Category: Odds and Ends

If you hung out in Western Europe during the Iron Age, you didn’t want to get on the wrong side of the Gauls. Ancient texts often talk about the bad behavior of this blonde-headed band of Celtic peoples, most notably claiming that they used to decapitate their slain rivals, embalm their heads, then stick them on spikes – the ultimate “don’t mess with us” message for any would-be foe. However, many of these accounts were written by their enemies, and some historians argue that they were made up to make the Gauls look bad.…

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If you were cruel enough to slice off the leg of a newt, it would “miraculously” grow back to its original form, more or less. In fact, a select few tailed amphibians can even regenerate whole limbs, tails, jaws, eyes, and some internal structures. Imagine the biomedical breakthrough if humans managed to harness the power of this nifty little trick. While that dream is still some way off, a new study has shown how we can kickstart the limb regeneration of African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) by plonking them in a bioreactor, a…

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Green tea is enjoyed by millions of people around the world, mostly for its taste but often for its alleged health benefits. So far, there have been some studies confirming its benefits, but human clinical evidence is limited. Nonetheless, a whole industry has flourished around it, even turning the drink into high-dose supplements. Unfortunately, while harmless to most, green tea supplements can damage the liver and kidneys of some people. A story of a man needing a liver transplant after taking such supplements was recently reported by BBC News. More than 80 cases of people suffering…

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Good news about wildlife ain’t easy to come by nowadays, not least when it comes to the polar bear. Despite all of their ferocity, they have become the pitiful face of melting sea ice, environmental doom, and dwindling wildlife. So, it’s with great pleasure we bring you some promising news about these fluffy Arctic juggernauts. Scientists have carried out their first full assessment of polar bears living in the Chukchi Sea region between Russia and Alaska. Much to their surprise, they’re doing great. As reported in the journal Scientific Reports, the research suggests…

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In August, Indonesia top Muslim clerical body, the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), issued a religious decree declaring that the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine is ‘haram’ – forbidden under Islamic law – because several of its components are derived from pigs.    Now, public health officials are beginning to observe the dangerous consequences of this declaration. According to a report in Science magazine, millions of parents have already opted out of MR vaccines for their children. However, the full picture is a bit convoluted. Compared to other nations, Indonesia has had continually high rates of…

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