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Fossilised Eggshells Are Ideal for Extracting DNA

Jurassic Park is getting closer to reality. Australian scientists have managed to get DNA from fossilised eggshells of extinct birds. The Team warns though that bringing ancient creatures back to life is a long way off. Particles of fossilised eggshells from Australia, New Zealand and Madagascar were used in the research.

A target species was the Moa bird which lived in New Zealand into the 18th century. Another was the Elephant Bird extinct in Madascar during the 17th century. Older bird were also worked on: the New Zealand Duck, Australian Owl and an Emu which was 19,000 years old. In work on older fossils, results did not come up with usable DNA.

Techniques used were the usual reduction of sample and polymeras amplification. These were very short pieces of DNA obtained from minute samples. Eggshells were found to be even better than bones and hair for storing DNA.

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Starch Ears

"What do you mean, too much starch?"

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Just Hanging Around

"Look, no hands."

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If You Sit Down You Die

Humans are built to stand up all the time. How ridiculous this sounds, but this is what scientists say. You will die younger, get diabetes, and fall victim to cancer if you sit down too much. Doing exercise wont stop it apparently. Even sitting down at any time is damaging. This is "silly science" because though people sit down longer than ever before they also live longer. Statistics prove this.

Scientists say the body only functions "normally" if we are standing. They cease if we sit down. If these body operations work when we are standing what proof is there that they are really necessary? There is no proof. This is just a whim and let's hope it soon passes before people bring cases to court against employers.

There is no more ardent a person against smoking than an ex-smoker. Guess What! The main researcher on all this stuff, Professor Levine, has taken to standing all the time. This bloke is a bit of a nutcase, an obsessive compulsive if there is one - he walks around the room like in the old movies with an almighty long telephone cord. He also invented machines where you can keep walking or cycle while still using a computer. Health and safety has deemed these device too dangerous to use.

Levine wants to change the world like all obsessives. "What you need to do is to create an overall environment of health." Yeah, like those people selling ordinary tea that supposedly makes you lose weight. Beware, the Professor has four large US companies on board to find out how much can be saved in dollars by walking around all the time. You could be next on the test list.

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Dogs Take Life Easy

"I reckon we should take life real easy."

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Basket of Cats

"It was made for the both of us."

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Rocking Cat

"Rockabilly, rockabilly. Rock, rock,rock!"

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Hello Tiger

"Hi Bill!. How are you doing mate?"

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Tasmania Has Outdated Laws on Freedom of Speech

Tasmania has draconian old fashioned laws against freedom of speech. If a person wants to comment on the Internet about the upcoming state election he/she must leave address and name on the website. Digital Tasmania, Electronic Frontiers Australia, Civil Liberties Australia and the Australian Privacy Foundation have condemned the law. What is Facebook to do when it has a policy of keeping the identity of those who comment, private.

Many people like to talk about political issues without letting others know how they vote. This is to avoid harassment or potential damage to their careers because of public perception.

It seems most Tasmanians do not know of the law and are ignoring it anyway. Some political candidates are also making comments without giving their names. Tasmania's Electoral Commission says that people must abide by the law. Those making comments must leave their names in the "about me" spots on Facebook for example.

If anyone is brought to court over this matter the political party that wins the election will be thrown out at the next election for sure.

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Pup in Safe Paws

"I'll keep you safe, son."

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New Weapon to Fight Cane Toads

At last - a solution to Australia's can toad problem. Decades ago the pest was introduced from Hawaii to combat bugs that were attacking sugar cane, but instead of eating the target beetles the cane toads went about settling down here and have been destroying the native habitat ever since. Cane toads have recently reached Perth in Western Australia. Now they are established in every Australian state.

Everything has been tried to kill them from hitting them with sticks, gassing them with carbon dioxide, to freezing them. None of this has had any effect on their numbers. A way has now been found, however, of killing off the pests. Placing a few teaspoons of cat food next to ponds in the Northern Territory attracts meat eating ants. When the baby can toads appear from the pond they are eaten by the ants.

Most native creatures are affected by the poisonous toxin put out by can toads. Fortunately, the ants are fully resistant. All the toad eggs hatch at the same time, so if you activate the ants you win the battle. The ants kill 98 percent of baby toads in the first two minutes. Eighty percent of survivors die of inuries during the next day.

Already do-gooders are complaining, saying ants killing toads is inumane. One species killing another is as natural as it can get. What else can be done? Are we expected to give them a packed lunch and send them on they way?

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To Be Or Not To Be a Guinea Pig

"Are you sure you're not a guinea pig?"

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Great View Dog

"Wow! What a great view."

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Cane Toad Survives a Plane Flight Across the Country

Australian cane toads really get around, in most unlikely ways. A cane toad got into a golf shoe then survived a plane trip from Brisbane to Perth. It stayed in the shoe six days before being discovered by the shoe's owner.

Apparently, this is not unusual. The pests are very tough and resilient.

In the above case, quarantine authorities would not comment, though a spokesperson did try to make out that it was a tree frog. The owner of the shoe lived in Brisbane for many years and said it was definitely a cane toad.

It seems cane toads won't have to walk across the top of Australia (as they steadily are). Crossing the country is far easier by plane.

Cane toads are intelligent as well. It is known that if water is scarce they will follow a cow drawing moisture from cow pats until the cow eventually reaches a river or dam.

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Hot Dog, Dog

"Come onnnnnn... Give me one! Give me one!"

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