How would you like a robot to officiate at your wedding? Can you predict a child’s intelligence by (gasp) how much they lie?? How about replacing human tendons and ligaments from spider webs that are produced in goats (it’s true). And what could have been the heartbreak story of the year for puzzle fanatics has a very nice ending. All of these stories - and more - as we get our nerd on this week! Read on…
Okay, this one is very odd, but try to follow me here. Doctors and scientists have known for years of the healing properties in spider webs. Their silk can be used for dressing wounds, and perhaps even helping as binding agents (like creating new tendons and ligaments). The problem has been how to get enough of the stuff.
Now, in a quirky twist, goats in Wyoming are being genetically altered to produce milk that contains spider silk proteins. The milk is taken to a lab where the proteins are extracted and used in treating patients.
Molecular biologist Randy Lewis says that farming spiders is impractical (plus, he adds, they eat each other). So he and his associates came up with this idea. And, he’s quick to point out, no goats are harmed in the procedure. You really should check this story out, and this will get you there.
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Feeling the need to be creative? Have a big report due next week, and can’t seem to find the right words? Hoping to paint that masterpiece? Wanna write the great American novel? Then surround yourself with the color blue.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have concluded that the color blue is the best at boosting our ability to think creatively. When brainstorming, a blue environment somehow produced twice as many creative solutions as a red condition.
It’s not all bad news for red fans, however. That color boosts performance on detail-oriented tasks, including memory retrieval and proof-reading.
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I’m not sure how to present this, so I’ll simply report the findings from a Canadian university study: Toddlers who lie are more likely to do well later in life. According to the report, the complex brain processes necessary for perpetrating a fib are an indicator of a child’s intelligence.
One 20 percent of two-year-olds in the study were able to tell a lie. But by the time they’re four, about 90 percent were capable of telling a whopper. The rate actually goes up even more, peaking at age 12.
In case you’re troubled by this, the institute’s director, Dr. Kang Lee, offered these words of consolation: “Parents should not be alarmed if their child tells a fib. It is a sign that they have reached a new developmental milestone. Those who have better cognitive development lie because they can cover up their tracks.”
Hmm.
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I’ve personally been the officiant at two weddings, and a third couple recently gave me the honor of asking me to marry them, as well. But once they hear this story, they might decide to go a different direction.
The good people of Japan seem to be rather obsessed with their robots, and now, for the first time, a robot has officiated at a wedding. The four-foot tall machinie, named “I-Fairy,” is owned by the same corporation that brought us Hello Kitty.
I-Fairy, complete with flashing eyes, a wreath of flowers on its head, and plastic pigtails, is just another step in inserting robots into everyday life. The Japanese government actively supports the industry, believing that its the wave of the future.
Yes, the robot handled the ceremony in its own electronic way. It even instructed the happy groom to lift the veil and kiss his bride. How romantic…(?)
No, I’m not making this up. Here’s the story behind the story.
Maybe I don’t have to worry. My friends are getting married on the beach, and I’m not sure I-Fairy could handle the sand or the salt.
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Wanna give your workout a pick-me-up without the sore muscles afterwards? Try a dose of caffeine first.
The University of Illinois has found that people who take a dose of caffeine prior to their workout suffer from fewer muscle aches. The benefits could encourage people to continue their workout regimen.
“If you go to the gym and you exercise, and it hurts, you may be prone to stop,” said the doctor who led the study, Robert Motl. “So if we could give people a little caffeine and reduce the amount of pain they’re experiencing, maybe that would help them stick with that exercise.”
No, the study was not funded by Starbucks.
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And, my favorite story of the week: Jack Harris is 86-years-old, lives in England, and loves jigsaw puzzles (like me). He decided to do a big puzzle (like me), so his daughter-in-law bought him a 5,000 piece puzzle in 2002. Yes, it has taken him 7 1/2 years to get it done…only to find ONE PIECE MISSING!
NOOOOOOO!!!!
Mr. Harris was convinced that the piece was either accidentally thrown out, or perhaps even eaten by his dog. And, to make matters worse, Jumbo Games, the puzzle’s manufacturer, doesn’t make that particular version anymore. So that meant there were no replacement parts. If you look closely at the picture on the left, you can see the open spot in the dark area at the top of the puzzle (from Mr Harris’s vantage point).
Holy heartbreak, Batman!
But wait, the story ends well. Jumbo Games read about Mr. Harris’s dilemma, and they actually dug up the original puzzle design and had their designers individually make a copy of the missing piece. They had it delivered to the retired businessman, along with a collection of more jigsaw puzzles. That, my friends, is the ultimate in customer service.
Here’s Mr. Harris proudly displaying the replacement part!
If you hadn’t heard, I’m working on the world’s largest production jigsaw puzzle. Friends come over and we gradually put this monster puzzle together in sections. When completed, it will be 15 feet long and 5 feet tall. How many pieces, you ask? Only 24,000.
Two of the 6000 piece sections are complete, and section number three should be completed within the next few weeks. I’ll post some pictures soon.
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And that’s it for this week’s News For Nerds. Until next week, keep gettin’ your nerd on!