If you were away this week and didn't catch the latest Discovery News content, here is my list of must-reads:
If you're on a beach along the Gulf Coast and you see oil, don't be a hero. Walk away. Just walk away.
Don't touch it, don't breathe it in, and for the love of all that's holy, don't swim in it.
While this may be common sense to most people, it seems that several journalists covering the spill didn't get the memo.
What can oil do exactly? Crude oil is a complex mixture of chemicals that can affect your brain, skin, lungs and nervous system. Dizziness, euphoria, nausea, blurry vision and headaches are a few of the short-term effects. The long-term effects are much worse.
Bottom line: Don't be this guy. It's just not worth the photo-op.
4. Oldest Shoe Preserved in Sheep Dung
Sure, it's not the best looking shoe, nor is it the most comfortable. However, a 5,500-year-old shoe discovered in a cave in Armenia is the oldest shoe ever found.
Like much of today's footwear, this shoe was actually made of leather. Ancient humans didn't have gel insoles or air cushions like today's sneakers. Rather, this shoe was stuffed with loose grasses, probably to provide padding and warmth.
Although this find certainly gives new details into the lives of ancient humans, don't expect to see them on store shelves any time soon.
3. Dogs Dumbed Down by Domestication
Cats have a reputation for being evil. Rabbits are known for being hyper. And dogs -- well, let's just say there's no such thing as a canine Einstein. (Not your dog, of course. I'm talking about that other guy's dog. You know the one.)
So why are dogs so dumb? Turns out it's all our fault.
Dogs are so dependent on humans that they fail basic intelligence tests that wolves and other wild canines ace.
This may help to explain why some dogs can't tell the difference between a meal and their own waste. Then again, mammoths ate poo, too.
2. Calvin Klein Cologne Attracts Wild Cats and Other Animals
If you want a cologne that is virtually guaranteed to endow you with raw, animal magnetism, look no further than Calvin Klein Obsession for Men.
We can't say, of course, that it'll do any good in attracting the opposite sex. But jaguars, pumas and other wildlife sure have taken a shine to it.
Researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society have used the cologne to draw these animals to remote cameras set up in the wilderness. In one instance, after being around the scent, one pair of jaguars actually started mating -- a rarely seen display.
We don't know if it has the same effect on humans, but if it works for cats...
1. World Cup 2010: Can Abstinence Affect Athletic Performance?
Does sex affect your job performance? If you're a professional athlete, it just might, according to some coaches of national teams competing in the World Cup.
There is a difference of opinion, however, as to how to give players that extra edge. Members of Argentina's national team are allowed to have sex with their usual partners. The same is true for Brazil's players.
It's a different story for the English team, however, who are generally restricted from seeing their partners and are strictly forbidden from having sex. Their coach will even monitor his players' behavior through TVs in their hotel rooms.
But does sex really affect athletes on the field? Click on the link to find out.
Those were my picks. Here are the most popular stories published this week:
5. The Moment Jupiter Got Slammed, In Color!
What does it look like when a massive fireball slams in to the largest planet in our solar system? Click on the link to find out.
4. Headless Gladiator Graveyard Unearthed
The world's best-preserved gladiator cemetery has been found in York, England. The 2,000-year-old skeletons appear to have suffered violent injuries usually sustained in a Roman amphitheater.
3. Second Oil Spill in Gulf Confirmed (So What?)
It's certainly no Deepwater Horizon redux, but a new oil spill has been confirmed in the Gulf of Mexico. This leak, emanating from the Ocean Saratoga, a drilling rig about 12 miles southeast of the southern tip of the Mississippi Delta, is only releasing a barrel of oil a day -- small potatoes compared to the tens of thousands of barrels coming from the Deepwater Horizon site daily.
2. Top 10 Places to Find Alien Life
We may not have found alien life yet, but we do have some pretty good guesses about where E.T. may be hiding out.
1. Beam Me Up, Scotty! Scientists Teleport Info 10 Miles
Sure, we can't teleport people yet, and it's probably going to be a while before you can shop online and have the item appear instantly at your desk. However, scientists have been able to teleport information. That's a start, right?
Those were the top stories of the week. Which ones were your favorite?
Tags: Animals, Archaeology, Earth, Humans, Space
comments ( )