The cutting edge of dog butt science.
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We are getting to the bottom of one of the biggest quandaries in science: Why dogs sniff each other’s butts. Turns out this behavior is just one of many interesting forms of chemical communication in the animal kingdom. Dogs use a special feature called the Jacobsen’s Organ to get chemical signals from their nose sent directly to their brain.
Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol™, is one of the most popular pain relievers in the world, selling more than 27 billion doses in 2009 alone. It can reduce fevers, eliminate aches and pains and relieve cough and cold symptoms. But how does it work? The truth is, no one knows exactly. This week, Reactions examines the theories about the popular pill.
Joe Hanson of It’s Okay to Be Smart explains how the elements got their names in Dr. Seuss like rhyming fashion.
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Ever wonder what all those names on the periodic table actually mean?
There’s a whole lot of fascinating history on Mendeleev’s table. Some carry names from antiquity, some are named for people, some are named for places, and some are named for mythical beings. Discover the etymology of the elements!
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When a cat is dropped, it ALWAYS lands on its feet; and when toast is dropped, it ALWAYS lands with the buttered side facing down. Therefore, I propose to strap buttered toast to the back of a cat.
When dropped, the two will hover, spinning inches above the ground, probably into eternity. A “buttered-cat array” could replace pneumatic tires on cars and trucks, and “giant buttered-cat arrays” could easily allow a high-speed monorail linking New York with Chicago. |
Who knew? The smell of farts may prevent cancer. I wonder if that’s the recommended cancer treatment under ObamaCare.
A new study out of the University of Exeter says catching a whiff of noxious gasses, like those in flatulence, could help the human body repair cell damage and prevent debilitating diseases such as cancer.
“Although hydrogen sulfide gas”—produced when bacteria breaks down food—”is well known as a pungent, foul-smelling gas in rotten eggs and flatulence, it is naturally produced in the body and could in fact be a healthcare hero with significant implications for future therapies for a variety of diseases,” Dr. Mark Wood said in a university release.
Although the stinky gas can be noxious in large doses, scientists believe that a whiff here and there has the power to reduce risks of cancer, strokes, heart attacks, arthritis, and dementia by preserving mitochondria.
But scientists aren’t advocating that we seek out flatulence: they are working on a compound, called AP39, that could deliver tiny doses to the body as needed.