Chancellor Merkel may look happy now, but wait until she starts speaking.
Um-Louts
Germans can be grumpy, unpleasant people—and it's not because of post-Nazi guilt or a diet filled with bratwurst, says one American researcher. It's because of their vowels. Hope College psychology professor David Myers says saying a vowel with an umlaut forces a speaker to turn down his mouth in a frown, and may induce the sadness associated with the facial expression. Myers added that the English sounds of "e" and "ah" naturally create smile-like expressions and may induce happiness. Clearly the solution for the Germans, much like the solution for every other people in the world, is to become more like Americans. The German Embassy would not comment on the findings, saying they were "too scientific."
(source: BBC)
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Loose Women are Less Up-Tight
Take deep breaths. Think of all of the tension running out of your muscles. Picture yourself on a warm, breezy beach. Have traditional penetrative sexual intercourse. Are you relaxed yet? You should be. A new study by UK researcher Stuart Brody shows that people who have intercourse are less stressed than people who have other types of sex or no sex at all. In his study, 24 women and 22 men kept diaries of their sexual activity for two weeks. ("We'll cuddle right after I jot this entry down!") Then the subjects underwent a stress test involving public speaking and doing mental arithmetic aloud. Brody said the stress-reducing benefits of intercourse were not attributable to mere post-coital bliss; the relaxation lasts at least a week. The study's applications are obvious, especially, the religious right must fear, to SAT-taking 16-year-olds.
(source: New Scientist)
Pucker Up for Safety
A "long and passionate" kiss can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, according to a recent study from Germany and Austria. Researchers believe that kissing releases bacteria, stimulating antibody production for fighting off foreign invaders. The team also surveyed the kissing subjects and found that men often regard kissing as a chore, whereas women usually enjoy kissing. The study said that women "considered it far more intimate and of a higher value than sex itself." A higher value, eh? Perhaps there's a place for men in the oldest profession after all.
(source: Daily Record)
Don't Blame the Plants
The media has been spinning lies, say researchers from the Max Planck Institute in the Netherlands and the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland. In a recent collaborative study, the two institutions showed that plants produce methane, a greenhouse gas. The media quickly spun this study into radical anti-plant propaganda, blaming global warming on our floral friends. The scientists argue that the plants were producing methane long before we started messing with the environment. Their gas contributes to the natural greenhouse effect, but not to recent temperature increases. The scientists say reforestation programs will help the climate substantially. Tree huggers, get back to tree hugging.
(source: Max Planck Society)
British Intelligent Design
Don't let their accents fool you: The British are not as scientifically-minded as they seem. According to a new opinion poll, just under half (48%) of Britons believe evolution is the best explanation for the origin and development of life, while 39% said either creationism or intelligent design best described their view on how life came to be. Also, over 40% of those questioned said they believed creationism or intelligent design should be taught in schools. While creationism is still a strong force in the US, at least scientists can be confident that the Revolutionary War wasn't a giant mistake.
(source: BBC)