] A survey has lifted the veil on an unexpected secret -
] many scientists believe in ghosts.
]
] The survey of 18 scientists at Waikato University and
] Britain's Leicester University found that most were not
] willing to rule out the possibility that "some houses are
] haunted by ghosts".
]
] Many also believed it was possible that "wearing
] jewellery made out of certain crystals can help to keep
] you healthy", and that "in the past aliens from some
] other planet have landed on Earth".
]
] But most said astrology and palmistry were "almost
] certainly untrue", and all agreed there was almost
] certainly no truth in the ideas that breaking mirrors or
] "black Fridays" brought bad luck.
]
] A Waikato University researcher and joint author of the
] survey, Dr Richard Coll, said the scientists gave much
] more credence to "superstitions" than he had expected.
] "You might reasonably have expected them to say these
] things are complete nonsense," he said.
]
] "They didn't. The ones they were more likely to believe
] were aliens and ghosts. The aliens one didn't surprise me
] greatly, but the ghosts one did."
]
] The research was inspired by other surveys that found
] widespread superstitious beliefs among the public, high
] school students and science teachers.
]
] The research was inspired by other surveys that found
] widespread superstitious beliefs among the public, high
] school students and science teachers.
]
] The result: The scientists were certainly more sceptical
] than both high school students and science teachers.
] "There was only one person who was totally sceptical
] about all the propositions. She happened to be a
] biologist who was a strong atheist."
]
] There were no differences between the Waikato and
] Leicester samples.

Very interesting. Being an amateur paranormal investigator myself, it’s reassuring to know that some scientists ARE looking at our research with an open mind.

Laughing Boy

New Zealand News - NZ - Ghosts lurking in scientist minds

] University of Michigan graduate student David Van Mater
] had expected to see tumors growing on the shaved backs of
] a group of experimental lab mice.
]
] He had activated a cell-signaling protein called
] beta-catenin that is known to prompt development of
] several forms of cancer. But what he saw was that the
] bare skin of the mice was rapidly growing new hair -- so
] fast that the bald patches were completely filled in
] within 15 days.
]
] Writing in the May issue of the journal Genes and
] Development published today, Van Mater and supervisors at
] the university's medical school report that the one-time
] activation was sufficient to regrow missing hair.
]
] But the research, while suggesting some potential
] strategies for inducing hair growth, won't bring an end
] to comb-overs anytime soon.

I can imagine the researcher's surprise - this seems a lot like planting turnips and getting roses.

Ventura County Star: National

] Private investors, who have chipped in $40 million to
] develop the process, aren't the only ones who are
] impressed. The federal government has granted more than
] $12 million to push the work along. "We will be able to
] make oil for $8 to $12 a barrel," says Paul Baskis, the
] inventor of the process. "We are going to be able to
] switch to a carbohydrate economy."

Interesting! If this pans out, it really could change everything . . .

Anything into Oil