyone: A review of Sean B. Carroll’s The Making of the Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution (Amazon US & UK).
- Scientists think they can slow the progress of human ‘mad cow disease’ by genetically altering the brain. Britain threatened with fresh outbreak of vCJD.
- Researchers find clue to why drug trial almost killed six healthy men in March.
- Weird finding: Smoking causes knee pain.
- Tongue test may pinpoint chemical causes of depression.
- Can virtual experiences trick the brain into creating false memories?
- How romantic partners respond to each other’s triumphs may be the most important factor in tightening a couple’s bond.
- Simultaneous dreaming: Can two people dream the same dream? Greg says Martin Luther King probably hoped so…
- Scientists say imaginary friends (and enemies) are good for kids.
- London suburb devastated by 20-second tornado. UK has highest tornado rate in the world.
- The lowdown on working in Antarctica.
- Positive disintegration: growth through dark nights of the soul.
- You’re invited to take part in a scientific study of two great seasonal rituals, Christmas cards and cracker jokes.
- The dark forces of political correctness are crucifying Christmas. Bah, humbug?
- Professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering explains how Santa Claus can deliver all those presents in just one night. Greg expects an expose about a perverted fat man with a gift fettish in the next issue of Skeptical Inquirer.
- Volcano myths and rituals: Hawaiians traditionally regarded an eruption as the menstruation of the goddess Pele.
- Encounter with an Alien.
- JAL pilot’s UFO story surfaces after 20 years.
- Why …there’s no place like Oz, …there’s no place like Oz, …there’s no place…
Thanks, Greg.
Quote of the Day:
I was walking past on my lunch break and a brick almost hit me in the head. I looked up at a house and half of it was missing. A bath tub fell out and landed on the street. The noise was deafening and we saw what looked like smoke swirling in the air. You could tell it was a tornado – from what you’ve seen on films – and it had bits of wood and other things swirling around.
Eddy Toroosian, 17