Category: Story

135. Feeling Blue The blue-ring octopus is only about eight inches wide with its tentacles extended. It prefers shallow water near Australia and often lives under piers. It avoids humans. But if it must defend itself, this creature can deliver a bite that is fatal. The toxin from the bite can paralyze most of the…

134. Take a Bite Have you ever been bitten? Of course you have. You are surrounded by creatures that might, or do, bite. Even as you rest your head on your pillow, bedbugs are probably nibbling away at you. They live happily inside most pillows. Take a walk outside and you are a target for…

133. Heal Yourself Researchers are discovering more and more about the inner workings of the brain through MRI and PET scans. Both scans produce images of active, inactive, healthy, and unhealthy areas of the brain. These images are helping doctors treat brain dysfunction. In the US, drugs have been the most common treatment for people…

132. The Ant and the Elephant Let’s say that you could combine, into one super brain, 100 of the best minds in the history of mankind. Would that super-intelligent brain be able to fully appreciate all the wonders of the universe? Probably not. The universe is simply too big, too wondrous, too fantastic for humans.…

131. Little Hope for Hemp Hemp is a strong, cane-like plant known throughout the world for its durability and versatility. In the US, however, the hemp industry and supporters struggle. The US government worries that citizens might figure out a way to turn durable hemp into illegal marijuana. As a result, the US government discourages…

130. A Thoughtful Gift Catherine invited Nelson to dinner. Last semester she had been a student in Nelson’s grammar class, but she had to drop the class because her son Kendall was having a problem in school. The problem was that he wasn’t studying. Catherine decided that Kendall needed more motivation. She would provide that…

129. The Street is Burning Alvin was walking down 6th Street on a hot sunny day when he saw smoke coming out of the street. He could smell the smoke, and it was getting thicker. It was coming out of a storm drain. Alvin used his cell phone to call the fire department. “The storm…

128. Sign Right Here Chad had worked hard all his young life, and then his father died. Unknown to Chad and almost everyone else, his father was a very rich man. The will disclosed the astounding amount of money his father had accumulated during his lifetime. Chad, the sole survivor, was now rich beyond his…

127. Learning to Share The seal population just south of Monterey, California, is making life difficult for the surfer population. There have been several incidents in the past month of surfers being bitten or attacked by seals. Scientists think it is merely a result of overcrowding. Over the past 10 years, the seals have made…

126. Stuck in the Desert Patricia asked for the cheapest car available at Acme Car Rental. She needed a car for 48 hours. Because it was the weekend, there was only one car available at the moment—an SUV. Patricia was an environmentalist. SUVs, which are big cars consuming a lot of gasoline, offended her greatly.…