Good news and bad news

The Good News

• Australian scientists report that iron-rich whale poop fertilizes plankton, helping to keep CO2 out of the atmosphere. (Uh, save the whales! And damn the Japanese.)
• Hurting? Get your hands on some cash: Psychologists report that handling money diminishes the perception of physical pain. Even just counting someone else’s bills will do the trick.
• Carnegie Mellon researchers report that messages on Twitter capture public sentiment almost as accurately as traditional polls. Tweet analysis could replace those old annoying phone polls. (Go away, you bastards.)

The Bad News

• Scientific expertise can provoke a backlash: Participants in a University of Maryland experiment were more likely to express belief in ESP if they were told that most scientists thought it was bunk. (Not really surprised. The more evidence you present against something, the more a person who believes the opposite will be adamant that their position is correct. Yeah, I’m talking to you, nutty creationists.)
• Turning your head sideways on a speeding roller coaster can cause ear injury, doctors say. Facing forward is the safest bet. (Man, how else am I supposed to gawk at pretty girls at amusement parks?)
• Australian eco-warriors: Check a field guide before killing that amphibian. Citizens are eager to wipe out invasive cane toads, but misidentify the species about one time in five. (Poor toads…)

Posted by Andrew
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