Not Just A High - Science News

Not Just A High - Science News: "Scientists test medicinal marijuana against MS, inflammation and cancer"

Placebo effect works even if patients know they're getting a sham drug | Science | guardian.co.uk

Placebo effect works even if patients know they're getting a sham drug | Science | guardian.co.uk: "Study suggests patients benefit from the placebo effect even when told explicitly that they're taking an 'inert substance'"

Pat Robertson tells '700 Club' viewers current marijuana laws should be changed | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times

Pat Robertson tells '700 Club' viewers current marijuana laws should be changed | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times: "Pat Robertson tells '700 Club' viewers current marijuana laws should be changed"

'Singing Mouse' Made With Genetic Modification : Discovery News

'Singing Mouse' Made With Genetic Modification : Discovery News: "Japanese scientists said Tuesday they had produced a mouse that tweets like a bird in a genetically engineered 'evolution' which they hope will shed light on the origins of human language."

Study by 8-year-olds published in prestigious science journal - Yahoo! News

Study by 8-year-olds published in prestigious science journal - Yahoo! News: "Biology Letters, a peer-reviewed journal of Britain's Royal Society, on Wednesday published a report (PDF, complete with colored-pencil diagrams) on how bumblebees see colors and patterns -- conducted and written by a group of 8- to 10-year-olds in Devon, England."

The inhumane conditions of Bradley Manning's detention - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com

The inhumane conditions of Bradley Manning's detention - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com: "Bradley Manning, the 22-year-old U.S. Army Private accused of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks, has never been convicted of that crime, nor of any other crime. Despite that, he has been detained at the U.S. Marine brig in Quantico, Virginia for five months -- and for two months before that in a military jail in Kuwait -- under conditions that constitute cruel and inhumane treatment and, by the standards of many nations, even torture."

I.B.M. Supercomputer 'Watson' to Challenge 'Jeopardy' Stars - NYTimes.com

I.B.M. Supercomputer 'Watson' to Challenge 'Jeopardy' Stars - NYTimes.com: "An I.B.M. supercomputer system named after the company’s founder, Thomas J. Watson Sr., is almost ready for a televised test: a bout of questioning on the quiz show “Jeopardy.”"

Ron Paul: ‘What we need is more WikiLeaks’ | Raw Story

Ron Paul: ‘What we need is more WikiLeaks’ | Raw Story: "Popular Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul is no stranger to breaking with his party, but in a recent television appearance the libertarian-leaning Rep. went even further than any member of Congress in defending whistleblower website WikiLeaks."

Was John Lennon's murderer Mark Chapman a CIA hitman? Thirty years on, there's an extraordinary new theory | Mail Online

Was John Lennon's murderer Mark Chapman a CIA hitman? Thirty years on, there's an extraordinary new theory | Mail Online

Tetris flashback reduction effect ‘not common to all games’ - University of Oxford

Tetris flashback reduction effect ‘not common to all games’ - University of Oxford: "The computer game Tetris may have a special ability to reduce flashbacks after viewing traumatic images not shared by other types of computer game, Oxford University scientists have discovered in a series of experiments."

Tiny house movement thrives amid real estate bust - Yahoo! News

Tiny house movement thrives amid real estate bust - Yahoo! News: "GRATON, Calif. – As Americans downsize in the aftermath of a colossal real estate bust, at least one tiny corner of the housing market appears to be thriving. To save money or simplify their lives, a small but growing number of Americans are buying or building homes that could fit inside many people's living rooms, according to entrepreneurs in the small house industry."

Harvard scientists reverse the ageing process in mice – now for humans | Science | The Guardian

Harvard scientists reverse the ageing process in mice – now for humans | Science | The Guardian: "Scientists claim to be a step closer to reversing the ageing process after rejuvenating worn out organs in elderly mice. The experimental treatment developed by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, turned weak and feeble old mice into healthy animals by regenerating their aged bodies."

BBC News - Alcohol 'more harmful than heroin' says Prof David Nutt

BBC News - Alcohol 'more harmful than heroin' says Prof David Nutt: "Alcohol is more harmful than heroin or crack when the overall dangers to the individual and society are considered, according to a study in the Lancet."

For Roman Catholics, a Renewed Interest in Exorcism - NYTimes.com

For Roman Catholics, a Renewed Interest in Exorcism - NYTimes.com: "There are only a handful of priests in the country trained as exorcists, but they say they are overwhelmed with requests from people who fear they are possessed by the Devil.

Now, American bishops are holding a conference on Friday and Saturday to prepare more priests and bishops to respond to the demand. The purpose is not necessarily to revive the practice, the organizers say, but to help Catholic clergy members learn how to distinguish who really needs an exorcism from who really needs a psychiatrist, or perhaps some pastoral care."

Conservative peer Lord James of Blackheath: I'm a money washer, not a money launderer - Northern Ireland, Local & National - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Conservative peer Lord James of Blackheath: I'm a money washer, not a money launderer - Northern Ireland, Local & National - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk: "'I have had one of the biggest experiences in the laundering of terrorist money and funny money that anyone has had in the City. I have handled billions of pounds of terrorist money.'"

China may be bigger economy than US within two years – Telegraph Blogs

China may be bigger economy than US within two years – Telegraph Blogs: "Here’s a finding that will have any red-blooded American spluttering into his cornflakes. According to the Conference Board, a highly respected economic research association, China will overtake the US as the world’s biggest economy by 2012, or within two years."

BBC News - Alcohol 'more harmful than heroin' says Prof David Nutt

BBC News - Alcohol 'more harmful than heroin' says Prof David Nutt: "Alcohol is more harmful than heroin or crack when the overall dangers to the individual and society are considered, according to a study in the Lancet."

From Farm to Fridge to Garbage Can - NYTimes.com

From Farm to Fridge to Garbage Can - NYTimes.com: "How much food does your family waste?

A lot, if you are typical. By most estimates, a quarter to half of all food produced in the United States goes uneaten — left in fields, spoiled in transport, thrown out at the grocery store, scraped into the garbage or forgotten until it spoils."

t r u t h o u t | Veteran Suicides Outnumber US Military Deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan

t r u t h o u t | Veteran Suicides Outnumber US Military Deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan: "More than 1,000 veterans in California under 35 died after returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan between 2005 and 2008 - three times as many California service members who were killed in conflict overseas, according to a recently published Bay Citizen report."

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls for 9/11 investigation - Telegraph

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls for 9/11 investigation - Telegraph: "Speaking at a late night rally, he said: “I announce that the formation of an independent and neutral team to examine the facts and discover the truth of the September 11 events is the demand of all the peoples of the region and the world.”"

AFP: Canada declares Bisphenol A toxic

AFP: Canada declares Bisphenol A toxic: "OTTAWA — Canada has become the first country in the world to declare as toxic Bisphenol A, a compound used in many consumer products, despite opposition by the chemical industry."

Atheists, agnostics most knowledgeable about religion, survey says - latimes.com

Atheists, agnostics most knowledgeable about religion, survey says - latimes.com: "Report says nonbelievers know more, on average, about religion than most faithful. Jews and Mormons also score high on the U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey."

UN to appoint Earth contact for aliens | News.com.au

UN to appoint Earth contact for aliens | News.com.au

The End of Privacy: Entire City to Track People With Public Eye Scanners

The End of Privacy: Entire City to Track People With Public Eye Scanners: "Imagine a public eye scanner that can identify 50 people per minute, in motion. Now imagine that the government install these scanner systems all across an entire city. Or don't imagine it, because it's already happening, right now."

Hotter-burning sun warming the planet - Washington Times

Hotter-burning sun warming the planet - Washington Times: "'The sun has been at its strongest over the past 60 years and may now be affecting global temperatures,' said Sami Solanki, the director of the renowned Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Gottingen, Germany, who led the research.

'The sun is in a changed state. It is brighter than it was a few hundred years ago and this brightening started relatively recently -- in the last 100 to 150 years,' Mr. Solanski said."

Brain's reward system helps drive placebo effect | Reuters

Brain's reward system helps drive placebo effect | Reuters: "(Reuters Health) - Want to maximize the placebo effect? A good way to do this, according to a new study, is to tell someone they have a decent chance of getting the real treatment instead of a fake pill, but keep them guessing."

Worst heat ever - NYPOST.com

Worst heat ever - NYPOST.com: "While this month's sizzling weather may feel unbearable, with the temperature hitting a high of 97 degrees yesterday, tying a record, it pales in comparison to the heat wave that city residents endured in the summer of '96 -- 1896, that is."

Chief exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth says Devil is in the Vatican -Times Online

Chief exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth says Devil is in the Vatican -Times Online: "Chief exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth says Devil is in the Vatican"

California city approves marijuana farming - U.S. news - Life - msnbc.com

California city approves marijuana farming - U.S. news - Life - msnbc.com: "OAKLAND, California — The city of Oakland, California on Tuesday legalized large-scale marijuana cultivation for medical use and will issue up to four permits for 'industrial' cultivation starting next year."

Chinese Edge Closer to Supercomputing Record - NYTimes.com

Chinese Edge Closer to Supercomputing Record - NYTimes.com: "SAN FRANCISCO — A Chinese supercomputer has been ranked as the world’s second-fastest machine, surpassing European and Japanese systems and underscoring China’s aggressive commitment to science and technology."

Terrafugia Transition 'flying car' gets go-ahead from US air authorities - Telegraph

Terrafugia Transition 'flying car' gets go-ahead from US air authorities - Telegraph: "The Terrafugia Transition, a light aircraft that can convert into a road-legal automobile, is to go into production after being given a special weight exemption by the US Federal Aviation Administration."

Smarter Than You Think - I.B.M.'s Supercomputer to Challenge 'Jeopardy!' Champions - NYTimes.com

Smarter Than You Think - I.B.M.'s Supercomputer to Challenge 'Jeopardy!' Champions - NYTimes.com: "For the last three years, I.B.M. scientists have been developing what they expect will be the world’s most advanced “question answering” machine, able to understand a question posed in everyday human elocution — “natural language,” as computer scientists call it — and respond with a precise, factual answer."

Israel forced to defend 'Mossad spy' arrested in Poland - Telegraph

Israel forced to defend 'Mossad spy' arrested in Poland - Telegraph: "Israel has been forced to the defence of an alleged Mossad spy who has been arrested in Poland on charges of using a German passport in an operation to kill a Palestinian militant."

LOS ALAMOS / Plutonium could be missing from lab / 600-plus pounds unaccounted for, activist group says

LOS ALAMOS / Plutonium could be missing from lab / 600-plus pounds unaccounted for, activist group says: "Enough plutonium to make dozens of nuclear bombs hasn't been accounted for at the UC-run Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and may be missing, an activist group says in a new report."

Relaxed people 'heal twice as quickly' - Telegraph

Relaxed people 'heal twice as quickly' - Telegraph: "Laid-back people can heal up to twice as rapidly as those who are very stressed, research indicates."

Jun 4, 2010 Key Indicators of a New Depression Neeraj Chaudhary 321gold ...inc ...s

Jun 4, 2010 Key Indicators of a New Depression Neeraj Chaudhary 321gold ...inc ...s: "Key Indicators of a New Depression"

After Fall, Evangelical Leader Starts From Scratch : NPR

After Fall, Evangelical Leader Starts From Scratch : NPR: "'I believe the Bible teaches we should have heterosexual, monogamous relationships, and that can be inculcated into law and form families, etc. Now, that's inside the church. How that applies outside the church in civil law is a totally different discussion,' he said. 'I believe in civil law there should be total equality under the law. So if heterosexuals get certain benefits for heterosexual relationships, then homosexuals should get those same benefits in their homosexual committed relationships. And that's what I'm going to teach our people.'"

Tories ready to reopen Dr David Kelly suicide inquiry | Mail Online

Tories ready to reopen Dr David Kelly suicide inquiry | Mail Online: "The investigation into the death of weapons inspector David Kelly is likely to be reopened, it has emerged."

Are Goldman Sachs and the Megabanks Able to Wipe out an Entire Economy with a Keystroke? -- Signs of the Times News

Are Goldman Sachs and the Megabanks Able to Wipe out an Entire Economy with a Keystroke? -- Signs of the Times News: "'We don't really have a market as such anymore,' Marshall Auerback, senior fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, explained to AlterNet. 'It's a high-tech casino. And that is actually an insult to casinos, which are probably better regulated and which observe rules that make the house pay when it loses. Unlike our Frankenstein investment banks, which get government handouts.'"

New Ebola Drug 100 Percent Effective In Monkeys : NPR

New Ebola Drug 100 Percent Effective In Monkeys : NPR: "A team led by Thomas Geisbert of Boston University has used an experimental drug to protect monkeys from death after injecting them with massive doses of the most lethal strain of Ebola."

Study: Many Sunscreens May Be Accelerating Cancer - AOL News

Study: Many Sunscreens May Be Accelerating Cancer - AOL News: "WASHINGTON (May 24) -- Almost half of the 500 most popular sunscreen products may actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer because they contain vitamin A or its derivatives, according to an evaluation of those products released today.

AOL News also has learned through documents and interviews that the Food and Drug Administration has known of the potential danger for as long as a decade without alerting the public, which the FDA denies."

The memos and minutes that confirm Israel's nuclear stockpile | World news | guardian.co.uk

The memos and minutes that confirm Israel's nuclear stockpile | World news | guardian.co.uk: "This is the secret memo by South Africa's military chief of staff, General RF Armstrong, asking for nukes on the Jericho missiles. It has been revealed before, but its context was not understood. We now know the memo was the direct result of a meeting between PW Botha and Shimon Peres, and the basis of Botha's demand for nukes."

The Impact of the September 2008 Economic Collapse - The Pew Charitable Trusts

The Impact of the September 2008 Economic Collapse - The Pew Charitable Trusts: "Also, the combined peak loss from declining stock and home values totaled nearly $100,000, on average per U.S. household, during the July 2008 to March 2009 period."

Revealed: how Israel offered to sell South Africa nuclear weapons | World news | The Guardian

Revealed: how Israel offered to sell South Africa nuclear weapons | World news | The Guardian: "Secret South African documents reveal that Israel offered to sell nuclear warheads to the apartheid regime, providing the first official documentary evidence of the state's possession of nuclear weapons."

Finland postal service to open mail and send scanned email copies - Telegraph

Finland postal service to open mail and send scanned email copies - Telegraph: "Finland's postal service is to begin opening household mail and sending scanned copies of letters by email to cut down on costs and pollution."

BBC News - Magnets 'can modify our morality'

BBC News - Magnets 'can modify our morality': "Scientists have shown they can change people's moral judgments by disrupting a specific area of the brain with magnetic pulses."

Study: Daylight saving time a waste of energy

Study: Daylight saving time a waste of energy: "(PhysOrg.com) -- Daylight saving time is supposed to reduce energy use, but data gathered from a state in the US suggests it actually does the opposite."

Princeton University - A sweet problem: Princeton researchers find that high-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain

Princeton University - A sweet problem: Princeton researchers find that high-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain: "A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same."

Married for a Minute | Mother Jones

Married for a Minute | Mother Jones: "In the Islamic Republic of Iran, sex outside of marriage is a crime, punishable by up to 100 lashes or, in the case of adultery, death by stoning. Yet the purpose of a temporary marriage is clear from its name in Arabic—mut'a, pleasure. A man and a woman may contract a mut'a for a finite period of time—from minutes to 99 years or more—and for a specific amount, mehr in Farsi, which the man owes the woman."

Acne drug prevents HIV breakout

Acne drug prevents HIV breakout: "ScienceDaily (Mar. 20, 2010) — Johns Hopkins scientists have found that a safe and inexpensive antibiotic in use since the 1970s for treating acne effectively targets infected immune cells in which HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, lies dormant and prevents them from reactivating and replicating."

1024-bit RSA encryption cracked by carefully starving CPU of electricity -- Engadget

1024-bit RSA encryption cracked by carefully starving CPU of electricity -- Engadget: "Now, three eggheads (or Wolverines, as it were) at the University of Michigan claim they can break it simply by tweaking a device's power supply. By fluctuating the voltage to the CPU such that it generated a single hardware error per clock cycle, they found that they could cause the server to flip single bits of the private key at a time, allowing them to slowly piece together the password."

Report links vaccines to Gulf war syndrome | UK news | guardian.co.uk

Report links vaccines to Gulf war syndrome | UK news | guardian.co.uk: "A senior army doctor has provided the first official support for claims that the cocktail of vaccines given to soldiers before the 1991 war in Iraq probably caused illnesses that became known as Gulf war syndrome, it was reported today.

For 13 years, the MoD has denied that vaccines could be blamed for the illnesses. Independent research has also failed to find conclusive proof of a common link between the vaccines and a Gulf war-related syndrome.

However, Lieutenant Colonel Graham Howe, clinical director of psychiatry with the British forces health service in Germany, has made a link between the vaccines and illnesses associated with claims of Gulf war syndrome."

Chief exorcist says Devil is in Vatican - Telegraph

Chief exorcist says Devil is in Vatican - Telegraph: "'The Devil resides in the Vatican and you can see the consequences,' said Father Amorth, 85, who has been the Holy See's chief exorcist for 25 years."

Iran's Ahmadinejad: Sept. 11 attacks a 'big lie' - Yahoo! News

Iran's Ahmadinejad: Sept. 11 attacks a 'big lie' - Yahoo! News: "TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday called the official version of the Sept. 11 attacks a 'big lie' used by the U.S. as an excuse for the war on terror, state media reported."

Dubai police chief says to seek Netanyahu arrest | Reuters

Dubai police chief says to seek Netanyahu arrest | Reuters: "DUBAI (Reuters) - Dubai's police chief plans to seek the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the head of Israel's spy agency over the killing of a Hamas leader in the emirate, Al Jazeera television reported."

A Secretive Start-Up Raises the Curtain - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com

A Secretive Start-Up Raises the Curtain - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com: "In The New York Times on Wednesday, I wrote about Bloom Energy, the once-secretive Silicon Valley start-up that has apparently made a big breakthrough in developing a fuel cell that can generate electricity at competitive prices while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions."

Inside the Beltway - Washington Times

Inside the Beltway - Washington Times: "A lingering technical question about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks still haunts some, and it has political implications: How did 200,000 tons of steel disintegrate and drop in 11 seconds? A thousand architects and engineers want to know, and are calling on Congress to order a new investigation into the destruction of the Twin Towers and Building 7 at the World Trade Center.

'In order to bring down this kind of mass in such a short period of time, the material must have been artificially, exploded outwards,' says Richard Gage, a San Francisco architect and founder of the nonprofit Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth."

Small liquid sensor may detect cancer instantly, could lead to home detection kit

Small liquid sensor may detect cancer instantly, could lead to home detection kit: "ScienceDaily (Feb. 17, 2010) — What if it were possible to go to the store and buy a kit to quickly and accurately diagnose cancer, similar to a pregnancy test? A University of Missouri researcher is developing a tiny sensor, known as an acoustic resonant sensor, that is smaller than a human hair and could test bodily fluids for a variety of diseases, including breast and prostate cancers."

All eyes on Bloom Box fuel cell launch | Environment | guardian.co.uk

All eyes on Bloom Box fuel cell launch | Environment | guardian.co.uk: "Anticipation and suspicion run high before launch of Bloom Box, claimed to be a cheap source of clean energy from a device the size of a loaf of bread"

The little-told story of how the U.S. government poisoned alcohol during Prohibition. - By Deborah Blum - Slate Magazine

The little-told story of how the U.S. government poisoned alcohol during Prohibition. - By Deborah Blum - Slate Magazine: "Frustrated that people continued to consume so much alcohol even after it was banned, federal officials had decided to try a different kind of enforcement. They ordered the poisoning of industrial alcohols manufactured in the United States, products regularly stolen by bootleggers and resold as drinkable spirits. The idea was to scare people into giving up illicit drinking. Instead, by the time Prohibition ended in 1933, the federal poisoning program, by some estimates, had killed at least 10,000 people."

Fars News Agency :: Gold Nanoparticles Hit Cancer Cells Directly

Fars News Agency :: Gold Nanoparticles Hit Cancer Cells Directly: "TEHRAN (FNA)- Findings of a new study showed that by directing gold nanoparticles into the nuclei of cancer cells, they can not only prevent them from multiplying, but kill them where they lurk."

The American Conservative - Myth of the Iranian Nuke

The American Conservative - Myth of the Iranian Nuke: "“He (Ahmadinejad) says many things, and many of them turn out to be untrue. We do not believe they have the capability to enrich to the degree to which they now say they are enriching.”

But wait a minute. If Iran does not “have the capability” to enrich to 20 percent for fuel rods, how can Iran enrich to 90 percent for a bomb?"

Crazy math. [VIDEO]

Crazy math. [VIDEO]: "Crazy math"

ABC The Drum Unleashed - Keep doing that and you'll go blind

ABC The Drum Unleashed - Keep doing that and you'll go blind: "All of this is rolling forward without any thought to the potential health hazards of continuous, long-term exposure to 3D. None of the television manufacturers have done any health & safety testing around this. They must believe that if it's safe enough for the cinema, it's fine for the living room. But that's simply not the case. Getting a few hours every few weeks is nothing like getting a few hours, every single day."

New research into greenhouse effect challenges theory of man-made global warming - 12160.org

New research into greenhouse effect challenges theory of man-made global warming - 12160.org: "“With relatively simple computations using NOAA's annual mean temperature, H20 and CO2 time series, I have shown that in the last 61 years, despite a 30 percent increase in the atmospheric CO2 concentration, the cumulative atmospheric absorption of all greenhouse gases has not been changed and has remained constant. There is no runaway greenhouse effect. The anthropogenic global warming theory is a lie, unless somebody proves otherwise,” Miskolczi says."

School bombing exposes Obama’s secret war inside Pakistan - Times Online

School bombing exposes Obama’s secret war inside Pakistan - Times Online: "THE discovery of three American soldiers among the dead in a suicide bombing at the opening of a girls’ school in the northwestern Pakistan town of Dir last week reignited the fears of many Pakistanis that Washington was set on invading their country."

Jeux en ligne - Une p�tition pour stopper Loto-Qu�bec - �Actualit�s - MSN CA

Jeux en ligne - Une pétition pour stopper Loto-Québec - Actualités - MSN CA: "Des opposants au projet de Loto-Québec, qui veut ouvrir, dès septembre, des jeux en ligne sur Internet, lancent une pétition sur le site de l'Assemblée nationale du Québec."

Possible cancer cure found in blushwood shrub | The Courier-Mail

Possible cancer cure found in blushwood shrub | The Courier-Mail: "CANCER patients are offering themselves as human guinea pigs as researchers investigate a possible cure for cancer found in north Queensland rainforests."

BBC News - Fish oil supplements 'beat psychotic mental illness'

BBC News - Fish oil supplements 'beat psychotic mental illness': "Taking a daily fish oil capsule can stave off mental illness in those at highest risk, trial findings suggest."

Report: Canada's former ambassador to Iran was CIA spy - Nova Scotia News - TheChronicleHerald.ca

Report: Canada's former ambassador to Iran was CIA spy - Nova Scotia News - TheChronicleHerald.ca: "TORONTO — A report says the Canadian diplomat praised for sheltering Americans during the Iranian Revolution was a CIA spy."

David Kelly post mortem to be kept secret for 70 years as doctors accuse Lord Hutton of concealing vital information | Mail Online

David Kelly post mortem to be kept secret for 70 years as doctors accuse Lord Hutton of concealing vital information | Mail Online: "Vital evidence which could solve the mystery of the death of Government weapons inspector Dr David Kelly will be kept under wraps for up to 70 years.

In a draconian – and highly unusual – order, Lord Hutton, the peer who chaired the controversial inquiry into the Dr Kelly scandal, has secretly barred the release of all medical records, including the results of the post mortem, and unpublished evidence.

The move, which will stoke fresh speculation about the true circumstances of Dr Kelly’s death, comes just days before Tony Blair appears before the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War.

It is also bound to revive claims of an establishment cover-up and fresh questions about the verdict that Dr Kelly killed himself."

Climate change chief says sorry for hot air claim over melting glaciers | Mail Online

Climate change chief says sorry for hot air claim over melting glaciers | Mail Online: "The head of the UN's climate change body has been forced to make a humiliating apology over claims the Himalayan glaciers could vanish within 25 years.
Last week it emerged there was no evidence for the warning from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
After a global outcry, Dr Rajendra Pachauri - chairman of the IPCC - has issued an unprecedented apology."

UN climate panel blunders again over Himalayan glaciers - Times Online

UN climate panel blunders again over Himalayan glaciers - Times Online: "Taxpayers are funding research into a scientific claim about glaciers that any ice researcher should immediately recognise as bogus. The revelation comes just a week after The Sunday Times highlighted serious scientific flaws in the IPCC's 2007 benchmark report on the likely impacts of global warming."

The Dynamic Duo: Imagination Knowledge | Psychology Today

The Dynamic Duo: Imagination Knowledge | Psychology Today: "Isn't it great when a study confirms what you already suspected? There's a significant correlation between robust daydreaming and superior intelligence."

Daily pint of blueberry juice 'could help stop memory loss', study suggests - Telegraph

Daily pint of blueberry juice 'could help stop memory loss', study suggests - Telegraph: "A daily pint of blueberry juice could help reduce memory loss, according to scientists"

Johann Hari: The age of the killer robot is no longer a sci-fi fantasy - Johann Hari, Commentators - The Independent

Johann Hari: The age of the killer robot is no longer a sci-fi fantasy - Johann Hari, Commentators - The Independent: "When the US invaded Iraq in 2003, they had no robots as part of their force. By the end of 2005, they had 2,400. Today, they have 12,000, carrying out 33,000 missions a year. A report by the US Joint Forces Command says autonomous robots will be the norm on the battlefield within 20 years."

BBC News - Green tea 'may block lung cancer'

BBC News - Green tea 'may block lung cancer': "Drinking green tea may offer some protection against lung cancer, say experts who studied the disease at a medical university in Taiwan."

Uranium Is So Last Century — Enter Thorium, the New Green Nuke | Magazine

Uranium Is So Last Century — Enter Thorium, the New Green Nuke | Magazine

BBC News - Turning wood into bones

BBC News - Turning wood into bones: "A novel - and natural - way of creating new bones for humans could be just a few years away."

Cambridge University offers place to 14-year-old | Education | The Guardian

Cambridge University offers place to 14-year-old | Education | The Guardian: "A 14-year-old maths prodigy is on the verge of breaking a 237-year-old record by becoming the youngest Cambridge University undergraduate since William Pitt the Younger."

NASA Shows Quiet Sun Means Cooling of Earth's Upper Atmosphere -- HAMPTON, Va., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

NASA Shows Quiet Sun Means Cooling of Earth's Upper Atmosphere -- HAMPTON, Va., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --: "New measurements from a NASA satellite show a dramatic cooling in the upper atmosphere that correlates with the declining phase of the current solar cycle."

Freeze Challenges Power Supply

Freeze Challenges Power Supply: "Most parts of China were seized by a sustained cold snap Wednesday, when the minimum temperature hit a 40-year low in Beijing and a rare snowstorm in the central Hubei Province kept all school children at home."

Heavy snow continues as temperatures set to plunge minus 20C - Herald Scotland | News | Politics

Heavy snow continues as temperatures set to plunge minus 20C - Herald Scotland | News | Politics: "The prolonged Arctic blast is now the worst cold spell seen in Scotland for almost 50 years, according to the First Minister."

The real Frankenstein experiment: One man's mission to create a living mind inside a machine | Mail Online

The real Frankenstein experiment: One man's mission to create a living mind inside a machine | Mail Online: "In fact, he believes that he will have a computer sufficiently powerful to deal with all the data and simulate a human brain before the end of this decade."

Study Claims Antidepressants, Placebos Near Equally Effective - ABC News

Study Claims Antidepressants, Placebos Near Equally Effective - ABC News: "A new analysis found that commonly prescribed antidepressants had little effect on people with cases of mild to severe depression compared to those treated with placebos."

Going smoke-free may raise diabetes risk - baltimoresun.com

Going smoke-free may raise diabetes risk - baltimoresun.com: "People who quit smoking tend to gain weight, and those extra pounds can put a person at increased diabetes risk. In fact, the diabetes risk was higher for people who gave up cigarettes than for those who continued to smoke - but only within the first couple of years of quitting, according to the research appearing in today's Annals of Internal Medicine.

After that, the diabetes risk decreased and almost disappeared after 10 years, researchers found."

NZ's cyber spies win new powers - national | Stuff.co.nz

NZ's cyber spies win new powers - national | Stuff.co.nz: "The measures are the largest expansion of police and SIS surveillance capabilities for decades, and mean that all mobile calls and texts, email, internet surfing and online shopping, chatting and social networking can be monitored anywhere in New Zealand."

Gulf petro-powers to launch currency in latest threat to dollar hegemony - Telegraph

Gulf petro-powers to launch currency in latest threat to dollar hegemony - Telegraph: "“The US dollar has failed. We need to delink,” said Nahed Taher, chief executive of Bahrain’s Gulf One Investment Bank."

Solution to killer superbug found in Norway - Yahoo! News

Solution to killer superbug found in Norway - Yahoo! News: "Norway's public health system fought back with an aggressive program that made it the most infection-free country in the world. A key part of that program was cutting back severely on the use of antibiotics."

Britain facing one of the coldest winters in 100 years, experts predict - Telegraph

Britain facing one of the coldest winters in 100 years, experts predict - Telegraph: "Britain facing one of the coldest winters in 100 years, experts predict"