Short Takes.* MOON DOGS Turns out, canines do more than just howl during a full moon--they bite! A new British medical study claims the chance of being chomped by a dog is twice as high during a full moon. To make the connection, scientists analyzed medical records of 1,621 dog-bite victims admitted to a local ER over a three-year span. How the lunar cycle Same as See also: Lunar influences dog behavior remains a mystery. * OLDEST OBJECT Scientists have found what they think is Earth's oldest known solid (matter with shape and volume): a 4.3-billion-year-old crystal sliver made of the mineral zirconium silicate Noun 1. zirconium silicate - a common mineral occurring in small crystals; chief source of zirconium; used as a refractory when opaque and as a gem when transparent zircon , or zircon zircon Silicate mineral, zirconium silicate, ZrSiO4, the principal source of zirconium. Zircon is widespread as an accessory mineral in acid igneous rocks; it also occurs in metamorphic rocks and, fairly often, in detrital deposits. . Unearthed Unearthed is the name of a Triple J project to find and "dig up" (hence the name) hidden talent in regional Australia. Unearthed has had three incarnations - they first visited each region of Australia where Triple J had a transmitter - 41 regions in all. in northwestern Australia, the ancient crystal has led some geologists (earth scientists) to suspect Earth is older than the currently assumed age of 4.6 billion years. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion