Ancestry of Polar Bears

Source: istockphoto.com

According to a study in the journal Current Biology, every polar bear alive today can trace its ancestry back to a single female bear that lived in Ireland during the last Ice Age. Interestingly, this single female bear was a brown bear. These findings are based on the analysis from mitochondrial DNA extracted from bones.


Read more here: Today's Polar Bears Trace Ancestry To ... Ireland? : NPR

Infograph: How inter-connected are major software companies?

How inter-connected are major software companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Amazon, and eBay?

Optimized-mashable_infographic_interconnected-tech-companies-2-1.jpg (972×5125)

IBM aims to develop real-life Harry Potter memory storage "Pensieve"

IBM research labs are working developing a real-life "Pensieve" using GPS-enabled smartphones. They hope that you will never forget anything ever again. See video below.

IBM Press room - 2008-07-29 Made in IBM Labs: IBM Research Develops Technology to Aid Human Memory - United States

Science Made Simple Animations

Science made simple are a series of short videos explaining complex scientific ideas. This video discusses quantum physics, genetic modification, and superconductors.

Science Made Simple from Jacob Slack on Vimeo.

Found here: Science Made Simple on Vimeo

Names of Everyday Things You Never Knew Had Names

The device to measure your foot size is called a Brannock Device.

Many everyday things have names you might have never heard before, for example:


What is the smell outside after rain called? - Petrichor
What is the grove below your nose called? - Philtrum
What is the coating at the end of shoelaces called? - Aglet

Click here to find more Everyday Things You Never Knew Had Names

Ten interesting facts about animals and plants

Did you know that goats have a 340 degree vision?

Did you know that a swan can break your arm? Did you know that a dropped tarantula spider will shatter into pieces?

See more interesting findings here: 10 Weird And Wonderful Oddities Of Nature