If Looks Could Kill - Graphic Art & Design

Article on the similarities between rats and humans. Interesting bits:

• They laugh when tickled, especially when they’re young
• Rats dream as we dream, in epic narratives of navigation and thwarted efforts at escape
• Look forward to good sex, “They wiggle and paw at their ears, hop and dart, stop and flash a come-hither look backward.”
• One study showed that rats accustomed to good times tend to be optimists, while those reared in unstable conditions become pessimists.

(Source) - NYTimes free signup required

Brings this documentary, on animal emotion, to mind.

1) Your short-term memory has a max capacity of seven.
2) Chartreuse is the most visible color.
3) Your subconscious is smarter than you are.
4) You have two nervous systems.
5) Your brain is awful at probability.
6) Your memory isn’t great either.
7) You can perceive depth with one eye.
8) Long-term memory shuts down during sleep.
9) You have an instant playback feature.

Details: (Source)

“The president supports and encourages stem cell research, including using embryonic lines, as long as it does not involve creating, harming or destroying embryos,” Fratto said. “That is an ethical line that should not be crossed.” (Source)

This statement is contradictory in itself and means that he does NOT support embryonic stem cell research, b/c if they are not to be created or destroyed, what is it that scientists are allowed to do?

For clarification:

“during an embryo’s first few days of existence it is a blastocyst - a mass of cells that has not differentiated, and could not develop into a human being unless implanted in a mother’s womb.” (Source)

This asshole is protecting CELLS?! Yet, as governor of Texas, he was able to rationalize over 150 executions on a legal technicality. He claimed that as governor, all he could do was grant them 30 days reprieve. (Source)

It gets me riled b/c this should be a non-issue, the funding for research that a majority of Americans seem to want. Meanwhile, $2.15 billion in federal grants for religious initiatives are perfectly acceptable to this little man. WTF?!

OMFG! Read this. Complete w/pictures of absurd creation-driven exhibits.

“It’s getting to be ri-GODDAMN-diculous!”

*simultaneously entertained & horrified*

How individuals interact with others can be revealing of sexual appetites and “promiscuity.” Supposedly, those who are overtly friendly or antagonistic have far more partners.

A bizarre quote from the article:

Patrick Markey says it’s particularly interesting that warm people tend to be promiscuous, because in some ways, it conflicts with the moral thinking that promiscuity is bad.

Warm, friendly ppl participating in an activity thereby makes it good?

Personally, I question who quantified and defined “promiscuity” for this study, their basis for comparison.

(Source)

The picture shown is an ancestor of jellyfish, which I’ve always thought were beautiful. I love how they’re blacklight-reactive. This isn’t even the wildest of the bunch, you gotta see the slideshow!

(Slideshow | Article) - free subscription required