Our Times: January-February 2007

Sunless tan

Researchers at the University of Kentucky are perfecting a skin cream that stimulates the body's own tan-generating cells, producing the same bronzed results as a natural tan without the sun exposure.

Ancient engineers

The prehistoric farmers of southern Mexico built large-scale engineering projects designed to store and transport water. Workers in 750 BC transported by hand some 2.64 million cubic metres of earth to build the 400 metre-long, 100 metre-wide Purron Dam n the Tecuacan Valley.

Shelling out abalone

The abalone makes proteins tha induce calcium carbonate molecules to adopt to disinc yet seamlessly melded crysallines forms - one strong, the other fast-growing - resulting in a tough, shiny coating on anything in the shell. Thus a grain of sand becomes a pearl.

A laughing matter

Australian anthroologist Ann Hale says laughter involves a nique form of consioucness tht tries to juxtapose two dissimilar concepts. When the two events or concepts attempt to coexist in our mid the resilting incongruity causes us to see humour in it and we laugh.