AIR Vents (39-1b)
Exhalations from our readers
Refined Dining
In answer to Dr. Joseph Murray's skeptical remark that there are only two ways to eat corn on the cob — vertically or horizontally — ("Nobel Thoughts"), I must point out that Nobel laureates apparently don't know everything. When I was ten years old I discovered that the tastiest kernels are on the tapered end of the cob. Thus, I always begin eating corn on the cob by inserting the tapered end into my mouth, then scraping off the kernels with my teeth as I with pull the cob out of my mouth. Over the years I have refined the technique to the point that I am now able to insert almost one half of a cob into my mouth. I finish the job by then eating the other half in a similar manner.
The Porridge Bird (1)
This is in response to Phyllis Procter's article, "Why Does the Porridge Bird Lay His Eggs in the Air?" Porridge birds produce a large number of eggs so that a few eggs will survive despite the fact that most of thems will break. The porridge bird is part of a complex biocommunity. More than forty species of ground-dwelling fauna and flora depend on the broken eggs for a significant portion of their nutrients. For them, the porridge bird eggs are the proverbial "manna from heaven." Interested readers may wish to consult my monograph on the subject, recently published in the journal New Scientist.
The Porridge Bird (2)
Procter's article on the porridge bird never addressed the question of why it is the male porridge bird that lays the eggs. My doctoral thesis, which I hereby submit to you for publication, explores this point.
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