KISSING SWEET -- While studying an enzyme found in seaweed as a possible barnacle-remover from ship hulls, researchers at Newcastle University have discovered that Bacillus lichenformis might be added to toothpaste and mouthwash to remove bacteria in the mouth. Unfortunate side effect, though. Test subjects ended up talking like Spongebob Squarepants.
FOLD CAREFULLY -- A world map, black ink on yellow paper, designed by renowned sixteenth-century German cartographer Martin Waldseemueller has been discovered in a Berlin library. Believed to be among the earliest maps of the United States, it’s labeled “America” because Waldseemueller thought Amerigo Vespucci had discovered it while Columbus was busy discovering a city in Ohio.
BLOCK PARTY -- Scientists at the Cern Large Hedron Collider in Geneva have concluded a 45-year search for the basic building block of life as we know it, a particle weighing 125.3 gigaelectronvolts (GeV) called a “Higgs particle,” named after its discoverer, Prof. Peter Higgs. Unfortunately, he missed seeing himself delivering the televised announcement of his historic achievement – he couldn’t find his TV remote.
PENNY PINCHING -- The U.S. may follow The Royal Canadian Mint which has discontinued producing pennies, deemed a waste of time, effort and cost. The final penny struck has been sent to a museum for display. Part of Canada’s “Honor Canadian Celebrities” series, it has a portrait of Martin Short on one side and Paul Shaeffer on the other.
TRICK OR TWEET -- Ruffling the feathers of Twitter, Inc., Judge Matthew Sciarrino of the Manhattan Criminal Court ruled that the social network must turn over all tweets sent by Malcolm Harris who is accused of disorderly conduct during the Occupy Wall Street Protest. In the judge’s defense, however, he issued the order using less than 140 characters.
WALTZING MATILDAS -- Florence Henderson and Barbara Eden
were mobbed in Australia as soon as they stepped off the plane. "The
Brady Bunch" and "I Dream of Jeannie" were still in their first
runs on Aussie TV in 1978 so they had fans literally stalking them for two weeks.
The two girls starred in a customs sketch with Hope. Checking their bags
was the indefatigable Charo who played an iron-handed Customs Officer who looks
at Hope's passport and exclaims, "Look at this! It's not every day
we see something signed by Queen Victoria!"
Copyright (c) 2012 by Robert L. Mills All Rights Reserved
