Science & Technology at Scientific American.com: Cricket Courting Can Be a Deadly Deed: "'One thing that consistently prolongs lifespan in a range of species is a restricted diet,' remarks co-author Rob Brooks of the University of New South Wales."

New Scientist - Magnetic bracelet pain relief probably placebo effect: "Is the pain relief that magnetic bracelets appear to provide to people with conditions like osteoarthritis just one more example of the placebo effect? Probably, suggests the latest study."

Wired News: Nintendo Surgeons More Precise?: "Surgeons who play video games three hours a week have 37 percent fewer errors and accomplish tasks 27 percent faster, he says, basing his observation on results of tests using the video game Super Monkey Ball."

Science & Technology at Scientific American.com: Herbal Remedies Found to Contain Toxic Heavy Metals: "Some herbal remedies may do more harm than good. Researchers writing today in the Journal of the American Medical Association report that 20 percent of herbal medicine products sampled contained dangerous levels of heavy metals.
Unlike prescription drugs, herbal medicine products can be sold as dietary supplements, which are not required to undergo rigorous testing before entering the marketplace. Indeed, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) does not require proof of safety or efficacy. Robert B. Saper, now at Boston University's School of Medicine, and his colleagues purchased imported Ayurvedic herbal medicine products from stores near Boston's city hall and had them tested for metal contamination. They discovered that a fifth of the 70 samples tested contained lead, mercury or arsenic, or some combination of all three, in significant quantities. If taken as directed, the products would expose a person to more of the metals than is deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency."

The New York Times > Travel > Frugal Traveler: Saying a Spirited 'Nay' to Houston's Naysayers:

Worm Parasitologist - Popular Science Dracunculus medinensis migrates from the gut to a point just under the skin of, say, a leg, where she then commences growth to a length of as great as three feet, and where, ultimately, she lays her eggs.
When the thousands of babies make their joyous arrival, they blister the skin and pop through, leaving Mom behind. The traditional way to get rid of her is to wrap her head around a stick and twist very slowly—one turn of the stick per day—for weeks or months, depending on how long she is. (This treatment is so old that it inspired the ancient snake-and-pole aesculapius symbol of medicine.) And so worm parasitologists are unsung heroes—and decorum dictates that unsung they shall remain. “We can’t show pictures or even really talk about these diseases,” says parasitologist Eric Ottesen of Emory University. “Society just isn’t ready for it.”