A day without Daily Kos, by Armando Looking at 2012 and polling: Do states have 'house effects'?, by Steve Singiser The Second Amendment: Or, taking up arms against American troops, by Dante Atkins It's about guns, by Laurence Lewis Driving, drinking, shooting, by Mark Sumner
An ancient Mayan temple at a UNESCO World Heritage site in Guatemala has been damaged by tourists who came there for "end of the world" celebrations. Over 7000 locals and tourists flocked to the area on December 21 to experience what could have been ‘the end of the world’ coinciding with the end of the Mayan calendar, or just another day. [...] Although the official did not specify what particular damage was done to the ancient temple, he said it was irreparable. The 38 meters tall Temple II is one of the most famous Mayan buildings.
Over 7000 locals and tourists flocked to the area on December 21 to experience what could have been ‘the end of the world’ coinciding with the end of the Mayan calendar, or just another day. [...]
Although the official did not specify what particular damage was done to the ancient temple, he said it was irreparable. The 38 meters tall Temple II is one of the most famous Mayan buildings.
Here’s a searchable guide to body scanners in U.S. airports. X-ray "backscatter" machines have faced concerns about the potential health risks associated with them. Nearly 100 backscatters were removed from major airports recently to speed up lines. But many airports still have them. Find out whether you may encounter an X-ray scanner this holiday season by entering your address, airport code, city or ZIP code below. If your airport doesn't come up, it doesn't use either type of body scanner.
The British Medical Journal is one of the world’s oldest and most respected academic publications. So it would only make sense for the much vaunted journal to take on one of the season’s most vexing questions: Why on earth would a reindeer have a red nose? It took seven professors who specialize in otolaryngology, the treatment of ear, nose and throat conditions, to tackle the question. In “Why Rudolph’s nose is red: observational study,” the researchers suggest that the well-known reindeer’s nose is red has a basis in biology: Reindeer have significantly higher blood flow to the nose as do other mammal species, such as humans. To come to that conclusion, the scientists compared how microcirculation, the delivery of fresh blood to small blood vessels like the one in the nose, works in reindeer and human noses. How does one measure blood flow to a reindeer’s nose? According to this paper, it involves “gently inserting an imaging probe, covered with a sterile disposable lens cover, into the nasal cavity.”
It took seven professors who specialize in otolaryngology, the treatment of ear, nose and throat conditions, to tackle the question. In “Why Rudolph’s nose is red: observational study,” the researchers suggest that the well-known reindeer’s nose is red has a basis in biology: Reindeer have significantly higher blood flow to the nose as do other mammal species, such as humans.
To come to that conclusion, the scientists compared how microcirculation, the delivery of fresh blood to small blood vessels like the one in the nose, works in reindeer and human noses. How does one measure blood flow to a reindeer’s nose? According to this paper, it involves “gently inserting an imaging probe, covered with a sterile disposable lens cover, into the nasal cavity.”