11 Things We Didn't Know Last Week

News, discoveries and fun ...

1. The Pinocchio lizard, long thought to be extinct, has been rediscovered in the cloud forests of Ecuador . (Learn more at  Christian Science Monitor)

 

2. "Poop pills" - capsules filled with a donor's lab-processed fecal matter - can cure Clostridium difficile (C-diff) and other serious gut infections. (Learn more at  AARP)

 

3. Erica Jong, whose groundbreaking novel  Fear of Flying turns 40 this month, says protagonist Isadora Wing would be a " passionate grandmother" if she were alive today. (Learn more at  AARP)

 

4. Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black, a retired Navy rear admiral, called out Capitol Hill lawmakers for their "hypocrisy," "smugness," and "selfishness," saying in his prayer, "Save us from the madness." (Learn more at AARP)

 

5. Right now, Americans have a much higher opinion of hemorrhoids than they do of Congress. (Learn more at Los Angeles Times)

 

6. A set of Marilyn Monroe's X-rays, taken before she had plastic surgery, will go on the auction block in November. (Read more at TODAY)

7. Miley Cyrus said she heard that age 40 is around the time "when people don't have sex anymore." (Learn more at AARP)

 

8. The identity of Apple's "Siri" was guarded so closely that the voice actor who recorded Siri's syllables and words in 2005 found it "a little creepy" to hear iPhones speak with her voice. (Learn more at  AARP)

9. Like roadkill for dinner? Montana will soon offer you the biggest take-home menu. (Learn more at Salon)

10. Scientists claim to have uncovered the secret behind optical illusions. (Learn more at Yahoo! News)

11. The new $100 bill has a 3-D security ribbon made up of hundreds of thousands of micro-lenses. (Learn more at AARP)

Bonus video: Meet the most adorable newcomer at the Belgrade Zoo in Serbia: a female white lion cub, yet to be named, born on Oct. 3 and weighing just 2.8 pounds.

 

Images: Lizard photo: Alejandro Arteaga/ Tropical Herping.com; Marilyn Monroe X-rays: Julien's Auctions; Miley Cyrus: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for The General

 

Also of Interest

• Tom Hanks Reveals He Has Diabetes. Did Fluctuating Weight Play a Role?
• Slideshow: Famous Child Stars - Where Are They Now?
• Shopping for health insurance? The health insurance marketplace is now open
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

 

See the  AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more