Salutor

Smarter isn't better

The NYT reports: Research suggests being smart can be unhealthy for an animal in an article titled Smarter Isn’t Better.

It turns out that from an evolutionary standpoint being smarter can work against you. In the case of fruit flies it actually leads to a shorter rather than a longer life.

I suppose this explains why it's natural to want to hit people from Mensa over the head with a baseball bat.

Doin' It To Death: Survey Finds Elderly Remain Sexually Active

Here's an interesting study:

Old folks still doing it - study
Independent Online - 7 hours ago
Washington - Ageing people in the United States are still having active sex lives, unrestrained by age-related sexual problems affecting around half of them, according to a major nationwide report published Thursday.
With Age, Sexuality Becomes Ember of Its Former Flame MedPage Today
Sex, sexuality and the over-60s Times Online
Medical News Today - USA Today - Forbes - New York Times
all 133 news articles »

[What they don't mention, of course, is what percentage of the researchers got slapped in the face with purses while in the field.]

"Bodies Exhibition" Showing in Durham

 

[Reposting from ChapelHillNeighbor.org]
From an item in the Durham Herald-Sun:

Southpoint hosts 'Bodies' exhibit "Bodies ... The Exhibition" will open Thursday [3-29-2007] at the Streets at Southpoint. Already seen by more than three million visitors, the exhibition features real, whole and partial body specimens that have been dissected and preserved, giving individuals the opportunity to view the complexity of their own organs and systems like never before. This ground breaking exhibition provides an up-close look inside the skeletal, muscular, reproductive, respiratory, circulatory and other systems of the human body.
. . . .
Tickets can be obtained by logging on to www.BodiesTickets.com or by calling 866-866-8265. Organizers urge the purchase of advance tickets to ensure admittance when the exhibition opens. Ticket prices are $24.50 for adults, $22.50 for seniors 62 and over and $18.00 for children (4-12). An accompanying audio tour is available for $6.00. Discounted prices are available to groups. Exhibition hours are Mondays through Thursdays 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

I had the good fortune to see this exhibit in Atlanta last year and I highly recommend it for both its aesthetic and educational value. You should understand beforehand, however, that the exhibit consists of what is essentially art made using real human cadavers. As a concept, that is not for everyone. And even as a fan of the work, I have to say it's not a trend I especially hope catches on. If you were paying close attention, you might recognize this exhibition as the backdrop for a scene in the most recent James Bond film.

To read more about the process used to create the work, see: Plastination [Wikipedia]
Also of interest: a recent Washington Post article on the exhibit.

[ I myself am the proud owner of two plastinates -- a baby chicken and a cross-section of a trout. Interested parties can consider holiday shopping via Plastinate.com.]

I also emit 'blinding flashes of light' when I attack

For Cryptonaut:

Giant squid lights up for attack Enormous deep-sea squid emit blinding flashes of light as they attack their prey, research shows. Giant squid grabs museum visitors Live giant squid caught on camera