Scientists are studying prairie dogs to see if they can find some answers to the most intriguing questions of language and communication among animals. Prairie dogs are genetically related to squirrels and are of similar stature. They dig deep burrows underground to live in and live in small family groups in North America. A family unit consists of one dominant male, a few adult females, and their children. Their burrows include all the comforts of life, safety exits, storage rooms, sleeping areas and toilet rooms.

Dr. Con Slobodchikoff has been studying prairie dogs intensely for the past 20 years. He has been leading research at the Northern Arizona University and has come to some fascinating conclusions. Based on video and audio tapes he has taken of the animals responding to new stimuli in their own environment Dr. Slobodchikoff has come to believe that prairie dogs are in possession of a rich and complex vocabulary, including parts of speech such as nouns, verbs and adjectives.

In an interview with the Arizona Daily Star from January 2006, Dr. Slobodchikoff explains that,

“Within these calls, they [prairie dogs] can describe the physical features of the predator. They can describe the size and shape of an individual human and the color of clothes that he or she is wearing. They can describe the coat color and the size and shape of a domestic dog. . . . Our studies are showing that prairie dogs have the most sophisticated natural animal language that has been decoded to date.”

These studies are just the beginning. Perhaps other members of the animal kingdom are also capable of such advanced abilities at communication. More research is needed to find out if man’s use of language is really as unique as we think.

The answer is: sort of. One of the ingredients in coke is sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda. This is an alkaline substance, and therefore can help balance the pH level in the stomach. So, if the cause of the nausea has to do with too much acid in the stomach, or acid rising from the stomach into the esophagus, coke can have a relieving effect on the condition.

However, coke also contains caffeine, which relaxes the border between the stomach and the esophagus, as well as increases stomach acid production, two actions which can worsen the condition. Because the caffeine takes more time to take effect, the baking soda in the coke may provide a temporary relief before the problem is worsened. Doctors recommend letting the soda go flat before drinking, or adding a pinch of salt over the top.

Have you ever wondered what snowflakes actually are? You probably already know that each and every snowflake is unique, and at the same time every single one has 6 points. And that is probably the extent of your knowledge. Well let’s see if we can add to that a few additional interesting facts.

The beginning of a snowflake’s life comes when a tiny piece of dust or dirt is swept up into the atmosphere by the blowing wind. The snow crystal begins to form as ice collects around the dust or tiny piece of dirt. When snow crystals stick together, they become actual snowflakes.

Snowflakes come in four basic shapes: an elongated needle; a long and hollow six-sided prism; a thin and flat plate with six sides; and a complex star with six points.

The temperature of the atmosphere when the snowflakes are forming is what determines the ultimate shape. As the flakes continue to grow in the atmosphere they get heavier until they fall from the sky, eventually joining us here on earth for us to enjoy their delightful shapes and the way they transform the world from its ordinary appearance to a magical winter wonderland.

With Christmas on the way, family homes are bustling with preparations and decorations. A wonderful addition to the menu, or to gift baskets, is a freshly baked batch of cookies. Here is a recipe for gingerbread cookies, and specifically, snowflake gingerbread cookies. These elegant, tasty cookies make a great centerpiece or gift during the winter holiday season.

What you’ll need:

7 cups of flour   4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves

1 teaspoon finely ground pepper

1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt

2 large eggs

4 teaspoons ground ginger

1 cup unsulfured molasses

1 teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup dark-brown sugar

Vanilla icing

Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl. Mix butter and brown sugar in an electric mixer until fluffy. Add spices and salt, then eggs and molasses. Add the flour mixture. Don’t over-mix. Divide the dough into three, and wrap each portion. Refrigerate for around an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Invite your children to join you while you roll the dough out and create the snowflakes with a cookie cutter. Refrigerate the cookies on baking paper before baking. Each tray should take between 12-14 minutes to cook.

After the cookies have cooled, draw simple designs on each snowflake and let the icing harden.

Elephant Tail

Airport officials at Dulles International Airport discovered a rather unusual assortment of objects in one man’s suitcase last Thursday. The man, traveling from Ghana and on his way to Maryland explained that elephant tails, dried hedgehogs, chicken blood, two dried chameleons and other items from the plant and animal kingdoms were needed for the practice of his religion.

The man was not arrested nor charged with any crime despite the fact that he declared to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents that all he had in his luggage werre dried herbs and clothing. According to CBP official Christopher Hess, “This is by far one of the strangest suitcases we’ve ever opened,” said Hess, CBP port director for Washington. Hess added that, “Regardless of its intended purpose, each item posed potentially severe animal and plant disease threats to American agriculture.”

The entire collection of the unusual assortment of items was incinerated by airport authorities.