Excerpt: "Since the team's findings show that very similar chemical compounds are made by humans and naturally by many plants and animals, Teuten and Reddy say many more questions need to be answered, among them whether these natural compounds are affecting the health of whales or other animals that accumulate them."

*gasp* You mean we're not the only ones causing harm to nature? You mean nature might actually be somewhat responsible too? Not that we're doing a good job.. but people forget these sorts of things. -Pk

Chemical compounds found in whale blubber are from natural sources, not industrial contamination

No excerpt needed... it's just funny and interesting. So we really do look like blubbering idiots to our babies? ;-) -Pk

Babies Brainier than Thought

Excerpt: "There are also plans to invest a further US$8 million for development of a solar tower in China."

I wish they'd spend that money to help people retrofit local buildings and homes as opposed to having to waste with tranmission issues. Cheers, -Pk

Site Agreed for Australian Solar Tower, Plans for Solar Tower in China

Excerpt: "Old way: 35 grams. x number of hours. Effort to buy, change bulb. New way: 35.5 grams. 2x number of hours. Less effort to "change" bulb."

Clever. -Pk

Lightbulb 2.0: Double the Life, Halve the Materials

Excerpt: "An explosive sometimes used by terrorists does not burn when it detonates. Instead, its molecules simply fall apart. The chemist who has discovered this is so concerned by its implications that he has decided to abandon this line of research."

Whacky. -Pk

Terrorist explosive blows up without flames

Excerpt: "Other robots being developed could be much better suited to indoor tasks, however. For example, researchers at Case Western University in Cleveland, US, are working on insect-inspired bots that can overcome irregular surfaces and steps."

I welcome our new spooky electronic spook overlords. -Pk

Spherical robot provides rolling security cover

Excerpt: "And what of the people born on dates that no longer exists in the new calendar, such as 31 January, or during Newton Week? Henry suggests they celebrate on either 30 January or "consider themselves to be born on the fourth of July" (which falls on a Wednesday)."

An it doesn't stop there: "And he is not stopping with dates - Henry says the entire world should operate on Greenwich Mean Time. People in the eastern US, for example, would have to get used to eating their midday meals when the clocks read 1700. "People are adaptable if benefits are there," says Henry."

That'd be a confusing set of changes for a while. -Pk

Novel calendar system creates regular dates

Excerpt: "The rising popularity of shark cartilage extract as an anti-cancer treatment is a triumph of marketing and pseudoscience over reason, with a tragic fallout for both sharks and humans, according to a Johns Hopkins biologist writing in the Dec. 1 issue of Cancer Research."

I remember a family friend nearly fifteen years ago pumping his young daughter full of shark cartilage pills. The list of snake-oil products grows everyday and sometimes with tragic consequences.

I don't particularly like the researchers stance on electronic media but the point remains.

I'm tired so I'm going to go put on my magnetic bracelet and drink my micro-clustered/ionized water while listening to my earth resonance CD. All while eating myself to death anyway. Cheers, -Pk

Shark Cartilage Cancer 'Cure' Shows Danger Of Pseudoscience