Quick Picks on ScienceBlogs, January 3rd, 2007

From Doc Bushwell's Chimp Refuge, Hypermiler or Hyperdumb?.
"Some hypermilers have managed to get very impressive figures out of their vehicles, in excess of 100 miles per gallon, but the way some of them go about it is downright crazy. Techniques used include over-inflating tires, tailgating trucks on highways to within one car length, turning off the engine while coming down hills. I was surprised that no one had mounted a mast on their trunk with a large sail, or a grappling hook to lasso the car ahead of them."

From Aardvarchaeology, Chasing Ancient Kings.
"The potsherds and burnt daub left behind by poor prehistoric people are boring."

From Respectful Insolence, Obviously, a Male Conspiracy is at Work.
"Let's start with a BBC news story: Women who exercise by doing the housework can reduce their risk of breast cancer, a study suggests. The research on more than 200,000 women from nine European countries found doing household chores was far more cancer protective than playing sport. You can guess what sorts of reactions to this study are popping up. Unfortunately, few seem to have actually read the study itself."

From Molecule of the Day, Mercifully Short Anesthesia.
"For years, my dentist (and probably yours) used lidocaine, which works fine but has an elimination half-life of about 90 minutes. My mouth was numb for a good part of a day."

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