5 Things: Researchers Baffled by Dwindling NH Moose

1. Moose Die Off Baffles Researchers: New Hampshire's moose population has fallen from roughly 7,000 to closer to 4,600, and Jackson Hole, Wyo. is down to less than 1,000, in contrast to the state goal of 3,600 animals. Meanwhile, declines in Montana have led to a 40 percent reduction in available hunting tags between 1995 and 2010. According to the Wildlife Management Institute, the only place that has shown a growing population of moose is Maine. Possible culprits include ticks and brain worms, although more conclusive research is needed. Read more here.

2. Guess Who's a New Englander of the Year?:  The New England Council—the nation’s oldest regional business association — will present its prestigious New Englander of the Year Awards at its 2013 Annual Dinner Wednesday night in Boston. Approximately 1,500 Council members and guests, including business leaders from all six New England states, are expected to attend. Honorees include: Sen. Kelly Ayotte; Kenneth Feinberg, Administrator of The One Fund Boston; Robert Reynolds, President & CEO, Putman Investments; George Wein, Chairman, Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc.; and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who will receive a lifetime achievement award.

3. 3D Printing in Metal: Fascinating! The European Space Agency says it plans to take 3D printing into the metal age by building parts for jets, spacecraft and nuclear fusion projects. 3D printing, or "additive manufacturing," has already been used to quickly and inexpensively create plastic products, and researchers are working to adapt the technology to metal parts. Printing metal parts for rockets and planes would cut waste and save money, the researchers said, and the "layered printing" method also allows the creation of intricate designs featuring geometries impossible to achieve with conventional metal casting. Read more here.

4. Cave Grrrl Art Rockers: New research supports the notion that early cave painters in Europe were predominantly women. Pennsylvania State University anthropologist Dean Snow, only 10 percent of the handprints on cave walls in Spain and France were left by adult males. Another 15 percent of them were put there by adolescent males. The remaining 75 percent of the handprints in Spain and France were left by females. Rock on, ladies.

5. This is Not News to Me: A new study shoews Oreo cookies are as addictive as drugs. The study by students at Connecticut College found that when the rats ate Oreos they formed an equally strong association with the cookies as when other rats were injected with cocaine or morphine. Additionally, researchers found eating the cookies activated even more neurons in the rats’ brain “pleasure centers” than the addictive drugs.