News 2 Use: Freaky Freaks Edition

A traumatic antidepressing frontal lobotomy hysteria

According to The Psychologist, the worst ideas ever entertained by scientists about the human mind are…

#4: Freudian hysteria: it's not just in the woman's mind, Doctor!
#3: Post-trauma counseling: it makes things worse!
#2: The chemical imbalance model of mental distress: only the drug companies believe that seratonin really means anything.

And the worst idea ever about the mind in human history: THE FRONTAL LOBOTOMY.

I wasn't surprised by #1 and #4, but I'll admit the drug companies suckered me on the depression is caused by chemical imbalance. And why are we rushing counselors to disaster sites if it makes things worse? I wonder who gets paid, and by whom…

I also wonder which Bright and Shining Current Theory, in any field, will be debunked in your story's vision of the future?

With Large, Nasty Teeth!

A pack of raccoons is terrorizing a Washington State community. So far ten cats have been killed by the raccoons, one small dog almost carried off, and one human bitten.

Wildlife authorities have no explanation for the aggressive behavior. Attempts to trap the animals have failed, because the adult raccoons have figured out how to avoid the traps and are teaching the tricks to their offspring.

Says one nuisance wildlife expert at the scene: "They [the raccoons] are in control up there."

Watership Down meets Cujo, man. What species will quit pretending they are inferior next?

Astronomers Observe Dark Matter

Scientists believe that they have found proof that dark matter exists, and that our understanding of gravity is not basically flawed.

Dark matter is thought to account for up 80% of what's in the universe and is invisible because it does not emit any electromagnetic radiation.

I don't totally get the whole "dark matter" thing, but isn't it totally creepy that we are able to sense and interact with only about 20% of What's Really Out There?