Monday, March 16, 2026

Torsional flexibility of the thoracic spine is superior to that of the lumbar spine in cats: Implications for the falling cat problem - Higurashi - The Anatomical Record - Wiley Online Library

This may seem a little silly and perhaps trivial. But, a group of scientists decided to figure out WHY cats always land on their feet when they fall or jump. 

The rigor they put into their experiment is enviable. It's quite well thought out. 

In the end, what the discovered was that cats have two spinal regions which can twist independently, so a cat can start turning part of its body and then can turn the rest. 

Studying the world around us is the essence of science. 
 

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Messi can suck it.

I was a fan of his. I mean he's the GOAT of soccer. 

But not only did he go to the White House (that's forgivable IMHO because his team won), he also played it up for the orange menace. That's a bridge too far. 

Monday, March 9, 2026

New iron nanomaterial wipes out cancer cells without harming healthy tissue | ScienceDaily

This is a leap forward in dealing with cancer cells; they attack cells with an iron based particle that gets into the cells and destroys them from inside. 

So far, tests have proven to have a positive outcome. What happens next is more trials that hopefully will lead to human testing at some point. 
 

DNA Test Proves "Chimera" Incidence in Washington Woman - Global Genes

Genetics can be a little crazy…

Saturday, March 7, 2026

Out of control wealth inequity

Here's a little something for you.  

The "top 1%" refers to the top 1% of households or individuals in a country with the highest income or net worth, representing an elite group with significant financial resources

At the end of 2024, to be considered in the top 1% on net worth in the US one had to have around $10 million, which is a shit ton of money…

But at the end of 2025, that number leapt to $11.5 million.  As you might expect, this is the largest one-year leap in that number.  

And why did it grow like that? Because the top .1% - the roughly 900 people (a wildly insignificant percentage of the population who are billionaires) control $7 trillion of the wealth.

And their wealth grew by such a large margin, that they moved the value of the larger group by 15%. For reference there are about 1,500,000 people in that group. 

That is simply nuts.


Thursday, March 5, 2026

This plastic is made from milk and it vanishes in 13 weeks | ScienceDaily

Scientists racing to tackle plastic pollution have created a surprising new contender: a biodegradable packaging film made partly from milk protein. Researchers at Flinders University blended calcium caseinate with starch and natural nanoclay to form a thin, durable material designed to mimic everyday plastic. In soil tests, the film fully broke down in about 13 weeks, pointing to a realistic alternative for single-use food packaging.

Leopards adapted to South Africa's Cape so successfully that they're genetically unique

Well. What do you know?  These leopards evolved and adapted, based on their environment.  

Shocking. Said no one with half a brain ever.