Wednesday, January 5, 2011

DISCOVERED!

Yesterday I was in the doctor’s office waiting my turn, and picked up a magazine I had not remembered seeing before -- DISCOVER MAGAZINE.  I was barely into it when I was called to the exam room, but I’d seen enough that I knew I wanted to see more.  So I dropped it on the floor of my scooter, and later Cliff folded it into my carry bag.  I’m just borrowing it, I promise.

Later that evening I read further and found the articles and photos quite fascinating.  For example, did you know that there are ice worms (related to earthworms) whose metabolism rises as the temperature gets colder?  Or the news that the military is trying to convert to alternative fuels because they are more efficient?  How about ocean thermal energy conversion to create electricity?  There were also articles about growing a new lung, the secret social life of plants, and some fascinating astronomy discoveries.

Now I’m no scientist, but these are written for lay people, and I, find them quite intriguing, so much so, in fact, that I went on line this morning, and purchased a two year subscription (they had a special on).  And yes, I will give back the borrowed magazine.

Fun -

FROM “THE WEEK” NEWS MAGAZINE:
Travis Pittman of Des Moines, Washington, accidentally dropped his engagement ring into Puget Sound while proposing to his girl friend on a pier.  “I shudder to think I may be engaged to a salmon,” said Pitman, whose fiancee accepted anyway.
***

Police in Los Angeles had good luck with a robbery suspect who just couldn't control himself during a lineup.  When detectives asked each man in the lineup to repeat the words: 'Give me all your money or I'll shoot', the man shouted, 'That's not what I said!'

4 comments:

  1. I find some of Oscar's best presents at the Discovery Store, and the Discovery channel is one of our favorite stations to watch, too. I had forgotten about the magazine! I go to the doctor tomorrow, maybe I can find the same issue to read :-}
    I read the last joke to my Mom-on-law just now, she got a big laugh out of it :-}

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  2. My mom was a nurse in a doctor's office for many years and used to take her old magazines in for the waiting room. Mostly women's magazines like Better Home and Redbook. As you finish each issue of Discover, maybe you'll consider leaving them in different doctors' offices for others to enjoy?
    I used to subscribe to New Scientist and Scientific American but had to give them up (austerity measures, and NS is a particularly pricy one!)

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  3. We've been subscribed to Discover for years. Let me know if you want me to go look around for some back issues! I wonder if I still have the one about the writer tailing along with a lion researcher in Africa--who became so used to his subjects that he would casually get within easy pouncing range, motioning the writer closer while the writer was going, Not on your (or my!) life!

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  4. One of my daughters graduated with a BS in Environmental Sciences. She LOVES Discover. I guess I'd better see what all the fuss is about.

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