Scientific Gossip (38-3b)
Contains 100% gossip from concentrate
Double, Double, TOIL and Trouble
The “Teach Or I'll Leave” (TOIL) movement is gaining momentum. The movement was inspired by David Karpook, who as a Harvard undergraduate in the 1970’s walked out of his Physics 12 class whenever the lecturer stopped making sense. In recent years the idea has spread to campuses across North America and thence to Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In recent months students at several Japanese technical universities have taken up the practice. A new book will tell all, or so they say.
Fat Chance for Consumers
Food manufacturers are betting that a recent biochemical discovery can be used to control people’s consumption of fatty foods. Sarah Leibowiz of Rockefeller University found that rats whose brains have high concentrations of the protein galanin ate more lard — and gained more weight — than did rats with low concentrations of galanin. Several companies are racing to develop drugs to influence galanin levels. Used as food additives, the drugs could be used to induce consumer cravings for fatty food in much the way that pretzels are now used to induce a desire for beer.
Dead Reckoning
Several U.S. government officials are upset at the occasional predictions by astronomers of possible impending doom for planet Earth. The comet Swift-Tuttle, for example, is expected to pass near Earth again in 2126. Brian Marsden of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory calculated that there is a small chance — less than 0.01% — that Swift-Tuttle will collide with Earth. A small group within the U.S. government contends that this kind of calculation can effect “national security” and therefore should not be made public until at least 75 years after such an event occurs. A new book will tell all, or so they say.
Arthurized Personnel Only
In 1999, only retired U.S. citizens named Arthur — and no one else — received Social Security retirement checks during the months of May, June and July. Thanks to a computer programming error, this scenario ALMOST happened. The error was recognized and corrected at the eleventh hour, according to retired Social Security Administration programmers. A new book will tell all, or so they say.
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