"Ancillary Materials"

By Anna Rose Welch, Editorial & Community Director, Advancing RNA

Question: What do you get when ARW surfs the Internet? Answer: The best the internet has to offer. Duh

• If you’ve ever wondered how people weigh bears, this way makes me want to pack up, move to Finland, and start a new life. That childish leg swing at about 3.11 sold it even more.
• In August, several zebras escaped — and remain fugitives to this day — from a Maryland farm. Now, as the Washington Post reports in great detail, residents of Prince George’s county have been on the prowl to spot the elusive zebras. You know something is for real when it has a dedicated Twitter account. (Oh, the puns.)
• Bees can recognize and put numbers into the proper order and understand quantity (i.e., more vs. less). This experiment is pretty sweet
• I thought this was a joke at first, but it’s not. Several professors dedicated 3,000-plus hours of their lives to watching 25 James Bond films to examine the spy’s exposure to infectious diseases (air-, food-, and bug-borne, sexual, and virologic) and his “reckless disregard for occupational health.” You’ll never watch him eat unwashed pieces of fruit, remove leeches, or sleep with the windows open in the same way again. Seriously, if you want to laugh and learn what everyone’s favorite spy should have done to avoid Montezuma’s Revenge and other parasites, this is the article for you. (Seriously though, is this for real?)  
• I finally found a competitive sport at which I daresay I could excel. You’ll want to listen to this with sound.
• If you’re like me and feel deeply that sprinkles (or “jimmies”) are the quintessential touch to any dessert, this story on the U.K.’s “Sprinklegate” will also devastate you. U.S.-made sprinkles contain an illegal coloring. As one bakery owner explained, “British sprinkles just aren't the same; they're totally s*** and I hate them…. If I can’t use the [U.S. ones] I won’t use any. I will be on a sprinkle strike.” (#Soulmate) 
• Cheetah Cub Cam. Need I say more?