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Scientist claim to have discovered the secret of why we yawn.

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:41:54 GMT

clipped by: hayliirjsmom

Carry on yawning - it will help keep you awake

It can catch you embarrassingly unawares - as Cherie Blair has discovered.

But rather than being a precursor to sleep, scientists say the yawn is actually designed to keep you awake.

A study has found that when you yawn, the inhaled air reduces the temperature of vessels in the nasal cavity, allowing cooled blood to be sent to the brain.

This chills the brain, making it more alert and able to perform better.

Those who breathe in through the nose instead of the mouth are much less likely to yawn, as the vessels in the nasal cavity are already cooled.

The scientists believe that 'contagious' yawning - where one immediately mimics another's yawn - is an evolved protective mechanism to make a group more alert.

Their team, from New York State University, spent months watching 44 students, examining why they yawned and what happened when they did.

Tags: discovery, science, studies, news, sleep, photo

treasure hunters discover Viking treasure worth £1m

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:16:31 GMT

clipped by: hayliirjsmom

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Father and son treasure hunters discover Viking treasure worth £1m

The field was muddy, deeply ploughed and the best it had yielded so far was a few rusty old buttons.

But father and son metal detector team David and Andrew Whelan decided to give it one more go.

A signal led them to a single coin, enough in itself for a satisfactory day's hunting. But the Whelans kept on digging and unveiled a glittering haul of gold and silver Viking treasure.

It has been hailed as the most significant find of its kind in England for more than 150 years.

The most important Viking hoard in the last 150 years was discovered on farmland in Yorkshire

As well as shedding light on the way the Vikings lived more than 1,000 years ago, it is conservatively estimated to be worth around £750,000.

The Whelans are expected to keep half the value of the treasure, with the other half going to the North Yorkshire farmer in whose field it was found.

The Vikings travelled far more than previously thought

Tags: vikings, treasure, pics, whelans, england, discovery

Octopus unearths 900-year-old hidden treasure

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:11:54 GMT

clipped by: hayliirjsmom

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

It is a story that combines all the great mysteries and exciting discoveries of the sea – an octopus hauled onto a fishing boat with valuable ancient pottery attached to its suckers.

Now the chance discovery is being hailed as one of the great undersea treasure discoveries of modern times.

Officials at the National Maritime Museumin Seoul say the pottery dates back to 12th century, when the Koryo Dynasty ruled the Korean peninsula.

Some of the 30 bowls from the 12th century discovered by the octopus

Before and after: The bowls are carefully restored to their former glory after nine centuries underwater,

The extraordinary discovery on what was for 58-year-old Mr Kim another 'day at the office' began when he took his small boat out from the town of Taean, 60 miles south west of Seoul.

'Before I set off in my boat I had a dream the night before of being in the water swimming,' he said. 'Such dreams are supposed to bring luck, so this one turned out to be true.'

Tags: treasure, travel, korea, pottery, discovery, pics