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Signs of the Times Australia / NZ edition — lifestyle, health, relationships, culture, spirituality, people — published since 1886 |
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Signs of the Times Australia / NZ edition — lifestyle, health, relationships, culture, spirituality, people — published since 1886 |
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sleep on it!
Sleeping on a problem may indeed help with finding the solution. New research suggests our brains re-juggle data while we sleep, resulting in the answer (sometimes) appearing when we wake. The research used a group of volunteers tackling arithmetic problems and then taking an eight-hour break. Those who slept during their break were twice as likely to “realise” a rule hidden within the calculations.
robo boffin
An intelligent robot called Robot Scientist could free genomics (the study of genes) researchers from routine lab chores. The intelligent automaton outperforms human researchers; not only can it “reason” the best experimental approach, but it also interprets the results and comes up with new hypotheses. Robot Scientist could well spell the end of the undergrad lab assistant.
parting of ways
A Russian mathematician says he’s come up with a logical explanation for how Moses parted the waters of the Red Sea, suggesting it had more to do with the changing tide than divine intervention. The Russian says there is a reef running from one bank of the Gulf of Suez to the other, six or seven metres under the water, at the spot where the Exodus miracle occurred. A combination of tide and strong wind could have made it possible to cross the Red Sea keeping your feet almost dry.
royal weeding
Swaziland’s King Mswati postponed the start of the school year for a week so 30,000 boys could take part in the ritual weeding of royal fields. Private schools ignored the decree and began the school year as scheduled.
how sad
A recent survey has found 65 per cent of British citizens do not know in which US city the hit musical Chicago is set, 57 per cent do not know where the TV soap opera Dallas was set, and 64 per cent do not know where the French Alps are.
ironic situation
An endangered robin survived a treacherous 15-hour flight from Norway to Britain only to be eaten by a pet cat. A birdwatching owner reported the sighting of the rare robin but admitted it was dead in her cat’s jaws at the time.
it’s da fuzz!
Police in northern India are being paid a premium to grow facial hair. The policemen are getting a 30-rupees (65 cents) per-month bonus for growing intimidating moustaches so as to improve their authoritative appearance.
post-it note
A Colombian burglar has tried to circumvent the security of a wealthy household by posting himself to it inside a box. His plot was uncovered when the suspicious owner called the bomb squad.
James Bond a reality
New Zealanders have had a glimpse of technology’s answer to Auckland’s traffic snarls—the Aquada. This $NZ60,000 vehicle is a car and boat rolled into one, and with its 2.5 litre Rover engine can travel at 169 km/h on land and
48 km/h on water. This amazing piece of machinery works at the push of a button, whereby the wheels retract and a jet unit propels it across the water. Upon reaching land, the push of a button and your speedboat morphs back into the dream sports car.
Sources: www.theage.com.au, www.newscientist.com
Writing in the 1953 Easter issue of Signs of the Times (April 6), H G Woodward says, “The Lord Jesus accepted no excuses from His disciples for their not being informed upon the subject of His resurrection. Overtaking the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, He says, ‘O foolish men, with hearts so slow to believe . . .’ (Luke 24:25, Moffatt). Instead of being immersed in sorrow at what they felt was a terrible catastrophe, they should have been filled with joy in the knowledge that the empty tomb was the glorious consummation of all that their Master had promised.”
And therein is the real message of Easter: not Christ’s death but His resurrection. The joy that He lives!
Extract from Signs of the Times, April 2004.
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