A strange experiment with cadavers to prove we are still cavemen (the pugilism hypothesis).

A research article recently appeared in The Journal of Experimental Biology — "In vitro strain in human metacarpal bones during striking: testing the pugilism hypothesis of hominin hand evolution."

What they were studying in plain English: University of Utah researchers made a "pendulum-like apparatus" in which they placed cadaver arms, and proceeded to make the arms punch a padded dumbbell with clenched or unclenched fist. The experiment was to test the theory that the human hand evolved its shape so that men could "fistfight over females" (the "pugilism hypothesis"). [Link: http://jeb.biologists.org/content/218/20/3215]

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Naked female scientist works with beluga whales in water colder than an ice cube

By Mona Goldwater, Science Editor

"Braving sub-zero temperatures, she has thrown caution — and her clothes — to the wind to tame two beluga whales in a unique and controversial experiment. 

"Natalia Avseenko, 36, was persuaded to strip naked as marine experts believe belugas do not like to be touched by artificial materials such as diving suits.

"The skilled Russian diver took the plunge as the water temperature hit minus 1.5 degrees Centigrade."

Read the entire article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2004042/Naked-female-scientist-tries-tame-beluga-whales-arctic.html#ixzz2Wdhd13gG 

OK, naked, that makes sense. Mostly.  But jumping into 30° water? I waded in Puget Sound yesterday. It was about 50°. My legs were numb. She is jumping in water twenty degrees colder. "The average human could die if left in sub-zero temperature sea water for just five minutes."

"However, Natalia is a yoga expert and used meditation techniques to hold her breath and stay under water for an incredible ten minutes and 40 seconds."

Yoga. You run around naked and look good doing it; you swim around in water colder than an ice cube; and, you hold your breath for ten minutes? Why aren't we all doing this?

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Alien Lore No. 170 - Steven Hawking on why we should avoid The Greys (and quit searching for our cousins)

By Jack Brummet             
All This Is That Unexplained Phenomenon Editor 

 

Thanks to Jeff Clinton for pointing out this news story on Hawking's pronouncements...

Stephen Hawking believes, and probably rightly, that we should fear aliens, who likely come to earth in search of something (Tungsten? Soybeans? Nitrogen? Beer?)  and ready to destroy us, or at the best, utterly indifferent to our fate.  I wrote in a poem a couple of years ago: 

We can't picture
Greys or martians

Coming in peace
Because we never came in peace.

That pretty much echoes Dr. Hawking's take on the matter.  He says on the Discovery Channel that he believes aliens exist, and that we should do everything we can to avoid them. I think this means we should probably quit sending radio signals out into deep space, trying to contact our cousins, and otherwise maintain a low cosmic profile. God knows what kind of global blitzkrieg these wackjobs from way out there could unleash?

Any creatures smart enough to find us "will probably be seeking resources", according to Hawking.  You can just imagine how that might work out for us.  "We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet," said the good Doctor.  Just ask the Buffalo and Native Americans.

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