2 Items

Looking at the magazine The Week (and old copy for the week of 10.28.05).

Two items got my attention - diaperless babies and kangaroo farts. I know, it sounds like an Ann Arbor band name.

The diaperless babies column actually got my attention not because of the novelty for a Western woman to be reading about liberation from diapers, but because recently my husband asked me what people did for diapers before there were diapers. I hadn't thought about it, and sort of off the cuff told him, "I don't know, rags?".
Apparently I am ENTIRELY a victim of my Western life.
According to the article, (and common sense really) before there were diapers - and even now in many cultures - and even now seeping (if you'll pardon the expression) into Western culture - the practice of a parent (usually a stay at home mom) watching the child for facial and other non-verbal clues (and probably after a few "accidents" figures out when the child needs to take care of business, and supports them over a receptacle or gutter and lets nature take it's course. Also according to the article, most children who are raise this way, are fully toilet trained by the time they're able to walk.
The article also pokes at "ultra competitive 'alpha parents'" as well, but I figure that's their beef, not mine, and was mostly just really glad to have a real answer for my husband.

The other article - kangaroo farts - is also personally tinted - and before you ask, "What could you possibly have to say about kangaroo farts?" let me tell you it's more about what has been learned from the farts, than the farts themselves.
The short story is that kangaroos have a bacteria in their guts that converts the methane to a useful acetate because the kangaroos use it for energy. Researchers want to culture the bacteria and start feeding it to cattle and sheep to help reduce the green-house gases in our atmosphere.
How this is applicable to me is that I have often said that I wanted to start a fart farm. I mean, I don't really entirely believe that I want to run it - and possibly not even start it - but if I could sell already existing dairy and beef farmers on the idea of sticking fart tubes on their cattle to harness the power of methane, well the, it would be the old "two birds" scenario... cut down on green-house emissions, and help find alternate energy sources for the farmer.
Yes, it IS far fetched, but isn't ALL of science when it is in its infancy?

Ok. I think I might be done for the morning.