Officials in Orange County said Thursday that the rocks that spontaneously ignited inside a woman's shorts pocket were, indeed, coated in phosphorus, but still can't explain how the chemical came to be on the rocks in the first place.
Really, Scientists? Burning Pocket Rocks STILL a Mystery
Local Birds Used to Get Drunk And Slam Into Windows, Study Says
Between 2005 and 2007, Angelenos noticed that almost entire flocks of cedar waxwings were slamming into their windows and fences in broad daylight. Residents sent them off to a lab to figure out why the heck the birds were dying en masse, and now a Journal of Ornithology study (via a New Scientist article) explains what happened.
If Conserving Water Caused 101 City Pipes to Burst, Officials Now Say It's Time to Rethink How We Save Water
Water conservation strategies implemented last year are considered the main reason for a series of unprecedented 101 major water main breaks last summer and fall, and now city officials say they are open to making changes in the water conservation program, according to LA Now.
Is the 'Big One' 15 Years Late and Counting?
It seems the San Andreas fault has a habit of shaking us up pretty badly once every 137 years, and scientists from UC Irvine believe we are long overdue for the "Big One." The last "massive" earthquake to rumble along the infamous fault line was in 1857, "when one struck at an estimated magnitude of 7.9," according to an AP article in the Long Beach Press-Telegram. That means the next major quake is now 15 years behind schedule on the San Andreas; the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, whose 15-year-anniversary was last weekend, was a magnitude 6.7, however it was mainly centered on the Northridge (sometimes called Pico) Thrust, not the San Andreas. Several recent small earthquakes are serving as a reminder that here in Southern California we've built our cities on Mother Nature's turf, and the "Big One" could hit us at any moment--one very "Big" reason to focus on preparedness and safety.
AM Randomness (Because We've Got Insomnia)
- UCLA Hoops is #1... wait it's nowhere near March - SI - LA Fire Department's Hottest Holiday Gifts - LAFD Blog - Hey Pervy High School Teachers: Here's a List of the Age of Consent around the World - Avert.org - Hey Now... it's TV Land's 100 Greatest TV Quotes - PR Newswire - Tony Soprano hurt while getting head-butted - ContactMusic - Sometimes you want to sign up for something on the...

