BO'S PAGE

Mm! Oog Like Seal Meat!

Neanderthals, the ancient cousins of modern humans, probably ate a meat-based diet. Scientists think they hunted mostly large land animals, like deer and bison. New research, though, has uncovered another item on the Neanderthal menu: marine life.

At caves in Gibraltar, near the southern tip of Spain, scientists found ancient bones from seals that had been cut up for food. They also found mussel shells and the remains of dolphins.

It's still unclear how the Neanderthals captured seals and dolphins. They may have relied on dead dolphins that washed ashore and baby seals, who spend more time on land than adults. Ordinarily, as paleantologist Erik Trinkaus points out, "Seals have a very good escape mechanism. It's called swimming."

Hot Air Deficit

If you're planning a moon vacation, now might not be the best time. The forecast calls for low solar winds and high cosmic background radiation.

Solar "wind" is actually a stream of charged particles that constantly blows away from the sun at one million miles per hour. This wind pushes away cosmic rays-radiation that travels toward us from the rest of space-to create a protective bubble around the whole solar system.

The sun naturally goes through periods where it is more or less active. And right now, solar wind is at its lowest level in the 50 years we've been measuring it. This means more cosmic radiation can enter our solar system than usual. We won't feel the effect on Earth, but it's more risky for astronauts who might travel to the moon or Mars.

Crows Never Forget a Face

Researchers who study crows and their relatives, such as ravens and magpies, have often wondered if these birds recognize-and hold a grudge against-humans who capture them. John Marzluff, at the University of Washington, tested this theory.

Researchers split into two groups: "dangerous" and "neutral" people. To show the crows faces they hadn't seen before, the "dangerous" group wore caveman masks, while the "neutral" group wore masks that looked like Vice President Dick Cheney. Then the "dangerous" group trapped and banded seven crows on the university's campus.

In the following months, people wearing both kinds of masks walked around campus, minding their own business. The results were clear: the "dangerous" caveman mask wearers were harassed and squawked at by crows. It seemed that the crows that witnessed the trapping had taught others which humans to fear.

The lesson is clear: Don't harass a crow. (Or, if you do, wear a Dick Cheney mask?)

Puffy Vest Is Stylish, Therapeutic

Need a hug? Now you can get one from your jacket.

Children with autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are sometimes helped by a therapy called deep pressure touch stimulation (DPTS). In DPTS, heavy blankets or vests are used to apply pressure to the body, like swaddling a baby. This can help a child be more attentive and feel less anxious.

Brian Mullen, a doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, has invented a "deep-pressure" vest that delivers this therapy. The device can be inserted into a regular jacket or vest, and delivers a "portable hug" to the anxious child. The vest could also be used by adults with mental illnesses.

Coming soon: pants that deliver a swift kick in the rear to the class bully.

Bo Knows (More Than You Think)

It seems cows can sense the earth's magnetic fields.

Scientists from the University of Duisburg-Essen, in Germany, searched the Google Earth database for satellite images showing herds of cattle. After looking at more than 8,000 cattle across the world, they determined that most of the cows were standing with their bodies aligned north-south. That is, they tended to stand facing north or south, and not east or west. The scientists found the same pattern among images of almost 3,000 deer in the Czech Republic.

Many species of birds and other animals use the earth's magnetic fields to navigate. Cattle and deer might also have a magnetic "sixth sense." Unlike migrating birds, however, they prefer to stay at home.

© 2009 Carus Publishing Company Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.