A study of humans and chimpanzees has provided new evidence to support the theory that our ancestors evolved to walk upright for the simple reason that doing so saves energy.

The study, which used treadmills, shows that people walking on two legs use 25% of the energy used by chimps who "knuckle walk" on all fours. Researchers hope that future fossil findings will reveal the precise anatomical changes that enabled our ancestors to take up bipedalism.

heh. I can't wait till gym trainers convince people that they'll loose 4 times as much weight if they walk like a monkey on the tread mill. I want pictures.

Walking on two feet was an energy-saving step - life - 16 July 2007 - New Scientist

"Most people hit by lightning get away with minor burns. It's because skin is highly resistant and stops electricity from entering the body. It's called the flash-over effect, although it can stop your heart and kill you, as between five to 10 per cent of people struck by lightning die each year," Heffernan said Wednesday.

"But in this case, the patient had earphones on and had been sweating from jogging so this was a case of disrupted flash-over. The earphones transmitted the electrical current into his head. It's the first time we've had a recorded case of such an incident involving a person wearing headphones and we think the public should be warned," Heffernan said.

I'd like to see an ipod commercial featuring this scenario.

iPod shocker: Lightning electrifies jogger's head

Your not alone!!!!!

This page is your resource for highly uncommon phobias -- many of which you won't even find in the most comprehensive of books about Phobias. ALL, however, are 100% legitimate (as far as I know).

Send me descriptions of unusual phobias you currently have or may have experienced in the past. Feel free to suggest a name for it if it's 'unlisted'. This page thrives off your various neuroses!

So my roommate and I were doing some research and typed "things that come in clusters" in to our search engine and got this page full of submissions of people who have a fear of things in clusters. This is intriguing to me....

Scare of something strange or weird?

NEW YORK (AP) -- A peacock that roamed into the parking lot of a Burger King in New York City was beaten by a man who insisted it was a vampire.

All the cameras in the world, and no one taped this...

Man�pummels�'vampire' peacock - CNN.com

WASHINGTON — A massive toy recall could have millions of parents taking their children's favourite toys away.

On Wednesday, RC2 Corp. recalled about 1.5 million Thomas the Tank Engine wooden railway toys in Canada and the United States, due to concerns that the paint used on them may contain lead.

First the pet food... now lead paint. Factory terrorism is plausibly deniable.

globeandmail.com: Major recall of Thomas the Tank Engine trains due to lead fears

Each item was purchased, taken home, and photographed immediately. Nothing
was tampered with, run over by a car, or anything of the sort. It is an accurate
representation in every case. Shiny, neon-orange, liquefied pump-cheese, and all.

Fast Food: Ads vs. Reality

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - A Dutch reality show that claims to be trying to draw attention to a shortage of organ donors said Tuesday it would go ahead with a program in which a terminally ill woman will choose a contestant to receive one of her kidneys.

The program, "Big Donor Show," has been attacked as unethical and tasteless. One member of the Dutch parliament suggested the government should block Friday's broadcast.

Dutch show has kidney donation contest - Yahoo! News

We know, returning to work after an all-too-short long weekend leaves you just wanting more time off, but rather than skimming through those pictures you snapped and refusing to get back in the groove, why not force your brain to meditate and release those negative vibes? In an admittedly bizarre how-to guide, the folks over at MAKE have detailed b>Mitch Altman's Brain Machine, which reportedly enables you to slip into deep thought, sleep, or peaceful nirvana by syncing up your brain waves with pulsing lights and sounds. Odd as it may sound, the homegrown trip inducer purportedly utilizes an SLM (Sound and Light Machine) to "phase in new brain states by switching frequencies back and forth." Of course, we're still a bit hesitant to put our retinas at risk in order to legally experience hallucinations, but be sure to hit the read link for the step-by-step guide, and tap the via if you're interested in catching a video before subjecting yourself.

Looks like Mitch Altman might have beaten apple and nintendo.

Brain Machine legally induces mind trip - Engadget

Some people love their laptops more than anything else in the world. Others are sexually aroused by musical instruments or buildings. Experts are trying to understand a bizarre sexual obsession known as objectophilia.

Sandy K.'s relationship to the Twin Towers is somewhat unusual.

If there were only a third tower...

Objectophilia, Fetishism and Neo-Sexuality: Falling in Love with Things - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News

The little blue pill known for making time in the bed more enjoyable may also help weary jet travelers roll out of it in the morning.

Viagra-
now helps you get it up all the way to the sky.

ABC News: Jet Lagged? Viagra May Help