Wednesday, August 11, 2010

More Dumb Science .... telling us what we already know

From the July 24 issue of New Scientist (at p. 16), from a researcher with 40 dogs, presumably with somewhat higher IQ's than whoever funded the experiment:

"[D]ogs steal food quietly to make sure they don't get caught.... [P]revious studies had found that dogs are more likely to take food when people are not watching them."

And at p. 17, same issue... not to be outdone -- another work of genius involves the study of one [1] baby, whose diet was carefully monitored while stool samples were monitored for bacteria... presumably under the supervision of a Cornell University prof on maternity leave:

"Baby's gut bugs are shaped by diet. ... While the baby was breastfeeding, the bacteria in his stomach contained numerous genes useful for breaking down milk sugars. When he moved to a diet of solid foods, there were more bacteria with genes that influence starch digestion."