Pro-Jester One
A woman attempting in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is unlikely to conceive. But when performance is dismal, doctors know how to save the show: Send in the clowns! In a recent Israeli study, women undergoing clown therapy were 75% more likely to conceive through IVF than women whose lives lacked big red noses and overcrowded cars. Of the 93 women entertained by a professional clown for 10 to 15 minutes, 33 became pregnant. The study's results appeared in the greater context of research showing that high levels of stress can prevent women from ovulating. Yes, apparently 15 minutes of personal attention from Bozo is a way of reducing stress. For all the women who might disagree with this assumption, perhaps clown time could be an effective new form of birth control. Warning: For the love of all that is good, don't actually try using a clown as a contraceptive.
(source: the Scotsman)
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Information Junkie
D.A.R.E. bigwigs, here's an idea for your next commercial: A high school freshman is cornered by an older boy who says, "I've got something you're going to love," and hands him heroin. The confident freshman stares back and says, "No, thanks. The only thing I absorb to get high is knowledge!" The kid (who probably got beaten to a pulp after the exchange) would be referring to a recent article proposing that when someone grasps a new concept, the brain gets a shot of natural opiates. A USC neuroscientist notes an increased density of opiate receptors in the part of the brain responsible for image recognition and processing. He asserts that we're addicted to the euphoria of comprehension; our thirst for knowledge is the hunger of a junkie awaiting his fix. Maybe those PSAs should use any slogan but "The More You Know."
(source: University of Southern California)
A Fece Only A Mother Could Love
Mothers think their own baby's poop smells nicer than that of other babies. Scientists recently discovered this useful piece of cocktail party information by—what else?—making mothers smell dirty diapers. Thirteen lucky ladies sniffed pairs of unlabeled, used diapers and ranked their odors. The moms consistently said their kid's underwear was less vile than the control pair. The researchers, who are looking at the evolutionary origins of disgust, say that while the emotion probably evolved to keep us away from dangerous, disease ridden objects like feces, it wouldn't do us any evolutionary good if mothers are too grossed out to care for their children.
(source: New Scientist)
We'll Request Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island Too
What is the most polite place in the world? New York f-in' City! According to a recent report by Reader's Digest, New York is the most courteous city in the world. The digest sent researchers into 35 cities around the world to see whether residents would hold doors, help pick up papers and say thank you after a customer purchased an item from a store. Each test was repeated 20 times in each city. The Big Apple got an 80% courtesy score; second place Zurich got a 77 and third place Toronto earned a 70. Least courteous was Mumbai, with an abysmal score of 32. The magazine notes that eight out of the nine Asian cities surveyed fell in the bottom 11, with fewer than 40% holding doors in any Asian city.
(source: Reader's Digest Canada Edition)