Dream on, workers
"Vacations are a chance to take a break from work, see the world and enjoy time with family. But do they make you happier?" Tara Parker-Pope writes for The New York Times. "Researchers from the Netherlands set out to measure the effect that vacations have on overall happiness and how long it lasts. … The study, published in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life, showed that the largest boost in happiness comes from the simple act of planning a vacation. In the study, the effect of vacation anticipation boosted happiness for eight weeks."
Get the young 'uns
"Forget cricket bats, golf clubs and carbon dioxide," Associated Press reports. "Australia has found a new weapon in its war on the dreaded cane toad: cat food. Researchers with the University of Sydney found that a few tablespoons of cat food left next to ponds in the Northern Territory attracts fierce Australian meat ants, which then attack baby cane toads as they emerge from the water. … Between July and September, 2008, researchers studied tens of thousands of cane toads emerging from cat-food lined ponds and found that 98 per cent of them were attacked by meat ants within two minutes. Of the toads that escaped, 80 per cent died within a day from ant-inflicted injuries."
Born with fear
"Scientists figure humans may be born with a fear of spiders and snakes, healthy phobias that up the odds of survival in the wild. It's not known how such an inborn fear might develop, however," LiveScience.com reports. "Now, researchers have proven that unborn crickets can gain a fear of spiders based on their mother's harrowing experiences. Scientists put pregnant crickets into terrariums containing a wolf spider. The spider's fangs were covered with wax so the spiders could stalk but not kill the pregnant crickets. After the crickets laid their eggs, the researchers compared the behaviour of the offspring with offspring whose mothers hadn't been exposed to spiders. The differences were dramatic, the scientists said. The newborn crickets whose mothers had been exposed to a spider were 113 per cent more likely to seek shelter and stay there. They were also more likely to freeze when they encountered spider silk or feces - a behaviour that could prevent them from being detected by a nearby spider."
The Utah perspective
"At Utah's West Jordan High School, the halls have swirled lately with debate over the merits of 12th grade: Is it a waste of time? Are students ready for the real world at 17?" DeeDee Correll writes for the Los Angeles Times. "For student body president J.D. Williams, 18, the answer to both questions is a resounding no. 'I need this year,' he said, adding that most of his classmates felt the same way. The sudden buzz over the relative value of senior year stems from a recent proposal by state Senator Chris Buttars that Utah make a dent in its budget gap by eliminating the 12th grade. The notion quickly gained some traction among supporters who agreed with the Republican's assessment that many seniors frittered away their final year of high school, but faced vehement opposition from other quarters, including in his hometown of West Jordan."
"Carbon dioxide is 'essentially harmless' to human beings and good for plants. So now will you stop worrying about global warming? Utah's House of Representatives apparently has, at least" Suzanne Goldenberg writes for The Guardian. The state, a major oil and coal producer, has "adopted a resolution condemning 'climate alarmists,' and disputing any scientific basis for global warming. … The original version of the bill dismissed climate science as a 'well organized and ongoing effort to manipulate and incorporate 'tricks' related to global temperature data in order to produce a global warming outcome.' "
Coming or going?
Swiss prostitutes in the Lugano area say electric shock devices to restart customers' hearts are needed because so many elderly customers are using their services, The Daily Telegraph reports. "The most recent victim was a pensioner, thought to be having fun with the help of anti-impotence medication. His death followed a series of other incidents, some fatal, in which heart attacks have claimed brothel customers in the area. The owner of one sex club said: 'Having customers die on us isn't exactly good publicity.' … Local health experts are said to have backed the plans to stock defibrillators in sex clubs and brothels."
Eye phones
"The advent of wireless headsets has led to the sometimes confusing sight of people who look like they're talking to themselves, until you realize they're on a phone call," Peter Svensson writes for Associated Press. "If a technology demonstration by NTT DoCoMo goes anywhere, we may have to get ready for another odd sight: people who quickly flick their gaze sideways and roll their eyes for no apparent reason. They'll be controlling their phones or their music players. NTT DoCoMo has created headphones that sense eye movements. For instance, you can look from right to left to pause your music. Look right, then right again, to skip to the next track, Roll them clockwise to raise the volume. … The headphones look much like regular ear buds, connected by a cable to a phone."
Thought du jour
"If you don't get what you want, it's a sign either that you did not seriously want it, or that you tried to bargain over the price."
- Rudyard Kipling