Corn on the cob, corn dogs, popcorn and Corn Pops all trace back to these ancient cobs, found decades ago in a cave in Oaxaca, Mexico. Now, scientists have reanalyzed the cobs and discovered that the corn is even more ancient than expected. New research shows that the cobs date to about 6,300 years ago some 700 years earlier than any other maize recorded in the New World. Far from being an obscure point about your dinner s past, such research may help explain how ancient Americans grew from scattered tribes into established civilizations based around crops. 1300 by Alexandra Witze.
Most people talk about losing it.
Scientists talk about examining it. Fat for better or worse is where it s at. While headlines warn of soaring obesity rates and hundreds of diet books offer advice on how to get thin, scientific journals tell another part of the story. Fat, scientists say, gets more fascinating every day. 1400 by Sue Goetinck Ambrose.