Angel >> Emergency room nurses A bow of respect to all the overburdened ER nurses who endure understaffing and continual cuts in government funding while the number of patients continues to rise. Car crashers, clumsy chainsaw operators, hypochondriacs and victims of violent crimes--remember to say thank you. These are the men and women who make losing a limb a nicer experience.

Insect >> Melting polar caps An oceanographer recently discovered a thawed patch of the Arctic Ocean at the North Pole, guesstimated as being the first in 50-million years. Everyone looks forward to spring thaw, but when hundreds of miles of Arctic tundra starts to melt, that water is going to have to run off somewhere. The fact that Montreal is surrounded by water and just a few hours' flight away makes the discovery particularly worrisome. Keep your swimtrunks handy!