some facts i have learned this summer

i have learned these mostly from reading the new york times. some facts are from other sources.

• vitamin C may not actually do that much to prevent colds.
• echinacea, on the other hand, is effective in boosting the immune system to protect against colds.
• while it may look like they are exhibiting phototropism, palm trees in LA are leaning away from prevailing winds.
• there has been local selection among human populations in the last few thousand years. some evidence for this is the prevalence of lactose intolerance in european and asian populations and things like that. differences also include those in brain development/function.
• i also learned a lot about sexual harrassment policies and how goofy they are. perhaps i will discuss this in its own post.