The Lonely Gene

If you8217;re feeling lonely, perhaps you should blame your genes. That8217;s what scientists at the University of Chicago and in the Netherlands found when they studied sets of twins to see whether there is a genetic predisposition to loneliness. There is.

If you8217;re feeling lonely, perhaps you should blame your genes. That8217;s what scientists at the University of Chicago and in the Netherlands found when they studied sets of twins to see whether there is a genetic predisposition to loneliness. There is. Researchers found that about 50 percent of identical twins and 25 percent of fraternal twins shared similar characteristics of loneliness. That8217;s powerful evidence that feeling lonely can be inherited, because twins raised together share similar environmental influences as well as similar genes. That makes it easier to determine the role genes play, University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo says in the latest issue of the journal Behavioral Genetics.

A PDA for Pets

What8217;s that cute dog walker8217;s name again? And when is Toto8217;s next play date? The Pet Master thepetmaster.com might be able to help you find the answers. To some, this PDA for your pet yes, you read that right may seem ridiculous, but for those who want to compartmentalise the hectic lives of Fido and Fluffy, this paw-shaped device is just the ticket. Approximately the same size as most humans8217; personal digital assistants, the Pet Master is designed to help you organise and store the various appointments and contacts associated with up to four pets8212;checkups, groomings, vaccination schedules and play dates. For the oblivious or obsessed, it offers an alarm system that goes off when it8217;s treat time or a birthday, and it comes with an encyclopaedia of cat and dog information, from health tips to trivia. It also comes stored with information that could prove useful on the road, such as lists of emergency vets in the US and Canada, as well as pet-friendly hotels and motels. We won8217;t yank your paw too hard: Without a proper alphabet and number keypad, data entry can be annoying, but the Pet Master offers enough useful information to make it a scheduler with entertainment value built-in.