Ephemera

So I promised science-type ephemera two weeks ago and I have not delivered. It's been a very busy few weeks and now it has ended with me getting a nasty cold, but here are a few interesting things:

First off is the new news of a full dinosaur mummy that includes skin that was found in Montana. It's one of only five or six mummified dinosaurs that have ever been found.

Then there is another step towards new computer chip technologies. Scientists have managed to control and detect currents in silicone based on electron spin rather than charge.

Blocking a single gene in mice can reverse skin aging, of course it also seems to adversely affect the immune system, so we may not be using it soon.

Also, it turns out that cats really are awesome. A study of stray cats in Rome found that, unlike almost every other animal, when it comes to food the stray cats turn matriarchal and always allow kittens to eat first. This is the first time such behavior has been documented in mammals so cats rock.