Sunday Newscape Magazine

A microbe commonly found in the Chesapeake Bay and other waterways emits a poison not just to protect itself but to stun and immobilize the prey it plans to eat, a team of researchers from four universities has discovered. The findings about algae linked to massive fish kills could lead to new ways to slow the growth of these tiny but toxic marine creatures.

Deep within the Kairei Indian hydrothermal vent field, two-and-one-half miles below the central Indian Ocean, scientists have discovered a gastropod mollusk, whose armor could improve load-bearing and protective materials in everything from aircraft hulls to sports equipment.

As I sat on my couch recently eating a donut and burrowing into my Snuggie – that blanket-with-arms contraption I ridiculed so incessantly that Santa felt compelled to bring me one this year – I was comforted to hear on TV that researchers now believe a bit of fat around the hips and thighs is actually good for the heart. This is marvelous news, especially since a “bit of fat” is one of those purely subjective terms that can be stretched to include quite a few donuts.