Cute Animal Denied ProtectionThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services announced that the American pika will not get an endangered-species status. The pika, found in the mountainous regions of Canada and North America, is a furry little herbivore measuring about 8 inches long. Pikas are social animals that usually live in the cracks between rocks and spend most of their time being cute and doing adorable stuff. Environmentalists argued that climate change can threaten the pikas’ habitat, but federal biologists concluded that the delightful fur balls would probably manage.Ancient Human ExposedScientists used a hair to decode the genome of a man who lived in Greenland about 4,000 years ago, providing evidence for the theory that Siberian people first migrated to North America around 5,500 years ago. Scientists believe that the man, nicknamed Inuk, belonged to the Saqqaq people, an ancient Eskimo culture. Using DNA sequencing, scientists were able to determine that Inuk had thick, brown hair, brown eyes, a predisposition for baldness, and dry earwax.  Study: Boredom is a Serious MatterBetween 1985 and 1988, researchers at the University College of London asked 7,500 British civil servants how often do they feel bored at their jobs. Those who admitted to feeling bored at work were two and a half times more likely to have died from a health problem by April 2009. The study does not suggest that being bored is the cause of death, but in many cases it can be a symptom of other factors. Scientists believe that someone who suffers from chronic boredom might be less motivated to exercise and eat well and therefore have a higher risk of heart problems. Boredom can also be a symptom of psychological problems like addiction.  Senior Playground to Give Old Ladies Excuse to Leave the HouseDue to the nature of the circle of life, elderly people are in many ways similar to toddlers; and like toddlers, they have needs. Officials in London plan to address those needs with a new senior playground, designed to provide low impact exercise, entertainment, and an opportunity to socialize for the older crowd. It’s not clear if a diaper changing area will also be built. Apparently, senior playgrounds are already all the rage in Russia and parts of Asia, and one can only hope that soon this initiative will find its way to the USA.  Another New Thing To Make Another Old Thing ObsoleteApple’s Pickle Has Possible ResolutionThe New York Times recently published an article questioning whether Apple Inc. should retire the beloved tradition of naming its operating system after cats. The article noted that after using the cheetah, puma, jaguar, panther, tiger, leopard and snow leopard, Apple only has two big cats left, the controversial cougar and the passé lion. Here at the Mass Media we like to think outside of the box, and we believe that it’s time for medium size cats to be represented in the mix. We’d like to officially nominate the serval as the next name for the Mac OS. Smaller, and thus cuter, than any of the cats Apple has used so far, the serval has long, slender legs, giant pointy ears and large soulful eyes. The serval can run as fast as 50 mph and jump as high as 16 feet in the air, and sometimes, while hunting, it will spend as long as 15 minutes listening for prey with eyes closed. There is no better candidate.