* The latest weapons in the war against bedbugs, which have become an epidemic in New York City are Mardi Gras, Jada, and Taz. Canine teams from Advanced Canine Dectives from Connecticut can search a 200 room hotel for the bloodsucking pests in just 8 hours, accurately pinpointing sources of infestation. www.advancedk9detectives.com
*The largest animal eye belongs to Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, the colossal squid. A specimen caught in April in New Zealand had eyes measuring 11 inches across. www.softpedia.com 5/5/08
* Veterinary Pet Insurance polled more than 3000 of its policyholders and found that 42% involved or planned to include a pet in their nuptials. According to popular wedding Web site The Knot, the trend is tres' bon. "It's actually a great way for you to personalize your wedding." www.vpi.com, www.theknot.com
* An extensive genetic study suggests that severe droughts occuring between 90,000 and 135,000 years ago reduced the number of early humans to as low as 2000. The U.S. Census Bureau calculated our number at 6,671,275,141 as of June 1. www.cnn.com 4/24/08
* It's more fun than hard science, but Pooch IQ promises to objectively rate a dog's reasoning, memory, persistence, and problem-solving skills using toys and games. The Pooch IQ scale, which runs from 55 to 150, includes labels such as dased and confused, not so bright, pretty clever, smarty pants, and absolute genius. www.poochiq.com
