Tree Rocks
2003-04-08
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Something strange is going on in the 23,000 acre Yellowwood State Forest in Indiana. At least 5 large rocks are sitting in the tops of tall trees, wedged in the branches. The first one was discovered a few years ago, 30 feet off the ground in an 80-foot-tall chestnut oak tree and has been named Gobbler’s Rock, because it was found by a turkey hunter. The triangular rock is about 4 feet wide and a foot thick and weighs around 400 pounds. How did it get up there?
About five miles away from Gobbler’s Rock, more sandstone boulders are wedged in the upper branches of two tall sycamores that stand 100 yards apart. One boulder is nearly 45 feet off the ground, and the rocks weigh about 200 pounds each.
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Sperm are Fussy About Smell
2003-04-08
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Sperm may smell their way to the egg, and they like some smells better than others. One of their favorites is lily of the valley. Researchers have identified an odor receptor in sperm?the same kind found in the nerve cells of the nose. When they find a smell they like, they swim strongly towards it, so the sperm that’s the best smeller will be the one to fertilize the egg. For artificial insemination, doctors could use scent to separate out the stronger sperm and thus have a better chance of conception. Dr. Allan Pacey says, “What it illustrates is that the process of sperm transport to the egg is not just about sperm swimming around until they find an egg.?
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Cockroaches Spread SARS
2003-04-08
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Experts trying to explain how SARS infected an entire apartment building in Hong Kong now think the cause was cockroaches, who carried the infection from apartment to apartment. It’s a unique situation because the disease spread so quickly?with more than 300 new cases in just a few days. Most of those who became infected did not have contact with anyone who had SARS. Hong Kong Deputy Director of Health Leung Pak-yin says, “The drainage may be the reason. It is possible that the cockroaches carried the virus into the homes.”
We used to think we were safe from SARS if we stayed off airplanes coming from China or Hong Kong. We also vowed to stay out of subways and crowded movie theaters and to avoid anyone with flu symptoms. But cockroaches? Get out the bug spray.
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