Another sex story for the week?

Syphilis - spoil of the New World?

Genetic study blames Columbus for bringing syphilis to Europe.

For more than 500 years, Christopher Columbus has been alternately blamed and exonerated for bringing syphilis to Europe. Now, a genetic analysis of the disease-causing bacteria shows that today's syphilis is a close cousin to the South American tropical disease yaws, suggesting that the malady has its roots in the Americas.

And what about this one - glaciers in a hothouse world!?

A large ice cap seems to have formed in Antarctica around 91 million years ago, during a period of extreme greenhouse warming. (This might tie in with our dino stories, since they were strolling around at this time).

Then there's...Why do chimps eat dirt?

Apes might eat soil to activate anti-malarial plants.

Chimpanzees in Uganda have been spotted eating dirt along with fistfuls of leaves. This might help to increase the plants' anti-malarial properties.

A friend of mine who worked in Tanzania mentioned the dirt stalls at the markets - I never realised that geophagy might have benefits!

Finally, some Fuzzy Sceptic...

Time is running out for paranormal prize

Challengers for the US$1-million prize offered by the James Randi Educational Foundation for proving paranormal powers have just over two years left to claim the cash. Randi has announced that the paranormal-activity challenge, in which contestants must demonstrate their powers 'under proper observing conditions', will end on 6 March 2010 — exactly 12 years after he first offered up the prize money.

Randi says that the challenge was intended to tempt high-profile paranormal-activity celebrities to come forward. In 2007, Randi changed the rules of the prize so that applicants were only eligible to enter if they had a media profile and some form of academic endorsement. But as the prize remains unclaimed, and the highest-profile celebrities have not entered, Randi would rather the million dollars were freed to be used elsewhere in his foundation, he says.

Technorati tags: Science, Education, Community, Radio, Canberra, Australia