omnibrain | December 7, 2006It's nothing new for those of you outside the U.S. to see a little more scary warnings for cigarettes (Smoking may cause death, etc.) than what they show us here in the states (Please miss...don't smoke if you're pregnant - it might be slighly damaging to your unborn fetus - have a nice day and enjoy your cigs!). It seems that in Belgium they are taking the scare factors one step further, to something that might actually scare someone.
The first photos are just being put on packets. They include images of what damage smoking can do to your gums and teeth as well as pictures of cancer…
omnibrain | December 6, 2006
Well It seems that I'm on a bird kick this morning.
Birds living in cities are performing a type of "avian rap" while their rural counterparts are sticking to more traditional sounds, a study shows.
Dutch researchers found that urban species of birds sing short, fast songs rather than the slower melodies of countryside birds.
City birds also sing at a higher pitch and will try out different song types.
Experts said city birds have adapted to counter background noise and increase their chances of finding a mate.
They speculate that "birds had developed shorter, more varied, higher pitched…
omnibrain | December 6, 2006
This really doesn't have anything to do with brains or science but you can't help but revel in the incompetence of the government sometimes. I really wonder how much money got spent on this "project."
I'm also glad they are protecting stuffed animals from the 1800's. hah..
From the original article:
Tutone was dismayed when U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officers threatened to seize the bird, and reported she could face a fine or even jail time.
The news was especially shocking because though she purchased the bird at an estate sale some 20 years earlier, the Victorian "objet d'art" had been…
omnibrain | December 5, 2006I'm excited to re-start my blog over here at ScienceBlogs and join all the other awesome science bloggers.
Please pardon the mess as Sandra and I get settled in. We should have some new artwork to replace the banner in the next couple months as my wonderful graphic artist cousin, Erin, designs a new banner and some other stuff.
If you haven't seen the blog before you'll notice that it's a mix of silly and outrageous snippets from around the internet about the brain (well...really whatever we think is funny - but it usually has to do with the brain in some way). If you think we would like…
omnibrain | December 5, 2006
One of the most important articles ever written appears in the The 1985 Old Farmer's Almanac entitled "Three Ways to Hypnotize a Chicken." Thanks for the links Eamon!
Dr. White shows her audiences two methods of hypnotizing chickens. The Oscillating Finger Method is probably the easier of the two. Place the bird on its side with a wing under its body and hold it down gently. Make sure its head is flat on the table. To hypnotize the bird, use one finger of the free hand, moving the finger back and forth in front of the bird's beak from its tip (without touching it) to a point that is about…
omnibrain | December 5, 2006
Well it seems that Neanderthals may have had a taste for.. well... other Neanderthals.
Neanderthals suffered periods of starvation and may have supplemented their diet through cannibalism, according to a study of remains from northwest Spain.
Paleobiologists studied samples from eight 43,000-year-old Neanderthal skeletons excavated from an underground cave in El Sidrón, Spain since 2000. The study sheds light on how Neanderthals lived before the arrival of modern humans in Europe.
Researchers found cut marks and evidence that bones had been torn apart, which they say could indicate…
omnibrain | December 4, 2006As an undergrad I was working in a behavioral neuroscience lab with mice (pretty much injecting them with nicotine and shocking them). One day I was putting some fancy mouse in a chamber (ya know one of those that shocks it, feeds it, etc.), I turned my head for some reason and when I turned my head back the mouse had crawled up my lab coat sleeve. It then proceeded to quickly climb further up the sleeve and around to my back - as I'm sure you can imagine I was jumping around like a monkey trying to figure out how to get the mouse out without hurting it or losing it.
Long story short (ok..…
omnibrain | December 3, 2006
And it seems that every 7th woman has a mans brain. It's amazing what valuable information can come from a Russian bride importing website.
Scientists discovered that every fifth male has "female brains." The owner of such brains does not necessarily look like a gay man. Vice versa, he can be a rather brutal-looking macho. A man with women's brains will differ from other men for his passion for women's occupations.
A man can always use the "women's logic" argument in a dispute with a woman. The argument finishes the dispute immediately, and the female opponent will not be able to win it, no…
omnibrain | December 1, 2006
Ahh Halloween - when neuroscientists find all sorts of fake brains for sale and recipes to create them.
This recipe was inspired by the one Alton Brown did a few years back. I liked the idea but wasn't thrilled with the recipe, so I came up with my own. By the way, I would suggest getting this mold - it looks a lot more lifelike.
Panna Cotta (brain style) with Pomegranite Sauce
Get the recipe below the fold!
1 cup milk
5 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
4 cups heavy cream
1 cup + 1 Tb sugar, divided
pinch salt
2 Tablespoons vanilla
8 oz. pomegranite juice
1/4 cup cornstarch
Place milk in a…