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What do ants and Donald Rumsfeld have in common?

a) They both lean to the right (ants' left legs are markedly shorter than their right ones) b) They both hate magnifying glasses c) They both use pedometers If you said c) they both use pedometers, you're right! New Scientist magazine is reporting today that ants have an internal system that counts exactly how many steps they take, and probably "resets" when they get back to their nests. The phenomenon, in conjunction with previous studies that claimed ants use the position... READ ON

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Fishy Business

While thumbing through the new issue of Wired magazine, I was amazed to see all the gadgets that are available to help hobbyist fishermen catch dinner. While any of this equipment would have made Santiago's life a whole lot easier in The Old Man and the Sea (and also probably have pissed off Hemingway), my favorite of the devices is a $699 fish caller you use to make your bait more enticing. You simply dangle the Fish Activator electronic speaker system under your boat, and choose one of the... READ ON

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Interstate Update

Not sure how one can pinpoint the exact 50-year anniversary of our illustrious Interstate system, but today seems to be the day. The ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation is hosting a gala, black-tie event down in D.C. tonight that will honor everyone from equipment manufacturers and labor organizations to state transportation departments. Headliners will be Colin Powel and Willard Scott, two people I don't think I've ever seen in the same room together. It may be too late to buy... READ ON

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Want to smell cookies all the time? Just use your odor recorder.

Â ... READ ON

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Oh, come on

I adore SEED magazine, but this headline is just waaaay out of bounds for an article that doesn't actually show any hoo-has: PLANTS GO TOPLESS Despite the lamentable lack of nudity, the article's pretty interesting: In a case of Greek mythology gone green, scientists in California have created a double-tailed plant: a mutant with a second root where its stalk would typically reside. ... The scientists determined that a variant of the gene known as TOPLESS can cause the development of a root instead... READ ON

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World Cup Stats

Now that the US is out of the World Cup, the US viewing results are in. While I didn't find these numbers shocking, I was kind of surprised by the last two points. Keep in mind, 32 billion people the world over are expected to have watched the 64 World Cup matches on TV by the time the final is played on Sunday 9 July. According to Rasmussen Reports: Despite a high level of media coverage for the World Cup soccer tournament, three-fourths of Americans (78%) are not following the action very closely if at... READ ON

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Retro Is In Again

Today I saw a guy running past my house and I literally did a double-take. One of those cartoony ones. Why? Well, the guy wasn't just running, he was running backwards! I zipped to my computer and did some research: sure enough, backpedaling isn't just for those occasions when you've stuck your foot in your mouth. People are doing it for fun and exercise! According to Backward Running Backward, the "Chinese [have used] retro movements (backward running and backward walking) for thousands of years. In... READ ON

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Stranger and stranger

Last week I was all about David Sedaris; this week it's his sister Amy, whose home decor ("a collection of plaster meats, a few stuffed squirrels, books on skin disorders") was recently featured in the New York Times and whose masterwork of aÂ movie, "Strangers with Candy," comes out today in New York and July 7 everywhere else. Amy's character inÂ "SwC" was based on Florrie Fisher, a bizarre B-list star of the 60s and 70s who, according to Wikipedia, Â traveled to high schools in the United... READ ON