Archive for January 11th, 2008

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Science Etcetera Venusday, 20080111

Friday, January 11th, 2008
  • Astronomers have confirmed the existence of the largest black hole ever, so big it even has a smaller black hole orbiting it.
  • No. The Growth in the Antarctic ice sheet does not contradict Global Warming theory.
  • Tel Aviv University’s Prof. Itzhak Ofek’s two-decades worth of research on the fruit has found that Cranberries really are a miracle cure for women, treating urinary tract infections, cavities, and ulcers… but not for guys. Dang it!!! Well, at least we don’t have to deal with penis envy.
  • On the one hand China’s mind-staggering industrial growth is devestating smaller nations’ environments, on the other hand, they will soon Ban Plastic Bags.
  • Warning! Over eating a sugar substitute can lead to severe weight loss, which is really unhealthy, but I guess if people are willing to go on an all-pork-and-mayonnaise diet to drop pounds, like the Atkins diet, then maybe this isn’t so bad.
  • Healthy Habits Can Mean 14 Extra Years, but, as Laura Freberg observes, the researchers set the bar a little low about what constitutes “Healthy Habits.” Which is good news for anyone wanting to be healthy, but continue to be a slacker.
  • LD50 stands for “Laboratory Death 50 Percent” it’s a long standing toxicity-test, which determines the levels of exposure to a substance that is required to kill 50 percent of lab rats in a group. A new paper suggests the practice is of little use, and should be downgraded in application.
  • There was a one in 10,000 chance of finding one of these, but astronomers have located a Hubble finds double Einstein ring, which shows the gravitational pull of dark matter bending the light from two galaxies into a circle:
  • Double Einstein Ring

    Double Einstein Ring