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We don’t yet know if there’s life on Mars, but now that we’ve found water, we know that there could soon be life there?HUMAN life. But we need more than water, we need food. Well, surprise! Martian dirt is similar to “potting soil” on earth?you could grow vegetables in it. In fact, BBC News reports that it would be excellent for growing asparagus.

BBC News quotes chemist Samuel Kounaves as saying, “We basically have found what appears to be the requirements, the nutrients, to support life, whether past, present or future.” He found the soil to be “very friendly? there is nothing about it that is toxic. It is the type of soil you would probably have in your back yard?you know, alkaline. You might be able to grow asparagus in it really well.”
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What do you learn by looking at the spines of hundreds of Finnish twins? You discover that back pain is not just caused by exertion?it’s caused to a large extent by genetics. And if YOU have it, at least you can tell when it’s going to rain.

Researcher Javad Parvizi says you should believe your grandmother, friend or co-worker when they tell you it’s going to rain?even if it’s simply because their aching knees, hips, hands or shoulders “say so?When pressure in the environment changes, we know that the amount of fluid in the joint or the pressure inside the joint fluctuates with it. Individuals with arthritic joints feel these changes much more because they have less cartilage to provide cushioning.”
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UPDATE! – In Anne Strieber’s new diary, she talks about her impressions of the recent Dreamland Festival, including an incredible synchronicity that she added to her speech at the last minute. Even if you’ve read the diary, you should REREAD it for an extraordinary update from one of the Festival attendees.

NOTE: This news story, previously published on our old site, will have any links removed.read more

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Who will be hurt the most? – In light of the recent Supreme Court interpretation of the 2nd amendment to the US Constitution, which give us the “right to bear arms,” it’s interesting to take a look at crime statistics over the last few years. It turns out that gun-related homicide among young men rose sharply in the United States in recent years even though the nation’s overall homicide rate has remained flat.

According to a new study, between 1999 and 2005, homicide involving firearms increased 31% among black men ages 25 to 44 and 12% among white men of the same age. Researcher Susan Baker says, “The recent flatness of the US homicide rate obscures the large increases in firearm death among males ages 25-44, especially black males.”
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