Researchers at Rutgers University have discovered that deactivating a specific gene transforms meek mice into daredevils. Mice that lack an active gene for the protein ‘stathmin’ are not only more courageous, but are also slower to learn fear responses to pain-associated stimuli.

In some of the experiments, the stathmin-lacking mice wandered out into the centre of an open box, in defiance of the normal mouse instinct to hide along the box’s walls to avoid potential predators.

In both mice and humans, the amygdala area of the brain serves as the control centre of basic fear impulses. Stathmin is found almost exclusively in this and related brain areas.

This research could one day help people suffering from fear – in the form of phobias or anxiety disorders.

After twisting and turning a Rubik’s Cube for 2 days, Jean Pons was declared the World Champion at the World Rubik’s Cube Championship in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Pons, of France, defeated 140 other players in the traditional 3x3x3 cube competition with an average cube solving time of 15.1 seconds!!!!

“Since my introduction to the cube in 2003, I have been practicing to be the best cube solver in the world,” said Pons. “This championship title means so much to me. I am fortunate to have participated in this event and to have competed against some of the most skilled cubers in the world.”

His countryman, Edouard Chambon, came in second with an average cube solving time of 16 seconds. Some new world records set include the 4×4 solve, solving using only feet, and blindfolded solving.

This is one World Championship I have to see.

Click here if you want to know more about the World Championship.

While other children his age are in elementary school, Song Yoo-geun is a freshman at the physics department of Inha University in Incheon, west of Seoul. Yoo-geun will be eight sometime this month and he is Korea’s youngest university student.

He set a record by completing elementary, junior-high and high school in just nine months (it takes regular Koreans 12 years to complete these stages of schooling before they can enroll into a University). Apparently, the university tested Yoo-geun last month and he surprised the scholars by explaining the Schroedinger equation, which is of central importance to the theory of quantum mechanics.

Yoo-geun dreams of making flying cars based on the superstring theory. Next time someone says ‘This can be understood by a child of eight’, give them the link to this article.

The thing about emails is that they never just go away. Even if you delete it from your inbox, you can be sure that there are many copies stored on different servers that helped carry the email to you. The Fashion God, Michael Brown, learned this the hard way. Louisiana Congressman Charlie Louisiana Congressman, Charlie Melancon, posted unflattering e-mails written by former FEMA Director Michael Brown on his website.

On the day the hurricane hit, FEMA’s deputy director of public affairs, Cindy Taylor, wrote to Brown that he looked “fabulous.” Brown replied, “I got it at Nordstroms…Are you proud of me?” An hour later, Brown added: “If you’ll look at my lovely FEMA attire, you’ll really vomit. I am a fashion god,” according to the congressman.

Click here to view these emails and Click here to read the CNN article that gives us the highlights of this collection of emails.

On September 12 Brown resigned, 10 days after President Bush told him, “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.”