Russian scientists have drilled into the vast, dark and never-before-touched Lake Vostok 2.2 miles below the surface of Antarctica, according to a source quoted Monday by Ria Novosti, a state-run Russian news agency.

“Yesterday, our scientists stopped drilling at the depth of 3,768 meters and reached the surface of the subglacial lake,” the source was quoted as saying. The news agency described the source as saying the team had “finally managed to pierce” the ice sheet into Vostok.

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II Marks 60 Years On The Throne – [USA Today]

As the Jubilee celebrations commence this summer, most Britons have never known anyone else on their throne, currency and stamps. A shy, sheltered young woman, Elizabeth has grown into a dignified great-granny in a dignified hat, smiling serenely, wearing sensible shoes, clutching her handbag, waving her gloved hand.

In 1,000 years, no one else but Victoria has reigned over Britain longer, nor passed age 81 on the throne. No one has met as many people, nor traveled as far, nor been seen by more people in person or in the media.

Living Alone Means Being More Social – [NY Times]

More people live alone than at any other time in history. In prosperous American cities — Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco and Minneapolis — 40 percent or more of all households contain a single occupant. In Manhattan and in Washington, nearly one in two households are occupied by a single person.

Compared with their married counterparts, single people are more likely to spend time with friends and neighbors, go to restaurants and attend art classes and lectures. There is much research suggesting that single people get out more — and not only the younger ones.

You Don’t Know Nickelodeon’s Doug – [SplitSider]

Now that we, Doug himself, Nickelodeon (and/or the corporate entity that has subsumed it) have moved on, before you take another glance back with elegiac wonder, here are a few things you probably never knew about the series, its creator Jim Jinkins and why it may — regrettably — be the last of its kind…