Brain-navigation work earns Nobel


Brain-navigation work earns Nobel

STOCKHOLM

How do we remember where we parked the car? And how do we figure out a shortcut to work when there’s a big traffic jam?

The brain, it turns out, has a GPS-like function that enables people to produce mental maps and navigate the world — a discovery for which three scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine Monday.

Husband-and-wife scientists Edvard Moser and May-Britt Moser of Norway and New York-born researcher John O’Keefe were honored for breakthroughs in experiments on rats that could help pave the way for a better understanding of human diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Seattle replaces Columbus with indigenous people

SEATTLE

The Seattle City Council is replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the city.

The resolution that passed unanimously Monday celebrates the contributions and culture of Native Americans and the indigenous community on the second Monday in October, the same day as the federally recognized Columbus Day.

Tribal members and other supporters say the move recognizes the rich history of people who have inhabited the area.

Several Italian-Americans and others objected, saying Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors one group while disregarding the Italian heritage of others.

Koreas’ warships exchange shots

SEOUL, South Korea

Warships from the rival Koreas exchanged warning shots today after a North Korean ship briefly violated the disputed western sea boundary, a South Korean defense official said.

The shots were fired into the sea, and there have been no reports of injuries and damage to the ships of either side, the official said on condition of anonymity, citing office policy.

Such exchanges are not uncommon at the sea boundary, the scene of several deadly maritime skirmishes between the Koreas in recent years. But the latest incident happened three days after a group of high-profile North Korean officials made a surprise visit to South Korea and agreed to resume senior-level talks.

Sexting: the new normal for teens?

LOS ANGELES

Sexting may be part of the new normal for teenagers who are on the verge of becoming sexually active, new research shows.

Teens who told researchers they had sent naked pictures of themselves to someone in 2011 were nearly one-third more likely to be sexually active in 2012 than teens who had sent no such messages the year before, according to a study published Monday by the journal Pediatrics.

However, teens who sent explicit photos of themselves in email or text messages were no more likely than other teens to report having had many sexual partners in the previous year; to have had sex without a condom; or to have used drugs or alcohol before having sex.

Child thinks heroin is candy, shares it

SELBYVILLE, Del.

Authorities say a 4-year-old girl in Delaware passed out packets of heroin she found in her mother’s backpack to her day-care mates, thinking they contained candy.

The Delaware State Police said in a news release that the girl found the bags Monday in a backpack her mom gave her to use after hers was ruined by a family pet. The pack contained 249 bags of heroin weighing 3.7 grams.

Day care providers at the Hickory Tree Child Care Center in Selbyville called police when they noticed some children with the bags.

Combined dispatches

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