Researchers at University of Tokyo have concluded that ethanol, an intoxicating agent in alcohol, doesn’t cause memory decrease, as widely believed, but instead locks it in place. The researchers gave lab rats (why do they always stand in for humans?) mild shocks to condition them to fear. As a result the rats would freeze with fear the moment they went into their cages. The researchers immediately injected the rats with either saline or ethanol.. The rats with alcohol froze with fear longer than those who had no ethanol.
So how do rats, uhm, humans forget something you dislike? Replace the bad memory with a  positive memory at an early stage and leave out the booze.

While we’re talking of adult beverages how about the Askmen.com list from their readers of weird beer names. Would really enjoy a drink called “Moose Drool” or “Sick Duck”? How about “Dogfish Head Snowblower Ale” or “Santa’s Butt Porter”? That last name isn’t exactly as wrong as it sounds. It’s actually in reference to a large (108 gallon) barrel referred to as a butt.

Twenty minutes of this a day increases our productivity about 30%. That would be one of my favorite moments of any day…napping. Nancy of Larkspur knew it because she’s a napper, too. Nancy is heading to the Stravinsky Project next Friday night as our final winer this week of the Commuter Quiz at 6:30am. A new prize on the table come Monday.

Maurizio Pollini played Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in our BLind Date this morning. That music is from the year the United States Senate opened to the public…1794. Another Blind Date mix of music and history comes up every weekday morning around 8:30.

Have a great weekend.

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