Archive for June 10th, 2012
Archaeologists Drill Tønsberg’s Viking Ancestry
The Norwegian city of Tønsberg, was first mentioned by a contemporary writer was in the year 1130. According to Snorri Sturluson, Tønsberg was founded before the Battle of Hafrsfjord, which, according to Snorri, took place in 871.
Flame retardants found in common grocery store foods
Pressure on chemical companies from legislators is mounting on the issue of toxic chemicals in hundreds of consumer products. Senator Frank Lautenberg has introduced the Safer Chemicals Act, a bill that would require chemical makers to prove their substances are safe before they are approved for use. Although one might expect this requirement to be the current standard, this is not the case.
Huge prehistoric oyster could contain world’s biggest pearl
A giant fossilised oyster donated to the Blue Reef Aquarium in Portsmouth is to have an MRI scan, to see if it contains an enormous pearl.
Ants in 3D: project begins to image every known species
Scientists are embarking on a mission to capture a 3D image of every ant species known to science.
The Chinese Secret to Long Life
With all the stories from China about dangerous toys, environmental abuses, crowded and dirty cities and widespread poverty, it’s hard to imagine how the Chinese can live to a ripe old age.
But they do, with spectacular success, boasting of a life expectancy surprisingly close to that in the United States. China manages this feat while paying a fraction of the healthcare cost per capita spent in the United States, too.
How do they do it? Perhaps by stretching, twisting, dancing or otherwise exercising their way to good health en masse.
