FAST FORWARD

Published: Jun 25, 2007

Invasion Of The Frogs

Most of us have better things to worry about than invading frogs, but the critters are making Steve Johnson jump. The invasive Cuban tree frog is now a resident of south and central Florida, and populations are moving north - a problem that could threaten native amphibians, says the assistant professor of food and agricultural science at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

The Cuban species is much larger than most tree frogs - a formidable 6 inches in length - and makes a meal out of its smaller cousins. Cuban tree frogs adapt well to residential areas and can enter a house through open pipes and windows. They have been found in toilets around the state.

"The frogs are around just about everybody's homes in south and central Florida," Johnson says. "That may or may not be a problem, depending on how wildlife friendly you are."

Johnson is more concerned about the frogs becoming permanent residents and competing with native species for food. He has noticed that few if any other frogs live in the vicinity of the Cuban variety. By the way, people shouldn't touch the frogs, Johnson says, because they secrete a liquid that can irritate the skin.

Children And Smoke

Children who have at least one parent who smokes have more than five times higher levels of cotinine - a byproduct of nicotine - in their systems than children in a nonsmoke environment, according to a study in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. The biggest danger is mothers who smoke, the researchers say.

Second-hand smoke may be responsible for up to 6,000 childhood deaths a year in the Unites States, suggesting that antismoking laws that protect people in public places should also apply to the home, the report says.

Apollo 13 Redux

If you haven't heard the story behind one of America's most gripping space missions, tune in "Critical Situation: Apollo 13," a new documentary airing at 9 p.m. Tuesday on the National Geographic Channel. Apollo 13 was NASA's third scheduled manned lunar-landing mission, but an oxygen tank explosion on April 11, 1970, threw the crew into peril. The documentary brings to life this near-tragic situation 200,000 miles from home and explains the innovative strategies that brought the crew back safely.

Science Stumper

Mike Talbot of Tampa was the first of many readers to offer the correct answer to our most recent trivia question: What is the highest IQ ever measured on the Stanford-Binet intelligence test, and who was it? Answer: 228, belonging to Marilyn vos Savant, who writes a brain-teaser column for Parade magazine.

Now for today's stumper: What plant has the largest seed? Send your answers to kloft@tampatrib.com. No phone calls, please.

Kurt Loft