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Discovered: Astronomers hot on the trail of dark matter; bullies make kids act dumb; "olfactory white" smells like everything and nothing; Vikings feasted on poor, cute, innocent seals.
Detecting dark matter. Theoretically, scientists know that dark matter lies at the center of our galaxy. But conventional observation methods aren't able to detect these supermassive yet invisible particles, so scientists working with the Fermi Gamma-Ray Spacecraft’s Large Area Telescope instrument have been trying to develop a new way to pinpoint the elusive substance. Their new insight holds that, while dark matter can't be seen directly, the wreckage made from dark matter particles colliding can be. By training their sights on the line produced from gamma-ray emanations, astronomers could prove the existence of dark matter. "For now, we cannot exclude the possibility that the line in the galactic center is a dark matter line," says Ohio State University physicist Andrea Albert. "Within a year we hope to have an answer." [Scientific American]
Bullying victims play dumb. The physical marks of bullying may be easy to spot, but the psychological damage often remains hidden. According to the UK's Anti-Bullying Alliance, almost half of children have tried to suppress their natural talents for fear that they might be bullied for being too good at something. Their survey polled 1,042 children ages 11 to 16, finding that 25 percent of them even quit an activity they excelled in due to taunting. "It's unacceptable that rather than celebrate their talent, they feel that they have to hide their gifts, purposely underachieve in crucial subjects and miss out on things they enjoy because of bullying," says Anti-Bullying Alliance chair Ross Hendry. [BBC News]