“After the discovery of the remains of seven 1-metre-high hominids, presumably Snow White is assisting the police with their inquiries.”
Letter to The Guardian, London (29 October), on the discovery of a new human species, Homo floresiensis
“The existence of ‘Mini-Man’ should destroy religion.”
Advertisement
Anthropologist and author Desmond Morris commenting on the same discovery (BBC Online, 29 October)
“This time next year, let’s be laughing together.”
The ultimate chat-up line, devised by a panel in Japan after painstaking psychological research. The phrase is meant to imply commitment and mutual enjoyment (The Times, London, 1 November)
“Humans share DNA whenever we have the chance.”
Lynn Jorde from the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City on why race is not a useful tool in human genetics (American Society of Human Genetics meeting, Toronto, 27 October)
“It’s too late to apologise, but it’s a symbolic recognition that these people were put to death for hysterical ignorance and paranoia.”
Historian Roy Pugh on a pardon issued last week in Prestonpans, Scotland, for 3500 people, and their cats, executed up to 1727 for witchcraft (CNN.com, 29 October)
“Porn, gambling, violence and similar problems have adversely affected the healthy development of the internet in China.”
Culture ministry official Zhang Xinjian on why the Chinese government has closed 1600 internet cafes (Associated Press, 1 November)
