The Straight Dope 05/25/2007

The Straight Dope -- By Cecil Adams
http://www.straightdope.com

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THE STRAIGHT DOPE 05/25/2007

Dear Cecil:

What's the story on the effectiveness of the various baldness treatments
on the market today? The many products advertised on TV make some pretty
amazing claims. Is there any independent research available to compare the
different treatments? — T.H., via e-mail

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Cecil replies:

When minoxidil hit the market 20 years ago I thought: At least that'll be
the end of the damn baldness questions. No such luck. Although modern
baldness treatments work better than, say, penis-enlargement devices,
don't expect to come away with hair that'll get you the Democratic
presidential nomination. A rundown on what works and what doesn't:

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/070525.html

STAFF REPORT

Dear Straight Dope:

What in blazes is going on with the world's bees? I keep reading all these
stories about how a significant percentage of the world's beehives are
failing and that all the bees are dying. No one seems to know why, but
there are explanations aplenty, ranging from global warming to mites to,
of all things, cell phones! What's worse, some of these stories quote
Albert Einstein's predictions that if the world's bees were ever to die
off, owing to the lack of pollinators, humanity would follow about four
years later. Is there anything we can do about this? If the bees all die,
are there any substitute pollinators we can use? Or is Einstein right and
we're all doomed? —Rich Swank, Orlando, FL

SDSTAFF Doug replies:

Not to brag, but thanks to Wikipedia I've become the #1 authority on
disappearing bees. Type "colony collapse disorder" into Google and hit
return – the top hit is the Wikipedia page I maintain on the subject. (In
real life I'm an entomologist with the University of California at
Riverside.) Here's a summary.

First and most important: There are some 20,000 species of bees in the
world, and many thousands more types of pollinating insects. What you're
hearing about, "colony collapse disorder," affects one species of bee –
the European honey bee. That species happens to be the one global
agriculture relies upon for about 30% of its pollination requirements. So
while we're not talking about losing all the world's pollinators, we are
talking about losing a significant fraction of them. That's the worst-case
scenario, with the species wiped out completely.

Second . . . 

For more, see: 
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mvanishingbees.htm

STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC - 09/14/1990

Dear Cecil: 

Pretty soon we'll be starting a new decade (since, as all educated people
realize, decades start with a one, not a zero). This got me wondering. AD
1991 means "in the year of our Lord 1991." [Ed. note: This question was
originally published in 1990, but it has a certain continuing relevance.]
When did this system start? I assume that after Christ was crucified, it
wasn't just a matter of people saying, "Truly, he was the Son of God.
Better renumber the calendar." What numbering system did Christ's
contemporaries use? --Rob Rodi, Chicago

Cecil replies:

Good question, Robster, but first let me congratulate you on getting the
facts straight on the new decade not starting until the end of 1990, 2000,
etc. When I pointed this out on New Year's Day, 1990, one woman cried out
in anguish, "My God, you mean it's still the 80s?" She had my sympathy,
but facts is facts.

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_376.html

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