Science is Cool WEIRD: Zombie Caterpillers!

This is freaky. A virus that compels a caterpillar to essentially commit suicide. It's like that incredibly bad movie, The Happening, if Marky Mark were a caterpiller. But the way the dead caterpillar then infects his family and friends? Well, that's just brutal. Mother Nature is a mean ol' biddy.

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"I'ma kill you. . .right after I kill myself."
Image from source, Live Science

Zombie Caterpillars Rain Death From Treetops

A single gene in a caterpillar virus sends its victims running for the treetops, where they die and their bodies liquefy, sending an ooze of virus particles on their brothers and sisters below. . .

Read more at: Live Science


Thanks to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link.

Religious People Are Happier. . .But Not Because of God

Thanks to my friend Stupid Monkey Planet for continuing to help me get over my vacation brains by sending on this link. As I've reported many times before, I'm so non-religious that the thought of "God" as an real entity almost never even crosses my mind. I put it in the category of Superman, Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy on the scale of plausibility. Nevertheless, I do sometimes envy the fellowship and activity--in short, something to do when you can't figure out what to do--that actively religious people have.

While some believers will try to shoe-horn atheists, agnostics and other non-believers into the religion category, it just isn't true. For instance, most non-believers don't belong to a group of like-minded non-believers, with a house of non-worship, anti-hymns and un-church camp. So, while I know what it's like to belong to a church, which had these sorts of activities (I've even participated), there is nothing like that for an atheistic agnostic like me.  I wouldn't say that makes me unhappy. But I can see how those sorts of things can help others find happiness.

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Why Religion Makes People Happier (Hint: Not God)

Religious people are more satisfied with their lives than nonbelievers, but a new study finds it's not a relationship with God that makes the devout happy. Instead, the satisfaction boost may come from closer ties to earthly neighbors. . .

Read more at: Live Science

High Gas Prices Lead to Fewer Traffic Deaths?

Photo from Huffington Post

This seems like a rather obvious equation. But it isn't one that occurred to me before reading the article. Less cars on the road, less frequently, maybe not going as fast or having to jockey for position as much. . .sure, makes sense to me.

Here in Las Vegas, I'm already seeing a bit of a difference in traffic. I'm also seeing a lot more people on foot--in 112 degree heat--walking to work. They don't look happy about it, though.

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Traffic Deaths Drop with Rising Gas Prices

Rising prices at the gas pump appear to be having at least one positive effect: Traffic deaths around the country are plummeting, just as they did during the Arab oil embargo three decades ago.

Researchers with the National Safety Council report a 9 percent drop in motor vehicle deaths overall through May compared with the first five months of 2007, including a drop of 18 percent in March and 14 percent in April. . .

Read more at: Live Science

Thanks to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link.

Science is Cool: Optical Illusions Explained

Image from source, Live Science

Thanks to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link to this fascinating story. Now, if we could only see a little longer into the future, we really might have something. . .

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Key to All Optical Illusions Discovered

Humans can see into the future, says a cognitive scientist. It's nothing like the alleged predictive powers of Nostradamus, but we do get a glimpse of events one-tenth of a second before they occur.

And the mechanism behind that can also explain why we are tricked by optical illusions. . .

Read more at: Live Science

Science is Cool: Ocean on Saturn's Moon, Titan?

Image from source, Live Science

I love cool science stories. Mostly, because with our dumbed-down society and our ridiculous political side shows, it's nice to know that there are humans using their brains on this world. New discoveries about our solar system have always interested me, though I was bummed when Pluto got downgraded.

This story (brought to my attention by Stupid Monkey Planet) tells us about all sorts of new discoveries about Saturn's moon, Titan, including the fact that it might have an ocean hospitable to life.

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Evidence for Ocean Found at Saturn's Moon Titan

An ocean seasoned with the chemical ingredients of life may lie hidden beneath the icy surface of Saturn's moon Titan.

The evidence? The entire surface of Titan appears to be sliding around, scientists say, like cheese over tomato sauce on a slice of pizza. . .

Read more at: Live Science

Smart Egyptian Monkey Prosthetics

Posted by Stupid Monkey Planet

I just thought this was cool. Some of the times we monkeys can be smart. Just not enough of the times.

The prosthetic toe in the Cairo Museum. Credit: Jacky Finch

Egyptian Monkey Cleverness...