Fun Science of the Day!

Charades at the Zoo: Orangutans Win!
"When orang-utans want a human to hand over a tasty treat, they use a similar strategy to that used in the game 'charades', say researchers. They repeat signals that work, and modify those that don't, revealing surprisingly sophisticated communication skills."

Or have they just trained us humans to give them the snacks they want?!

Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit...
"If undercooked, a veggie meal can wreak just as much havoc on your gastrointestinal (GI) tract as improperly prepared meat, fish, or dairy products....Many types of beans contain a class of proteins called lectins. Researchers have long known that, if not destroyed by cooking, lectins can cause a severe form of food poisoning with attendant nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea."

I always KNEW there was a reason I didn't like those things!

If all they wanted was to make people sick to their stomach... just get 'em pregnant!
"The handheld device using light-emitting diodes to emit super-bright pulses of light at rapidly changing wavelengths, causing disorientation, nausea and even vomiting in whomever it's pointed at."

Now if only there was a REVERSE switch on this bugger... I would definitely buy one!


OK, thats it in the realm of random scienc-y news for the day.
My interns last day is Thursday-- so I should regain a normal schedule then.