50 Things We Know Now (We Didn't Know This Time Last Year): 2008 Edition

1. Drinking just three cups of coffee a day can make women's breasts shrink. Read About It * * * * *
2. Two pounds of a dried plant that turned out to be the oldest marijuana in the world was discovered in a 2,700-year-old grave in the excavated Yanghai Tombs in the Gobi Desert. The cannabis was found near the head of a blue-eyed, 45-year-old shaman among other objects intended for use in the afterlife. Read About It * * * * *
3. Scientists discovered a more efficient way to build synthetic genomes, which could lead to one day creating artificial life. Read About It * * * * *
4. Stress causes human brain cells to either shrink or grow, leaving victims of serious stress with dramatic changes to their nervous systems. Read About It * * * * *
5. Learning math triggers a large-scale reorganization of brain processes in order to understand written symbols for various quantities. Read About It * * * * *
6. The world's oceans are growing more acidic at an increasing rate, a phenomenon that may lead to major disruptions for corals, lobster, oysters, crabs, mussels and snails, which have difficulty building their calcium crusts in such conditions. Read About It * * * * *
7. Magnetic resonance imaging scans of blood flow in the human brain indicate that bullies often derive pleasure from watching others in pain. Read About It * * * * *
8. The use of social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace on company computers leads to increased productivity. Read About It * * * * *
9. Children ages 5 to 11 who spend less time sleeping have a higher Body Mass Index and are more likely to be obese when they get older. Read About It * * * * *
10. Asthma sufferers may be able to better control their breathing and improve their exercise performance with training in tai chi. Read About It * * * * *
11. Hospital patients who receive a transfusion of stored blood aged 29 days or older face double the risk of developing one or more serious infections compared to those who get "fresher" blood. Read About It * * * * *
12. Exposure to light in grocery stores reduces the quality of cauliflower, broccoli, chard, leeks and asparagus. Read About It * * * * *
13. The virus that causes AIDS most likely emerged around 1908 near the African town then known as Léopoldville, now known as Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Read About It * * * * *
14. Searching online is better than reading books for increasing the brainpower of middle-aged and older adults. Read About It * * * * *
15. Drinking red wine, but not white wine, may reduce lung cancer risk, especially among current and ex-smokers Read About It * * * * *
16. Chemotherapy tends to be less effective for overweight patients with operable breast cancer than their normal-weight peers. Read About It * * * * *
17. Girls and boys now perform equally on standardized high school mathematics tests across North America, ending a gender gap that lasted for decades. Read About It * * * * *
18. Delaying fatherhood can substantially increase the risk of fertility problems, with the chance of impregnation decreasing once the man is older than 35. Read About It * * * * *
19. Excessive flip-flop wearing leads to a much higher risk of developing skin cancer on the feet. Only half of patients with foot melanomas survive. Read About It * * * * *
20. Taking a 10-minute online break during the course of the working day serves to reduce stress while sharpening and refocusing the mind. Read About It * * * * *
21. Data on rainfall in the Mediterranean region from 200 B.C. to 1100 A.D. suggests that the decline of the Roman and Byzantine empires may have been partly caused by climate change. Read About It * * * * *
22. An expedition 6,500-feet below the Atlantic Ocean caused one explorer to describe the region as "a new continent." Hundreds of rare and unknown species were discovered in the 1,500-mile-long Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Europe and America. Read About It * * * * *
23. Men with rounded faces, soft jaw lines, thin eyebrows, bright eyes, small nostrils, large mouths, thin lips, a warm, bright complexion and no facial hair are considered the most trustworthy, according to "modern-day facial stereotyping." Read About It * * * * *
24. A newly found species of bacteria can grow at low temperatures, spoiling raw milk even when it's refrigerated. Read About It * * * * *
25. Mexican scientists discovered a way to make diamonds from the carbon and organic compounds found in tequila. Read About It * * * * *
26. Women who answer to another woman in the workplace feel significantly more stressed than those who have a male supervisor. Read About It * * * * *
27. Chimpanzees keep a mental record of helpful acts from other members of their group, such as grooming, scratching and removing fleas, so they can return the favor. Read About It * * * * *
28. When a leaf of a plant is attacked by a virus, fungi or other pathogen, the plant's roots can secrete an acid containing protective bacteria. Read About It * * * * *
29. Dogs appear to experience jealousy and pride. Previously, only humans and chimpanzees were thought to suffer those emotions. ...................

By JEFF HOUCK The Tampa Tribune

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/dec/22/50-things-we-know-now-we-didnt-know-time-last-year/life/