Kids, Kids, Kids

Many parents may often ask themselves: Why did we have kids again? The answer, according to a team of Johns Hopkins social scientists, is an intense desire for bonds to other people. Sifting through thousands of questionnaires from the National Survey of Families and Households, researchers said parents procreated because they wanted someone to love and because it would strengthen their relationships with other adults and family members. Not known, however, is how many relationships with strangers are ruined beyond repair when a newborn screams its head off on a six-hour flight to New York.

A Smart Chew

Perhaps it’s a leftover bias from grammar school, but most people believe gum chewers look stupid. Well, now the rubber-chomping crowd may have the last laugh. According to chemical engineer Brian English, his Brain Gum can improve your concentration and increase memory, recall and learning. English says the gum contains a naturally occurring phospholipid, which helps spark thought transmissions, which tends to decrease with age. Recommended dosage is two pieces, three times a day for three weeks, then reduce to two or three pieces a day for maintenance. A box of Brain Gum, which contains 144 pieces, retails for $59.95. Chew a few pieces and see how much they will cost you the rest of your life. For more information, call (888) 47-BOOST.

Smell This Ad

You think television can be an assault on the eyes? In the near future, it might become an assault upon the nose. A Japanese electronics company called Ricoh has developed a system that enables TVs to release smells as well as pictures. The device consists of a series of capsules containing aromatic chemicals, one of which is mechanically crushed whenever the device receives the right electronic signals. Some advice--don’t watch any shows about farming.

Bikers, Beware

Bikers are gaining more clout, but if they don’t watch out, they might not be growing in numbers. Sitting on a hard, narrow bicycle seat can cause a host of sexual problems for male and female cyclists, according to researchers at Boston University. Male cyclists are four times more likely to suffer from impotence than nonriders, and they also were more likely to experience difficulty urinating and in achieving orgasm. Women cyclists were also far more likely to suffer from clitoral pain and have trouble experiencing orgasms. Let’s hope bikers already have kids or aren’t looking to strengthen any friendships with other adults or family.