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2. THE LARGEST AMBER DEPOSITS IN THE WORLD ARE IN THE BALTIC REGION.
7. SCIENTISTS HAVE TRIED TO EXTRACT DNA FROM INSECTS TRAPPED WITHIN IT.
Despite the success of the movie franchise Jurassic Park, in which fictional
scientists reanimate dinosaurs from DNA trapped in amber, real scientists have
not successfully extracted functioning DNA from insects trapped in amber, though
they haven’t given up trying. (Reports from the early 1990s of 120-million-year-
old insect DNA have been thoroughly discounted.) DNA, it turns out, has a half-
life of 521 years. That means in 521 years, half of the bonds between nucleotides
in a DNA sample will have broken; after another 521 years half of the remaining
bonds would have gone; and so on.
10. SOME BELIEVE AMBER HAS HEALING POWERS AND THE POWER TO WARD OFF WITCHES.
Much folklore exists around the “powers” of amber through the ages. Before modern
medicine, amber was worn as a necklace or charm, or carried around in small bags,
as a remedy against gout, rheumatism, sore throats, toothache, and stomachache.
In fact, some modern parents still purchase their children Baltic amber necklaces
with the belief that it helps prevent the pain of teething. While no science
confirms that it relieves pain, there is a small amount of research suggesting
that succinic acid, which is found in Baltic amber, may be beneficial. However,
most doctors are dubious of the claims there is enough acid in a necklace to have
any effect, or that it can be released from amber into the skin.
It was also believed that amber could help labor progress, and protect against
snakebites, or that it contained powerful magic protection against evil forces
and witchcraft.
11. HUMANS HAVE USED AMBER IN JEWELRY SINCE AT LEAST 11,000 BCE.
Amber which was polished and carved to make jewelry or decorations dating back to
11,000 BCE. has been found at archeological sites in England. It was used to make
varnish as long ago as 250 BCE and powdered amber was used in incense.