Silly/Odd News Stories from around the World

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by FateAnomaly

Just to show they had no sincerity in giving the presents. They don't even bother to see what they are giving out.

Politicians don't bother. They are more interested in the number of votes in the next election.

Apparently their actions for massaging the citizens into voting for them backfired.

[MrTerrorist]

Residents of Lustful Court in the American state of Georgia have been told they must start a petition if they want a less provocative street name.

[AnimeFan188]

"A team of astrophysicists based in Australia and England has uncovered
evidence that the laws of physics are different in different parts of the universe.

The team -- from the University of New South Wales, Swinburne University of
Technology and the University of Cambridge -- has submitted a report of the
discovery for publication in the journal Physical Review Letters. A preliminary
version of the paper is currently under peer review.

The report describes how one of the supposed fundamental constants of Nature
appears not to be constant after all. Instead, this 'magic number' known as the
fine-structure constant -- 'alpha' for short -- appears to vary throughout the
universe."

See:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0909004112.htm

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by AnimeFan188

"A team of astrophysicists based in Australia and England has uncovered
evidence that the laws of physics are different in different parts of the universe.

The team -- from the University of New South Wales, Swinburne University of
Technology and the University of Cambridge -- has submitted a report of the
discovery for publication in the journal Physical Review Letters. A preliminary
version of the paper is currently under peer review.

The report describes how one of the supposed fundamental constants of Nature
appears not to be constant after all. Instead, this 'magic number' known as the
fine-structure constant -- 'alpha' for short -- appears to vary throughout the
universe."

See:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0909004112.htm

scifi already beat them to it

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starshield

[Qikz]

Lucky black cat Jack is down to eight after surviving being impaled on a rusty fence

So glad the poor cats alright (UK btw).

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Qikz

So glad the poor cats alright (UK btw).

How embarrassing for a cat ... he couldn't quite say "yeah, I *meant* to do that".

[AnimeFan188]

"Have you ever lazily wished you could just use a tractor beam to grab that out-
of-reach object? Apparently, you can. Using only light, Australian researchers say
they are able to move small particles almost five feet through the air."

See:

http://gizmodo.com/5632911/working-t...ith-just-light

[Xellos-_^]

Augmented Reality (AR), a body of technologies which merge the real world with the virtual world, seems to have given rise to what may be its “killer app” (for creepy otaku at any rate) – software which grants the user the ability to grope a virtual schoolgirl, in this case IdolMaster’s

http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2010/0...reast-groping/

another step closer to the extinction of the human race.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Qikz

So glad the poor cats alright (UK btw).

OMH POOR KITTY! Someone shoot the fence owner for putting up the fence!

Researchers Successfully Translate Brainwaves Into Words

In a recent study, researchers at the University of Utah successfully translated brainwaves into words, a huge breakthrough that could eventually give paralyzed patients a new way to communicate.

The trials, which involve placing a grid of electrodes directly on an epileptic subject's brain, are preliminary—only that one individual has been tested, and when the entire pool of words, ten in all, were used, they were only identified with 48% accuracy. But when limited simply to "yes" and "no," researchers were able read the brainwaves accurately 90% of the time.

Those results are extremely promising. Bradley Greger, a bioengineer at the University of Utah who worked on the studies, explains:

With some paralyzed patients' means of communication limited to blinking their eyelids or wiggling their finger, this research has profound potential

And the best suggestion for its use (in the commentary section)

It should be mandatory for all politicians to wear this when speaking so we can know what they are really thinking.

[Jinto]

Originally Posted by AnimeFan188

"Have you ever lazily wished you could just use a tractor beam to grab that out-
of-reach object? Apparently, you can. Using only light, Australian researchers say
they are able to move small particles almost five feet through the air."

See:

http://gizmodo.com/5632911/working-t...ith-just-light

So, this basically would not work without atmosphere (as for example in space). I don't know, but when reading these headlines I was hoping for more?

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Jinto

So, this basically would not work without atmosphere (as for example in space). I don't know, but when reading these headlines I was hoping for more?

They'd have to test the laser/light on electromagnetically charged surfaces. That should solve alot of problems.

[Xellos-_^]

not exactly news but is there anything more relaxing then watching photos of cats being cats

http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2010/0...-cats-gallery/

[Vexx]

People who know cats (since you don't actually own one, it just lives with you) might like this website and series of little videos:
Simon's Cat
http://www.simonscat.com/

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

not exactly news but is there anything more relaxing then watching photos of cats being cats

http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2010/0...-cats-gallery/

<snip>

Cuddling real catgirls.

[ChainLegacy]

I'll take the real cats any day (though I'm more of a dog guy myself, my family currently has two English Golden Retriever puppies).

[Washu-Chan]

Gawker: Stupid California Police Warn Parents of Pedobear, the 'Pedophile Mascot' (Updated)

[Kotohono]

Bandai Announces Linkin Park Gundam

Bandai and US rock band Linkin Park have announced an unusual collaboration in the form of a limited edition HGUC 1/144 RX-78GP01Fb Gundam GP01Fb Full Vernian “Linkin Park Edition.”

The gunpla is bundled with the deluxe edition of Linkin Park’s latest album, “A Thousand Suns.”

One of the songs on the album, “The Catalyst,” is used in Bandai Namco’s arcade gundam fighting game Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs, somewhat explaining the link.

Available in Japan on November 24th, the album will include the gunpla, the colour scheme of which was allegedly designed by the band members themselves, and also special box art portraying the band members in Gundam style.

This is the most random thing I've heard of in quite a while .

[Haruka_Kitten]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

not exactly news but is there anything more relaxing then watching photos of cats being cats

hahaha, I need to be in there XD

Exposure to chemical TBT causes female snails to grow penises on heads

Originally Posted by Exposure to chemical TBT causes female snails to grow penises on heads

FEMALE marine snails living off the Perth coast are growing male sex organs on their heads after exposure to the chemical TBT, according to local researchers.

Curtin University researchers have revealed the snails are suffering from imposex, a condition that involves the development of a second sex organ after being exposed to the chemical.

Unlike garden snails, which are hermaphrodites, this species of marine snail has distinct sexes.

Curtin's Department of Environment and Agriculture Associate Professor Monique Gagnon said studies on the marine snail Thais orbita over the past 10 years showed that although TBT contamination had declined at sites visited by recreational boats, a 100 per cent rate of imposex still existed at sites where commercial vessels were present.

"These high levels are believed to be related to the continuous input of TBT into the area over a period of years, resulting in the presence of significant quantities in the sediment on the sea floor," she said.

Associate Professor Gagnon said Fremantle port and the Garden Island naval facility were the main sites where TBT contamination was present in the Perth region.

She said studies had shown that imposex could stop the females from procreating, potentially reducing the number of snails in the shoreline environment.

The samples of Thais orbita were collected along the Perth coast between March and June 2009.

There is only one word that is appropriate for this...dickhead XD...

Sorry, just had to say it

[Tiberium Wolf]

U.S. tourists unknowingly buy human skulls as souvenirs

Actually I LOLed at one of the comments: "If you add it all up, that would make it eight skulls without a brain."

[MrTerrorist]

Sacha Baron Cohen to play....... Freddie Mercury!!

Ali G as Freddie..... That's weird.