The Best of the
Northern Territory
Weekend Science from the Northern Territory News
12 February 2000
'Kid killers'
'Keep the kids out of the water - whatever time it is'. Sound advice indeed. Box jellyfish are the most venomous creature in the world and Darwin is the box jellyfish capital of the world. Did you know that box jellyfish venom is shot into the body at a rate of 40 000 G Force (a space shuttle travels at 9) and the firing of venom from a stinging cell into skin is ten times faster than the inflation of a car bag in a car crash. Ouch.
'Theory up in smoke'
British researchers now claim that increased risk of lung cancer in non-smokers from passive smoking is 15% not 24%. Bastards. Obviously they haven't been to Darwin.
'Secrets that get the tills ringing'
We all know retail stores use evil techniques to get us to buy more. How can we fight back. Advice from the Northern Territory News is to take a shopping list (better not to if you have senile dementia), limit impulse buys to three (sounds high), avoid shopping when hungry (those last two words can be left out), carry a calculator, learn the layout of your store (I think this means case the joint for later), cast your gaze above or below eye level (look for the cameras), leave the kids at home (or somewhere else), and watch the register.
And now for two great new discoveries and announcements
1. 'Sleep study sheds light'
A candidate for discovery of the new century. Researchers in California have worked out that the brain doesn’t work properly after a sleepless night. Wow.
2. 'Asteroid may hit in 2022'
Dr Benny Petser who runs an Internet letter on astronomy has been quoted in the New York Times saying that an asteroid flying through space may crash into the earth in 2022. At a chance of one in a million there's more chance than of me winning lotto. Perhaps he just wants to guarantee research funding for 20 years until he retires.
'Racist or mere myth'
Adelaide psychologists now reckon young children are not racist - they just recite stereotypes they've learnt. It isn't till they are eight or nine that they form their own views'
'Herpes couples wanted'
Eighty couples are wanted to test a theory that Valtrex, a drug used to treat initial outbreaks of genital herpes lesions may actually prevent transmission of the virus. I can just see thousands of volunteers for this one. Surely there are enough rats in the world.