Calling all Twilight and True Blood fans. It seems that bloodsuckers may truly be onto something. Consuming young blood may well be the gateway to immortality—or at least to staving off the aging process.
Research from Stanford University has determined that injecting older mice with the blood of "young ones" countered some effects of aging, according to an article in the Guardian.
Mice that had received the transfusions outperformed a control group in a maze test, making gains in terms of both memory and learning. Brain stem cells and connectivity also increased.
"Do I think that giving young blood could have an effect on a human? I'm thinking more and more that it might," said lead researcher Saul Villeda, who shared his findings at the recent Society for Neuroscience meeting. "I did not, for sure, three years ago."
Villeda has already considering how his research might translate to humans. The key task facing scientists now is pinpointing the magic ingredient in young blood.
The study, which builds on earlier findings published in Nature last year, holds promise for treating conditions like Alzheimer's.
"Even if the finding leads only to a drug that prevents, rather than reverses the normal effects of aging on the brain, the impact upon future generations will be substantial—potentially outweighing other wonder drugs such as penicillin," said Chris Mason, a professor of regenerative medicine bioprocessing at University College London.
Well, duh, says Dracula.
This recent study also confirmed what moms have long suspected.
Theme parks cost an arm and a leg, and we won't even mention the lineups. Wouldn't it be great if you could bring the rides to your own backyard? Er, someone please tell Will Pemble that was a rhetorical question.
The dad has undertaken the DIY project of the century—building a 180ft rollercoaster on his property.
According to an article in the Metro, Pemble's pet project will sink him $3,500 (£2,075) and around 300 hours of hard work.
Documented on his blog, CoasterDad.com, Pemble describes his labour of love for his son, Lyle, which began when he suggested they build a coaster in the backyard.
"I couldn’t think of a single good reason to say no so Lyle and I headed off to the lumber yard for a few supplies."
Still undecided as to which father's ambitious DIY project is most awesome: the Tooth Fairy tooth transport or the planetarium nursery.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder—or is it? While the standard of what's attractive varies by year and by culture, there are some tried and tested ways to measure beauty—like Rickett's E-line, also known as the Finger Trap Test. (But remember, of course, that beauty fads are frivolous and fun and best of all, short-lived . . . Remember the coveted thigh gap? What about the bikini bridge?)
According to an article in the Huffington Post, the test is largely used by cosmetic surgeons to determine facial symmetry. It goes something like this: put your index finger against your nose and chin. If your finger also touches your lips, congratulations, you are one of the beautiful things!
If your lips fall short, fret not. Some of the world's supposedly most beautiful stars—Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba, Christina Hendricks—wouldn't make the cut, either.
If nothing else, if you see one of your colleagues obsessively touching their nose, you'll know it's not for the picking.
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