Not for your ping lists necessarily, but your interest.
Does that mean you're a hybrid?
Finally, something useful out of the NYT.
Well, maybe.
Wow, I can sleep at nights now!
j/k I actually think this is very interesting.
So I guess French people squirt liquid earwax streams sideways?
Shouldn't this be in "Breaking News"?
Please allow me to be the first:
This is HUGH and SERIES!!!
(It's good to know that the gene folks are working on the important stuff first.)
FWIW, I was once working in the lab, searching for resonant frequencies of piezoelectric crystals, which we had groen * hand polished, and while tuning the freqs my ear emitted a huge ball of earwax. EUREKA! Funny how so many discoveries occur when one really isn't searching for that thing anyways.
http://www.tchain.com/otoneurology/disorders/hearing/wax2.html
Ear wax defined
Ear wax is a normal product of the ear which protects the skin of the ear from water and infection. Ear wax is formed from wax glands in the external ear canal as well as other components such as dead skin, sweat, and oil. The primary component of ear wax is keratin (derived from dead skin). Ear wax thus differs slightly from cerumen which is the secretory product of the ceruminous glands in the external auditory canal (Hawke, 2002).
Different individuals vary considerably in the amount and consistency of their ear wax. There are two types described, wet and dry, which are inherited. Dry wax is common in Asia, while wet wax is common in western Europe. Dry wax, also known as "rice-bran wax", contains by weight about 20% lipid (fat). Oddly enough, rice-bran wax is associated with a lower incidence of breast cancer (Hawke, 2002).
Wet wax consists of approximately 50% lipid (Burkhart et al, 2000). Wet wax can be either soft or hard, the hard wax being more likely to be impacted. While ear wax is generally simply felt to be a nuisance, in medieval times, ear wax was used as a component of pigment for illumination of manuscripts (Petrakis, 2000). Too little ear wax increases the risk of infection (Fairey et al, 1985). Too much wax also increases the incidence of infection and hearing loss. So, you want just enough.
While we are not aware of a study of this, some people (and some ears) are "wax producers", and others remain wax free without much maintenence.
What can go wrong with ear wax ?
Wax can plug up the ear, causing hearing to be reduced, and a full feeling in the ear
Wax can trap bacteria in the ear, leading to infection. This is usually painful or at least itchy.
Ear wax can obscure vision when the doctor looks in your ears, possibly hiding a dangerous process.
lets hope we didnt pay a fortune in taxes to fund this study.
Whew, glad these scientists have this solved. Now they can move onto some serious study - navel lint.
Genes for earwax but not for the stuff between the ears.
That's just a little too much information.
Dry or wet. What about chunky?
Mine used to be wet when I lived on the Gulf coast. Now that I am in the desert, it's dry.
"They write that earwax type and armpit odor are correlated"
Does this mean that you only have to clean the wax out of your ears when your BO gets really strong? Who woulda thought it?
I wonder how many millions were pissed away on this research grant?
Aren't they those planes that fly around and provide radar tracking and early warning in combat areas?
Oh, EARwax! I didn't hear it right the first time.