Science!

"A synthetic chemical similar to the active ingredient in marijuana makes new cells grow in rat brains. What is more, in rats this cell growth appears to be linked with reducing anxiety and depression. The results suggest that marijuana, or its derivatives, could actually be good for the brain."

Asian bird flu has reached Europe.

"For the first time, scientists have identified an ant species that produces its own natural herbicide to poison unwanted plants. [...] 'Devil's gardens are large stands of trees in the Amazonian rainforest that consist almost entirely of a single species, Duroia hirsuta, and, according to local legend, are cultivated by an evil forest spirit," write Frederickson and her colleagues in Nature. "Here we show that the ant, Myrmelachista schumanni, which nests in D. hirsuta stems, creates devil's gardens by poisoning all plants except its hosts with formic acid. By killing other plants, M. schumanni provides its colonies with abundant nest sites--a long-lasting benefit, as colonies can live for 800 years.' "

"The fossil teeth and jawbones of two new species of tiny monkey-like creatures that lived 37 million years ago have been sifted from ancient sediments in the Egyptian desert."

"The springy molecule that gives fleas their amazing jumping ability has been mimicked in the laboratory. The material could one day be used in anything from bouncy balls to spinal implants, hope scientists."

The polar ice caps have reached record low amounts of ice. How low? This summer's ice is roughly half a million square miles less than the average summer amount, about twice the size of Texas. While many different processes may be at work, there can no longer be any doubt that burning fossil fuels is contributing to the loss. So what comes next? Drilling for new oil where the ice used to be, naturally.