the buzz log

Could one of the biggest states in the USA be split into four? What sort of monumental discovery did scientists announce this week? And could the Tasmanian Devil really be on the verge of extinction? Take a load off and catch up on these stories and more with the Buzz Week in Review.

California: Breaking up is hard to do
California's budget problems are kind of like the boy who cried "wolf." Nobody pays attention anymore. Well, hardly anybody. A radical idea that would split California into four distinct states garnered some attention on the Buzz. Commenters chimed in with their thoughts. Some even suggested names including Calidormia (for the "bedroom communities and burbs all across the state") and Califarmia (for the huge agricultural regions). The commenter notes that Calinormia could make for a nice state, but, alas, normal doesn't exist out west. Experts argue that the proposal doesn't have a chance of working, but we say "never say never." This is the state the elected Conan the Destroyer, after all.

The no-longer-missing link?
Folks who subscribe to the theory of evolution have long wondered about the famed missing link: That creature that connected human beings with other mammals. Turns out, scientists may have found it. They've been studying it for two years, but the find was kept a secret until recently. And what a find it is: the fossilized remains of a 47-million-year-old primate. A Guardian article detailing the fossil's finding was among the week's most popular stories. It explains that the fossil will have a huge impact on the study of human history and its images will likely be found in text books for the next 100 years. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the fossil was named "Ida," after the daughter of one of the scientists.

Tough times for the Devil
Australia's Tasmanian Devil is officially endangered. The "world's largest surviving marsupial carnivore" is suffering from a deadly and contagious cancer. An extremely popular article from the AP details the animal's plight. Apparently, the creature's population is down 70% since the disease was first reported back in 1996. Searches on "tasmanian devil" and "pictures of tasmanian devil" both surged during the week. We even noticed a slight uptick in lookups on "why is it called the tasmanian devil." The AP has you covered: early European settlers named the creature the devil "for its spine-chilling screeches, dark appearance, and reputed bad temper." The Australian government is committing millions of dollars to help save the species. Hopefully it will continue to freak people out for years to come.

Also buzzing this week...
• Some show called "American Idol" crowned its champion. We never heard of it, but whatever.
• A British couple traveled 4,000 miles to adopt a cat named Sparky.
• Green Day isn't pleased with Wal-Mart's refusal to stock its album.