Human-like sounds made by a captive beluga whale suggest that cetaceans could learn to mimic our voices, and perhaps even converse with us. Researchers at the National Marine Mammal Foundation first noticed in the 1980s that one of their whales was attempting to copy the speech patterns of his handlers and they began recording his human-like vocalizations. Recently, they analyzed […]
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As the world’s largest land mammals, elephants should suffer one of the highest cancer rates—they simply have far more cells that could potentially mutate and become malignant. But new research reveals that elephants rarely get cancer—and the reason why may help in the search for human treatments. Only about 4.8 percent of elephants die from cancer, compared with up to […]
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If you eat more fiber you have a better chance of living a longer life. Most people that don’t have fiber in their diet are more likely to die of cardiovascular diseases or cancer at an early age. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans are good sources of fiber. When you eat these foods, you will be able to maintain […]
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A driver who parked his car taking up two parking spaces was treated to a series of very humorous passive-aggressive notes on his windshield. Irked motorists left a series of handwritten notes on the car after it was spotted sprawled across the two family parking spots at supermarket in West Bridgford, Nottingham. Kirk Ward, 28, snapped the shoddy parking and […]
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Diego has single handedly helped to save the tortoise of Galapagos Islands from extinction. During his stay since 1976 on the island he has fathered over 800 babies to help rebuild the population on Espanola Island off the coast of South America. For his age he is doing a good job of reproducing. The 12 females on the island are […]
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The smog which suffocates Beijing has gotten so bad that the Chinese media has concluded that something must be done. Poor visibility has led to canceled flights and highway closings. The level of particulates in the air topped 35 times the World Health Organization’s safety limit. China’s new leaders “appear to be sending a signal that they want to allow […]
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Eddyville, Ky A prison doctor and two other staffers at the Kentucky State Penitentiary have been fired after a mentally disturbed inmate starved himself to death. James Kenneth Embry, 57, who had three years left on a nine-year drug sentence, was found dead in his cell in Eddyville in January. Embry started behaving erratically last spring when he stopped taking […]
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Have we raised “a generation of cheaters?” asked Robert Kolker in New York magazine. That’s the question people are asking after a series of major cheating scandals involving some of the nation’s top schools and colleges. New York City’s prestigious Stuyvesant High School this month suspended 12 students, and threatened to suspend 50 more, for allegedly sharing test answers via […]
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A new study has found that when you use your GPS you may be turning off some of your brain functions. The study looked at 24 participants, scanned their brains while they took a simulated drive around London. The University College London found that activity in the hippocampus that controls your memory and navigational functions increased when the drivers had […]
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The owners of one Denver coffee shop aren’t just talking about social issues, they’re actually doing something about them. Co-founders Madison Chandler and Mark Smesrud opened the Purple Door two years ago with the goal of hiring homeless young adults, giving them one-year contracts to help them get back on their feet. Jenna Williams, a 23-year-old who had been living […]
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