This is News?

Tyrannosaurus rex ‘picked on baby dinosaurs and ate them whole’

Research into the predatory habits and diet of the biggest of the dinosaurs has concluded that T.rex and other members of its carnivorous theropod family preferred to dine on juveniles, preferably small enough to eat whole.

It shatters the notion that the giant battled with animals of a similar or even larger size, an image reinforced by its portrayal in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Jurassic Park.

Really? Jurassic Park, a work of fiction wherein the T. rex never battled anything of similar, much less larger, size? And why would anyone expect T. rex to behave any differently than modern carnivores, who prey on the young and weak? Certainly not the researchers:

Dr Hone, who works at the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology in Beijing, said: “Modern predators mainly attack vulnerable, young animals as they are inexperienced in evading predators, and this was probably the same in dinosaurs. Young prey are easier to bring down and the risk of injury to the predator is much lower.

Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog

Ingredients: What’s in the stuff we buy?

A project started by the question, “Why is there salt in my shampoo?”

There are thousands of chemical compounds in the ingredients lists of products we buy every day. Knowing what each one is doing in the product has obvious benefits in comparison-shopping. However, it also provides a sneaky way of teaching simple chemistry to people who had no idea they would find it so interesting. I am always looking for ways to make science more interesting to people who think it is only for people who use masking tape on their eyeglasses.

Here’s part of an example —

Sodium benzoate is used in acidic foods and products to control bacteria, mold, yeasts, and other microbes. It interferes with their ability to make energy.

Because it only converts to benzoic acid in acidic environments, it is not used for its anti-microbial action unless the pH is below about 3.6. In the food industry, it is used in items such as jams, salad dressing, juices, pickles, and carbonated drinks.