Prehistoric Superglue

Scientists working in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, have discovered a superglue dating back thousands of years. “The glue . . . is just as good as the stuff found in hardware stores today,” says The Star, a Johannesburg
newspaper. It is believed that ancient hunters used the glue to attach arrowheads or spear points to their shafts. Scientists’ attempts to replicate the ancient formula—with red ocher, animal fat, acacia gum, and sand—and to get the temperature control just right to dry the adhesive next to a fire, gave the scientists “new respect” for the people who used it.

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Explosion of Classroom Cheating

In a survey of 20,000 first-year university students in Canada, 73 percent “admitted to committing one or more serious acts of academic dishonesty on written work while in high school,” says the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL). One university reported that cases of cheating and plagiarism increased by 81 percent between the years 2003 and 2006. “Over the past decade,” says Dr. Paul Cappon, president of CCL, “internet and high-tech devices have enabled a virtual explosion of classroom cheating.”

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