WEIRD STUFF

Alzheimer's leaves dolphins stranded

Stranded dolphins may be suffering from a condition similar to Alzheimer's disease, experts say. The sea mammals could be affected by a progressive brain disorder that impairs memory and thinking skills after prolonged exposure to toxins produced by bacteria in the ocean.

The findings come from a study published in the journal Communications Biology, led by researchers from Florida's Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute. The team discovered that 20 Bottlenose dolphins stranded along the Florida coast had traces of these harmful toxins in their brains.

Dr David Davis, co-author of the study and researcher at the University of Miami, explained, "Since dolphins are considered environmental sentinels for toxic exposures in marine environments, there are concerns about human health issues associated with cyanobacterial blooms. Although there are likely many paths to Alzheimer's disease, bacterial exposures increasingly appear to be a risk factor."

The study highlights growing concerns about the health of marine life -- and how environmental pollution may be contributing to neurodegenerative conditions in both animals and humans.

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Parents overestimate how much sleep children get

Many parents are unaware that their children are not getting enough sleep, a new study from Brown University in Rhode Island has found.

The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics, revealed that while 83 per cent of parents believe that their children are getting the right amount of rest, only 14 per cent of youngsters actually meet sleep guidelines.

Tracking 102 elementary school students aged five to 11 over a week, researchers discovered that children were getting an average of eight hours and 20 minutes of sleep each night -- more than an hour less than what their parents estimated.

Professor Diane Grigsby-Toussaint of Brown University noted, "What parents often don't see is how long it takes for kids to fall asleep or how often they wake up during the night."

According to the American Academy of Paediatrics, children aged six to 12 should get between nine and 12 hours of sleep per night. The findings suggest that many families may be unknowingly contributing to sleep deprivation, which can affect children's learning, mood, and overall health.

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Long-lost ancient Roman artifact found in a New Orleans backyard

(AP) --

A New Orleans family cleaning up their overgrown backyard made an extremely unusual find: Under the weeds was a mysterious marble tablet with Latin characters that included the phrase "spirits of the dead".

"The fact that it was in Latin that really just gave us pause, right?" said Daniella Santoro, a Tulane University anthropologist. "I mean, you see something like that and you say, 'Okay, this is not an ordinary thing.'"

Intrigued and slightly alarmed, Santoro reached out to her classical archaeologist colleague Susann Lusnia, who quickly realised that the slab was the 1,900-year-old grave marker of a Roman sailor named Sextus Congenius Verus.

"When I first saw the image that Daniella sent me, it really did send a shiver up my spine because I was just floored," Lusnia said.

Further sleuthing by Lusnia revealed the tablet had been missing from an Italian museum for decades.