Miscellaneous
World's Strangest Creature?
The platypus sports fur like a mammal, paddles its duck feet like a bird and lays eggs in the manner of a reptile. Nature's instruction manual for this oddball, it turns out, is just as much of a mishmash. Researchers just mapped the genome of a female platypus from Australia. The genetic sequence of this Aussie monotreme (a type of... more
Miscellaneous
Grand Canyon Possibly Old as Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs roaming the American Southwest 65 million years ago may have teetered on the edges of an ancient version of the awe-inspiring cliffs and gorges we see today in the Grand Canyon, a new study suggests. The mile-deep canyon in Arizona was formed as the Colorado River scoured through ancient rock layers millions of years ago. The... more
Miscellaneous
Always buying sneakers? It's the sign of a leader
NEW YORK - Got a passion for buying sneakers? It could be a good sign, with a poll finding that people who buy three pairs of sneakers or more a year are far more likely to be a leadership type than other people. Mindset Media, a media company that examines personality traits of different consumers, found that people who buy more than three... more
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Miscellaneous
Mars, Venus actually alike
Mars and Venus, those seemingly contrasting planets of self-help book fame, have more in common than you might think. Two nearly identical spacecraft around Mars and Venus have compared the two worlds' atmospheres and found them to be surprisingly similar. The ESA's Mars Express and Venus Express are currently in orbit around the planets... more
Miscellaneous
Obama wins Mississippi Democratic race
WASHINGTON - With a six-week breather before the next primary, Hillary Rodham Clinton turned her attention to Pennsylvania and beyond to counter the latest in a string of victories by Barack Obama in Southern states with large black voting blocs. Obama won roughly 90 percent of the black vote in Mississippi on Tuesday, but only about... more
Miscellaneous
Six-legged octopus claimed as world first
LONDON - British marine experts have found what they claim is a world first -- a six-legged octopus, or "hexapus," whom they have christened Henry. The unique sea creature, which has two limbs fewer than a normal octopus, is believed to be the result of a birth defect rather than an accident, say his keepers at the Blackpool Sea Life Centre... more
Miscellaneous
Scientists find 'Devil Toad' fossil
WASHINGTON - A frog the size of a bowling ball, with heavy armor and teeth, lived among dinosaurs millions of years ago — intimidating enough that scientists who unearthed its fossils dubbed the beast Beelzebufo, or Devil Toad. But its size — 10 pounds and 16 inches long — isn't the only curiosity. Researchers discovered the creature's... more
Miscellaneous
Ben & Jerry's endorse Obama with new ice cream flavor
BURLINGTON, Vt. - The founders of Ben & Jerry's endorsed Barack Obama on Monday, and lent his Vermont campaign two "ObamaMobiles" that will tour the state and give away scoops of "Cherries for Change" ice cream. "If there was ever a need for real change, and if there ever was a candidate to inspire us and make that happen, it's now," said Ben... more
Miscellaneous
Clinton's edge slips with whites, women
WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton's crushing losses in Maryland and Virginia highlight an erosion in what had been solid advantages among women, whites and older and working-class voters. While this week's results can be explained by those states' relatively large numbers of blacks and well-educated residents — who tend to be Barack Obama... more
Miscellaneous
Scientists create 'no tears' onions
WELLINGTON - Scientists in New Zealand and Japan have created a "tear-free" onion using biotechnology to switch off the gene behind the enzyme that makes us cry, one of the leading researchers said Friday. The discovery could signal an end to one of cooking's eternal puzzles: why does cutting up a simple onion sting the eyes and trigger... more
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