Cup of coffee a day can keep Alzheimer's away, say scientists | the Daily Mail

Cup of coffee a day can keep Alzheimer's away, say scientists | the Daily Mail: "A cup of coffee a day could keep Alzheimer's disease at bay, research suggests.

Scientists have shown a daily dose of caffeine helps protect the brain from the harmful effects of cholesterol, which is linked to the disease."

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Solar System's 'look-alike' found

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Solar System's 'look-alike' found: "Astronomers have discovered a planetary system orbiting a distant star which looks much like our own.

They found two planets that were close matches for Jupiter and Saturn orbiting a star about half the size of our Sun.

Martin Dominik, from St Andrews University in the UK, said the finding suggested systems like our own could be much more common than we thought.

And he told a major meeting that astronomers were on the brink of finding many more of them."

Cow-human cross embryo lives three days | NEWS.com.au

Cow-human cross embryo lives three days | NEWS.com.au: "HUMAN-cow embryos have been created in a world first at Newcastle University in England hailed by the scientific community but labelled 'monstrous' by opponents. A team has grown hybrid embryos after injecting human DNA into eggs taken from cows ovaries which had most of their genetic material removed. The embryos survived for three days and are intended to provide a limitless supply of stem cells to develop therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer s Parkinson s and spinal cord injuries overcoming a worldwide shortfall in human embryos."

CNN.com - Bush asks Daschle to limit Sept. 11 probes - January 29, 2002

CNN.com - Bush asks Daschle to limit Sept. 11 probes - January 29, 2002: "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush personally asked Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle Tuesday to limit the congressional investigation into the events of September 11, congressional and White House sources told CNN."

Food additives 'could be as damaging as lead in petrol' - Health News, Health & Wellbeing - The Independent

Food additives 'could be as damaging as lead in petrol' - Health News, Health & Wellbeing - The Independent: "Artificial food colours are set to be removed from hundreds of products after a team of university researchers warned they were doing as much damage to children's brains as lead in petrol."

Sonny Bono 'assassinated' by hitmen | The Australian

Sonny Bono 'assassinated' by hitmen | The Australian: "SONNY Bono, former husband and singing partner of superstar Cher, was clubbed to death by hitmen on the orders of drug and weapons dealers who feared he was going to expose them, a former FBI agent claims."

Fears grow over Botox safety - health - 02 April 2008 - New Scientist

Fears grow over Botox safety - health - 02 April 2008 - New Scientist

ENN: New Record: Wind Powers 40% Of Spain

ENN: New Record: Wind Powers 40% Of Spain: "Wind power is breaking new records in Spain, accounting for just over 40 percent of all electricity consumed during a brief period last weekend."

Ted Turner: Global warming could lead to cannibalism | ajc.com

Ted Turner: Global warming could lead to cannibalism | ajc.com: "'Right now, the U.S. is spending $500 billion a year on the military, which is more than all 190 countries in the world put together,' he said.

'The two countries that the military industrial complex and some of our politicians would like to demonize and make enemies are Russia and China,' Turner said. 'China just wants to sell us shoes. They're not building landing craft to attack the United States, and Russia wants to be our friends, too.'

He said that despite the United States' huge military budget, 'we can't win in Iraq.'

'We're being beaten by insurgents who don't even have any tanks, they don't have a headquarters, they don't have a Pentagon, we don't even know if they have any generals,' Turner told Rose.

Turner called the Iraqi insurgents 'patriots' who 'don't like us because we invaded their country and occupied it. Nobody likes to be invaded.'"

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | 'No Sun link' to climate change

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | 'No Sun link' to climate change: "Scientists have produced further compelling evidence showing that modern-day climate change is not caused by changes in the Sun's activity."

Thirty-Six U.S. States to Face Water Shortages in the Next Five Years

Thirty-Six U.S. States to Face Water Shortages in the Next Five Years: "'Is it a crisis? If we don't do some decent water planning, it could be,' said Jack Hoffbuhr, executive director of the American Water Works Association. Rising temperatures due to global warming have increased evaporation rates across the country and reduced the availability of important water sources. One of these is the Sierra Nevada snowpack, which supplies a significant portion of California's water. Across the West, similar trends are expected to reduce flows of the Colorado River, which supplies water for seven states.

Meanwhile, rising sea levels are expected to cause saltwater to infiltrate freshwater aquifers in coastal states, rendering that water unusable."

The suit that's turned the swim world on its head - Los Angeles Times

The suit that's turned the swim world on its head - Los Angeles Times: "Records are falling to competitors wearing Speedo's new LZR Racer. Critics say it constitutes an unfair advantage."

Mobile phones 'more dangerous than smoking' - Health News, Health & Wellbeing - The Independent

Mobile phones 'more dangerous than smoking' - Health News, Health & Wellbeing - The Independent: "Mobile phones could kill far more people than smoking or asbestos, a study by an award-winning cancer expert has concluded. He says people should avoid using them wherever possible and that governments and the mobile phone industry must take 'immediate steps' to reduce exposure to their radiation"

Muslims more numerous than Catholics: Vatican | Top News | Reuters

Muslims more numerous than Catholics: Vatican | Top News | Reuters: "VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Islam has overtaken Roman Catholicism as the biggest single religious denomination in the world, the Vatican said on Sunday."

Scroll to Mr. Bush Reminds Him of His Historic Role - Politics & Government - Israel News - Arutz Sheva

Scroll to Mr. Bush Reminds Him of His Historic Role - Politics & Government - Israel News - Arutz Sheva: "(IsraelNN.com) A historic document is planned to be submitted to visiting US President George Bush upon his arrival this week, calling upon him to choose to be remembered like Cyrus, and not like Nebuchadnezzar.

The document, grandly transcribed on parchment and furled into a scroll, is addressed to the the 'Leader of the West.' It reminds President Bush to 'declare to the world' that he will honor G-d's word and act 'towards settling the Jewish People throughout their entire Land.'"

ABC News: Generals Tell Bush Troops Are Exhausted by Iraq Deployments

ABC News: Generals Tell Bush Troops Are Exhausted by Iraq Deployments: "Behind the Pentagon's closed doors, U.S. military leaders told President Bush they are worried about the Iraq war's mounting strain on troops and their families."

BBC News | SCI/TECH | GM pollen 'can kill butterflies'

BBC News | SCI/TECH | GM pollen 'can kill butterflies': "Pollen from one of the most successful genetically modified (GM) crops in the US can kill the larvae of monarch butterflies, scientists say.

Their study, published in the journal Nature, shows how the new GM technology might have unwanted consequences for biodiversity."

Regulators Stamp Copper as a Germ Killer - New York Times

Regulators Stamp Copper as a Germ Killer - New York Times: "The market for antimicrobial doorknobs, hospital fixtures and other products that kill germs on contact may be about to take on a coppery sheen.

The Copper Development Association, a trade group for copper companies, said Tuesday that federal regulators had approved its application to market a group of copper alloys, including brass and bronze, as capable of killing bacteria and microbes effectively enough to protect human health."

BBC NEWS | Business | Credit crunch 'at $1.2 trillion'

BBC NEWS | Business | Credit crunch 'at $1.2 trillion': "The credit crunch will globally cost $1.2 trillion (�600bn) according to a report from the bank Goldman Sachs."

Study Links Middle-Age Belly Fat to Dementia - washingtonpost.com

Study Links Middle-Age Belly Fat to Dementia - washingtonpost.com: "People who have big bellies in their 40s are much more likely to get Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia in their 70s, according to new research that links the middle-aged spread to a fading mind for the first time."

BBC NEWS | Business | Tata buys Jaguar in �1.15bn deal

BBC NEWS | Business | Tata buys Jaguar in �1.15bn deal: "Car giant Ford has sold its luxury UK-based car brands Jaguar and Land Rover to Indian company Tata."

TED | Talks | Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight (video)

TED | Talks | Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight (video): "Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened -- as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding -- she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another."

Why we're against the war | Iraq Veterans Against the War

Why we're against the war | Iraq Veterans Against the War: "Why we're against the war

Q: Why are veterans, active duty, and National Guard men and women opposed to the war in Iraq?

A: Here are 10 reasons we oppose this war:"

The world is a better place for the Iraq War, says President Bush - Times Online

The world is a better place for the Iraq War, says President Bush - Times Online: "President Bush today marked the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war with the message: 'The world is better, and the US is safer.'

In a bullish speech at the Pentagon, in which he repeatedly linked the conflict in Iraq with the worldwide war against Islamist terror, Mr Bush said any rapid drawing down of troops would risk emboldened terrorists launching a 'repeat' of the September 11 attacks."

Medicine's Cutting Edge: Re-Growing Organs, The Future Is Here: Regenerative Powder, Ink Jet Heart Cells And Custom-Made Body Parts - CBS News

Medicine's Cutting Edge: Re-Growing Organs, The Future Is Here: Regenerative Powder, Ink Jet Heart Cells And Custom-Made Body Parts - CBS News: "(CBS) Imagine re-growing a severed fingertip, or creating an organ in the lab that can be transplanted into a patient without risk of rejection. It sounds like science fiction, but it's not. It's the burgeoning field of regenerative medicine, in which scientists are learning to harness the body's own power to regenerate itself, with astonishing results."

BBC NEWS | Business | OECD slashes US growth forecast

BBC NEWS | Business | OECD slashes US growth forecast: "The US economy is on the brink of recession, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)."

Eliot Spitzer - Predatory Lenders' Partner in Crime - washingtonpost.com

Eliot Spitzer - Predatory Lenders' Partner in Crime - washingtonpost.com: "In 2003, during the height of the predatory lending crisis, the OCC invoked a clause from the 1863 National Bank Act to issue formal opinions preempting all state predatory lending laws, thereby rendering them inoperative. The OCC also promulgated new rules that prevented states from enforcing any of their own consumer protection laws against national banks. The federal government's actions were so egregious and so unprecedented that all 50 state attorneys general, and all 50 state banking superintendents, actively fought the new rules.

But the unanimous opposition of the 50 states did not deter, or even slow, the Bush administration in its goal of protecting the banks. In fact, when my office opened an investigation of possible discrimination in mortgage lending by a number of banks, the OCC filed a federal lawsuit to stop the investigation."

Crucifixion not good for your health | The Australian

Crucifixion not good for your health | The Australian: "PHILIPPINE health officials have warned people taking part in Easter crucifixions and self-flagellation rituals to get a tetanus shot first and sterilise the nails to avoid infections."

Cup Of Black Tea Could Defend Against Anthrax Threat, Research Suggests

Cup Of Black Tea Could Defend Against Anthrax Threat, Research Suggests: "A new study by an international team of researchers from Cardiff University and University of Maryland has revealed how the humble cup of tea could well be an antidote to Bacillus anthracis --more commonly know as anthrax."

tehran times : Japanese emperor calls for stronger ties with Iran

tehran times : Japanese emperor calls for stronger ties with Iran: "Japanese Emperor Akihito, in a meeting with the new Iranian envoy to Tokyo, has called for strong ties between the two countries."

New Orleans' homeless rate swells to 1 in 25 - USATODAY.com

New Orleans' homeless rate swells to 1 in 25 - USATODAY.com: "NEW ORLEANS — The homeless population of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina has reached unprecedented levels for a U.S. city: one in 25 residents."

Carlyle Fund Expects Assets Will Be Seized - New York Times

Carlyle Fund Expects Assets Will Be Seized - New York Times: "Banks are calling in loans or ask for more collateral as the value of assets backed by mortgage-securities continue to decline.

The collapse of talks between Carlyle Capital and some of its lenders, which include Bear Stearns, Bank of America, Citigroup and Merrill Lynch, shows that a plan earlier this week by the Federal Reserve to back some assets like private mortgage bonds has not stopped banks from demanding more collateral.

On Wednesday, Drake Management, based in New York, said it might shut its largest hedge fund, while investors in a fund managed by Amsterdam-based GO Capital Asset Management were prohibited from withdrawing funds.

Peloton Partners, a hedge fund based in London and run by former Goldman Sachs partners, was forced to liquidate its largest funds last month after it failed to reach an agreement with some of its lenders on the levels of collateral. Thornburg Mortgage, a big United States lender, also ran into trouble after it failed to meet some margin calls."

BBC NEWS | Business | Bear Stearns gets emergency funds

BBC NEWS | Business | Bear Stearns gets emergency funds: "US bank Bear Stearns has got emergency funding, in a move that raises fears that one of Wall Street's biggest names is on the verge of collapsing."

6 Signs the U.S. May Be Headed for War in Iran - News Desk (usnews.com)

6 Signs the U.S. May Be Headed for War in Iran - News Desk (usnews.com)

McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam

McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam: "Senator John McCain hailed as a spiritual adviser an Ohio megachurch pastor who has called upon Christians to wage a 'war' against the 'false religion' of Islam with the aim of destroying it."

U.S. drops China from list of top 10 violators of rights - International Herald Tribune

U.S. drops China from list of top 10 violators of rights - International Herald Tribune: "WASHINGTON: The State Department no longer considers China one of the world's worst human rights violators, according to its annual human rights report released Tuesday, a decision that immediately earned the ire of human rights groups."

John McCain's "Spiritual Guide" Calls For Destruction Of Islam - Politics on The Huffington Post

John McCain's "Spiritual Guide" Calls For Destruction Of Islam - Politics on The Huffington Post: "Senator John McCain hailed as a spiritual adviser an Ohio megachurch pastor who has called upon Christians to wage a 'war' against the 'false religion' of Islam with the aim of destroying it."

Rapid Report: Pentagon Report on Saddam's Iraq Censored?

Rapid Report: Pentagon Report on Saddam's Iraq Censored?: "ABC News' Jonathan Karl Reports: The Bush Administration apparently does not want a U.S. military study that found no direct connection between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda to get any attention. This morning, the Pentagon cancelled plans to send out a press release announcing the report's release and will no longer make the report available online."

Iraq violence sees spike - Yahoo! News

Iraq violence sees spike - Yahoo! News: "BAGHDAD - Violence appeared to be on the rise in Iraq after a day that saw at least 42 people die — numbers that cast doubt on the easing of sectarian violence following a surge of U.S. forces to the country last year."

UK top cop who led CIA probe found dead - Yahoo! News

UK top cop who led CIA probe found dead - Yahoo! News: "MANCHESTER, England - A city police chief who led an investigation into charges that Britain cooperated with secret CIA flights to transport terrorism suspects without formal proceedings has been found dead, his deputy said Tuesday."

Exhaustive review finds no link between Saddam, al Qaida - Yahoo! News

Exhaustive review finds no link between Saddam, al Qaida - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON — An exhaustive review of more than 600,000 Iraqi documents that were captured after the 2003 U.S. invasion has found no evidence that Saddam Hussein's regime had any operational links with Osama bin Laden's al Qaida terrorist network."

2008 The Year Of Global Food Crisis (from Sunday Herald)

2008 The Year Of Global Food Crisis (from Sunday Herald): "More than 73 million people in 78 countries that depend on food handouts from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) are facing reduced rations this year. The increasing scarcity of food is the biggest crisis looming for the world'', according to WFP officials."

Gang Members Get Trained in the Army - NAM

Gang Members Get Trained in the Army - NAM: "LOS ANGELES – While hundreds of Mexican soldiers are deserting the army to join drug trafficking gangs, California is facing the opposite problem: A growing number of gang members here have infiltrated the U.S. Armed Forces in order to receive military training."

Ethanol fuel is not so green | The Courier-Mail

Ethanol fuel is not so green | The Courier-Mail: "And making ethanol is a hungry process. It requires some 200kg of corn to produce between 90 and 100 litres of ethanol, enough to fill the fuel tank of a typical four-wheel-drive vehicle. That same amount of corn could supply enough calories to feed a person for a year."

Britain makes camera that sees under clothes | U.S. | Reuters

Britain makes camera that sees under clothes | U.S. | Reuters: "LONDON (Reuters) - A British company has developed a camera that can detect weapons, drugs or explosives hidden under people's clothes from up to 25 meters away in what could be a breakthrough for the security industry."

ABC News: He's 101 and Training for Marathon

ABC News: He's 101 and Training for Marathon: "Buster Martin is an unlikely candidate to set a marathon record. He drinks beer, smokes cigarettes and stays out late. And he's 101."

Belleville Intelligencer - Ontario, CA

Belleville Intelligencer - Ontario, CA: "'The distribution of drug paraphernalia, including crackpipes, to drug users in Ottawa and Toronto, as well as the presence of drug injection sites, is also in violation of the international drug control treaties, to which Canada is a party,' says a report by the UN's influential International Narcotics Control Board released in Vienna on Wednesday."

US Navy strike group responds to increasing Lebanon, Syria tension - Jane's Naval Forces News

US Navy strike group responds to increasing Lebanon, Syria tension - Jane's Naval Forces News: "A US Navy (USN) expeditionary strike group has been deployed to the eastern Mediterranean in the wake of increasing tensions between Lebanon and Syria.

The strike group is led by the Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship USS Nassau and includes the Austin-class amphibious transport dock USS Nashville, the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland, the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Bulkeley and USS Ross. The six vessels left the United States on 19 and 20 February, the navy said.

The destroyer USS Cole - which was seriously damaged in a terrorist attack in Aden in 2000 - is already in international waters off the coast of Lebanon, accompanied by two refuelling ships."

NPR: AP Probe Finds Drugs in Drinking Water

NPR: AP Probe Finds Drugs in Drinking Water: "AP, March 9, 2008 - A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows."

Heathrow airport first to fingerprint - Telegraph

Heathrow airport first to fingerprint - Telegraph: "Millions of British airline passengers face mandatory fingerprinting before being allowed to board flights when Heathrow’s Terminal 5 opens later this month."

Lou Dobbs: New World Order Can Be Defeated

Lou Dobbs: New World Order Can Be Defeated: "Popular CNN host attacks Bush administration for 'shameless' destruction of sovereignty"

Iraqi Women More Oppressed Than Ever - by Dahr Jamail

Iraqi Women More Oppressed Than Ever - by Dahr Jamail: "Iraq, where women once had more rights and freedom than most others in the Arab world, has turned deadly for women who dream of education and a professional career.

Former dictator Saddam Hussein maintained a relatively secular society, where it was common for women to take up jobs as professors, doctors and government officials. In today's Iraq, women are being killed by militia groups for not conforming to strict Islamist ways."

Mind-reading machine knows what the eye can see - tech - 05 March 2008 - New Scientist Tech

Mind-reading machine knows what the eye can see - tech - 05 March 2008 - New Scientist Tech: "'Our research makes substantial advances towards being able to decode mental content from brain activity as measured using fMRI,' Kendrick Kay, a co-author of the study, told New Scientist. 'In fact, our results suggest it may soon be possible to reconstruct our visual experiences from brain activity.'"

Top Iraq contractor skirts US taxes offshore - The Boston Globe

Top Iraq contractor skirts US taxes offshore - The Boston Globe: "CAYMAN ISLANDS - Kellogg Brown & Root, the nation's top Iraq war contractor and until last year a subsidiary of Halliburton Corp., has avoided paying hundreds of millions of dollars in federal Medicare and Social Security taxes by hiring workers through shell companies based in this tropical tax haven."

CIA reveals: We said in 1974 that Israel had nuclear weapons - Haaretz - Israel News

CIA reveals: We said in 1974 that Israel had nuclear weapons - Haaretz - Israel News: "The Central Intelligence Agency, backed by bodies including the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Defense Intelligence Agency, determined in August 1974 that Israel had nuclear 'weapons in being,' a 'small number' of which it 'produced and stockpiled.'"

New image technique could allow scanners to read minds | Science | guardian.co.uk

New image technique could allow scanners to read minds | Science | guardian.co.uk: "Scientists have developed a mind-reading technique that allows them to accurately predict images being viewed by people, by using scanners to study brain activity."

Chavez sends troops to Colombia border - Venezuela- msnbc.com

Chavez sends troops to Colombia border - Venezuela- msnbc.com: "CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez ordered tanks and thousands of troops on Sunday to the border with Colombia, accusing it of pushing South America to the brink of war by killing a top rebel leader on Ecuadorean soil."

Saudi advises nationals to leave Lebanon | International | Reuters

Saudi advises nationals to leave Lebanon | International | Reuters: "BEIRUT (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has advised its citizens in Lebanon, especially families living there, to leave the country immediately due to the security situation, several Saudi nationals said on Saturday."

The Raw Story | Chavez speaks of war after Colombian raid on Ecuador

The Raw Story | Chavez speaks of war after Colombian raid on Ecuador: "Raul Reyes of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was killed Saturday in the Colomban raid on a jungle camp on the Ecuadoran side of the common border.

Chavez, speaking in Caracas, warned Colombian President Alvaro Uribe that any similar strike against FARC rebels in Venezuela would reap dire consequences."

UNObserver & International Report

UNObserver & International Report - A Letter to Pope Benedict XVI

Cold Water on "Global Warming", National Review Online: Skeptics To Gather In Gotham To Discuss The Cold, Hard Facts - CBS News

Cold Water on "Global Warming", National Review Online: Skeptics To Gather In Gotham To Discuss The Cold, Hard Facts - CBS News: "A new and very different conference on global warming will be held in New York City, under the sponsorship of the Heartland Institute, on March 2nd to March 4th - weather permitting.

It is called an “International Conference on Climate Change” that will examine the question “Global Warming: Crisis or Scam?” Among those present will be professors of climatology, along with scientists in other fields and people from other professions.

They come from universities in England, Hungary, and Australia, as well as from the United States and Canada, and include among other dignitaries the former president of the Czech Republic, V�clav Havel.

All told, there will be 98 speakers and 400 participants.

The theme of the conference is that “there is no scientific consensus on the causes or likely consequences of global warming.”

Many of the participants in this conference are people who have already expressed skepticism about either the prevailing explanations of current climate change or the dire predictions about future climate change."

Ancient ceremonial plaza found in Peru - Yahoo! News

Ancient ceremonial plaza found in Peru - Yahoo! News: "LIMA, Peru - A team of German and Peruvian archaeologists say they have discovered the oldest known monument in Peru: a 5,500-year-old ceremonial plaza near Peru's north-central coast.
Carbon dating of material from the site revealed it was built between 3500 B.C. and 3000 B.C., Peter Fuchs, a German archaeologist who headed the excavation team, told The Associated Press by telephone Monday.
The discovery is further evidence that civilization thrived in Peru at the same time as it did in what is now the Middle East and South Asia"

What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart? - WSJ.com

What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart? - WSJ.com: "High-school students here rarely get more than a half-hour of homework a night. They have no school uniforms, no honor societies, no valedictorians, no tardy bells and no classes for the gifted. There is little standardized testing, few parents agonize over college and kids don't start school until age 7.

Yet by one international measure, Finnish teenagers are among the smartest in the world. They earned some of the top scores by 15-year-old students who were tested in 57 countries. American teens finished among the world's C students even as U.S. educators piled on more homework, standards and rules. Finnish youth, like their U.S. counterparts, also waste hours online. They dye their hair, love sarcasm and listen to rap and heavy metal. But by ninth grade they're way ahead in math, science and reading -- on track to keeping Finns among the world's most productive workers."

DailyTech - Accidental Discovery During Surgery Reverses Memory Loss

DailyTech - Accidental Discovery During Surgery Reverses Memory Loss: "A 50 year old man, dangerously obese, goes to the hospital for experimental brain surgery to suppress his appetite. A small piece of his skull is removed, and an electrical probe inserted deep into his brain tissue. It reaches his hypothalamus and current is switched on. Suddenly the patient -- awake through the procedure -- begins to speak uncontrollably about events in his past, events he had long forgotten. He remembers a day's walk in the park 30 years ago, complete with what people were wearing, all in vivid color. He sees them speaking to him, every motion they made. The intensity and level of detail of the memories is frightening."

DailyTech - Solar Activity Diminishes; Researchers Predict Another Ice Age

DailyTech - Solar Activity Diminishes; Researchers Predict Another Ice Age: "Dr. Kenneth Tapping is worried about the sun. Solar activity comes in regular cycles, but the latest one is refusing to start. Sunspots have all but vanished, and activity is suspiciously quiet. The last time this happened was 400 years ago -- and it signaled a solar event known as a 'Maunder Minimum,' along with the start of what we now call the 'Little Ice Age.'"

Afghanistan mission close to failing - US | World news | The Guardian

Afghanistan mission close to failing - US | World news | The Guardian: "After six years of US-led military support and billions of pounds in aid, security in Afghanistan is 'deteriorating' and President Hamid Karzai's government controls less than a third of the country, America's top intelligence official has admitted."

U.S. Navy ships move closer to Lebanon - CNN.com

U.S. Navy ships move closer to Lebanon - CNN.com: "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy has moved the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole and other ships to the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon, Pentagon officials said Thursday."

DailyProgress.com | Security code easy hacking for UVa student

DailyProgress.com | Security code easy hacking for UVa student: "A University of Virginia graduate student and two fellow hackers say they have cracked the encryption code that protects billions of credit cards, subway passes and security badges.

With readily available equipment that cost less than $1,000, 26-year-old Karsten Nohl and his two Germany-based partners dismantled a tiny chip that is found inside many “smartcards” and mapped out its secret security algorithm."

Hands up! How your fingers reveal so much about you... | the Daily Mail

Hands up! How your fingers reveal so much about you... | the Daily Mail: "When we look at our fingers, we may think they are beautiful, ugly, refined, or stubby. We use them to eat, gesticulate, carry, point. But what do they tell us about our personalities?"

Blind Irishman sees with the aid of son's tooth in his eye - Yahoo! News

Blind Irishman sees with the aid of son's tooth in his eye - Yahoo! News: "'I thought that I was going to be blind for the rest of my life,' McNichol told RTE state radio.

After doctors in Ireland said there was nothing more they could do, McNichol heard about a miracle operation called Osteo-Odonto-Keratoprosthesis (OOKP) being performed by Dr Christopher Liu at the Sussex Eye Hospital in Brighton in England."

BBC NEWS | Health | Vitamin E linked to lung cancer

BBC NEWS | Health | Vitamin E linked to lung cancer: "Taking high doses of vitamin E supplements can increase the risk of lung cancer, research suggests."

Israel threatens to unleash 'holocaust' in Gaza - Times Online

Israel threatens to unleash 'holocaust' in Gaza - Times Online: "An Israeli minister gave warning today that the army may unleash a “holocaust” on the Gaza Strip if Islamists there do not end their daily barrages of home-made Qassam rockets and their increasing use of Iranian-built Grad missiles."

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Hezbollah says US ship is threat

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Hezbollah says US ship is threat: "A Hezbollah MP has condemned the deployment of the USS Cole warship off the coast of Lebanon as a threat to Lebanese sovereignty and independence."

Vegetarianism proves to be perversion of nature - Pravda.Ru

Vegetarianism proves to be perversion of nature - Pravda.Ru: "Vegetarians can be referred to as true fanatics. On the other hand, they are seriously misled in their beliefs. Practically nobody argues with them, since it is really difficult to convince a vegetarian of his or her self-deception."

DailyTech - Temperature Monitors Report Widescale Global Cooling

DailyTech - Temperature Monitors Report Widescale Global Cooling: "Scientists quoted in a past DailyTech article link the cooling to reduced solar activity which they claim is a much larger driver of climate change than man-made greenhouse gases. The dramatic cooling seen in just 12 months time seems to bear that out. While the data doesn't itself disprove that carbon dioxide is acting to warm the planet, it does demonstrate clearly that more powerful factors are now cooling it."

Reason Magazine - Why are People Having Fewer Kids?

Reason Magazine - Why are People Having Fewer Kids?: "Population stability is achieved when each woman bears an average of 2.1 kids over the course of her lifetime—one for her, one for her male partner, and a little overage to make up to childhood deaths. Today, there are sixty countries in which TFRs are below 2.1. For example, the European Union's TFR is 1.5 and no EU member state has a TFR at replacement or above. Even high population developing countries have seen steep declines in fertility. Since 1970, China's TFR fell from 5.8 to 1.6; India's from 5.8 to 2.9; Indonesia from 5.6 to 2.4; Japan's from 2.0 to 1.3; Mexico's from 6.8 to 2.4; Brazil's from 5.4 to 2.3; and South Africa's from 5.9 to 2.7. The U.S. TFR dropped from 2.55 in 1970 to around 2.1 today, largely because of the influx of higher fertility immigrants."

Forget global warming: Welcome to the new Ice Age

Forget global warming: Welcome to the new Ice Age: "The U.S. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) reported that many American cities and towns suffered record cold temperatures in January and early February. According to the NCDC, the average temperature in January 'was -0.3 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average.'"

Depression drugs don’t work, finds data review - Times Online

Depression drugs don’t work, finds data review - Times Online: "Millions of people taking commonly prescribed antidepressants such as Prozac and Seroxat might as well be taking a placebo, according to the first study to include unpublished evidence.

The new generation of antidepressant drugs work no better than a placebo for the majority of patients with mild or even severe depression, comprehensive research of clinical trials has found."

Philharmonic plays US anthem in N. Korea - Yahoo! News

Philharmonic plays US anthem in N. Korea - Yahoo! News: "PYONGYANG, North Korea - The New York Philharmonic performed 'The Star-Spangled Banner' for North Korea's communist elite Tuesday — a feat of musical diplomacy aimed at improving ties with the isolated nuclear-armed country that considers the U.S. its mortal enemy.
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The Philharmonic is the first major American cultural group to perform in the country and the largest delegation from the United States to visit its longtime foe.

The unprecedented concert represents a warming in relations between the nations that remain technically at war and locked in negotiations over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programs."

Top of the Ticket : Los Angeles Times : Ron Paul reactivates GOP candidacy, vows to fight this year and beyond

Top of the Ticket : Los Angeles Times : Ron Paul reactivates GOP candidacy, vows to fight this year and beyond: "Wait, hold on! Don't toss those Ron Paul signs quite yet.

The 72-year-old, 10-term Republican congressman has just vowed to continue his current campaiRonpaul_jvugbqnc_3gn for the Republican presidential nomination."

The Raw Story | Jon Stewart takes on the 'uncensored' history of the 9/11 Commission

The Raw Story | Jon Stewart takes on the 'uncensored' history of the 9/11 Commission: "'It is remarkable the efforts that the Bush White House went through to try to prevent the 9/11 Commission from getting the information it needed,' Shenon told Stewart. 'The person who was most responsible for that tension was former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales who was then the White House Counsel.'"

Pentagon tells Bush: climate change will destroy us | Environment | The Observer

Pentagon tells Bush: climate change will destroy us | Environment | The Observer: "Climate change over the next 20 years could result in a global catastrophe costing millions of lives in wars and natural disasters..

A secret report, suppressed by US defence chiefs and obtained by The Observer, warns that major European cities will be sunk beneath rising seas as Britain is plunged into a 'Siberian' climate by 2020. Nuclear conflict, mega-droughts, famine and widespread rioting will erupt across the world.

The document predicts that abrupt climate change could bring the planet to the edge of anarchy as countries develop a nuclear threat to defend and secure dwindling food, water and energy supplies. The threat to global stability vastly eclipses that of terrorism, say the few experts privy to its contents."

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Antarctic glaciers surge to ocean

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Antarctic glaciers surge to ocean: "UK scientists working in Antarctica have found some of the clearest evidence yet of instabilities in the ice of part of West Antarctica.
If the trend continues, they say, it could lead to a significant rise in global sea level."

Did Adolf Hitler draw Disney characters? - Telegraph

Did Adolf Hitler draw Disney characters? - Telegraph: "The director of a Norwegian museum claimed yesterday to have discovered cartoons drawn by Adolf Hitler during the Second World War.

William Hakvaag, the director of a war museum in northern Norway, said he found the drawings hidden in a painting signed 'A. Hitler' that he bought at an auction in Germany."

Rule by fear or rule by law?

Rule by fear or rule by law?: "Since 9/11, and seemingly without the notice of most Americans, the federal government has assumed the authority to institute martial law, arrest a wide swath of dissidents (citizen and noncitizen alike), and detain people without legal or constitutional recourse in the event of 'an emergency influx of immigrants in the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs.'

Beginning in 1999, the government has entered into a series of single-bid contracts with Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) to build detention camps at undisclosed locations within the United States. The government has also contracted with several companies to build thousands of railcars, some reportedly equipped with shackles, ostensibly to transport detainees.

According to diplomat and author Peter Dale Scott, the KBR contract is part of a Homeland Security plan titled ENDGAME, which sets as its goal the removal of 'all removable aliens' and 'potential terrorists.'"

Turkish Troops Enter Iraq Seeking Rebels - The Huffington Post

Turkish Troops Enter Iraq Seeking Rebels - The Huffington Post: "CIZRE, Turkey — Supported by air power, Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq on Friday in their first major ground incursion against Kurdish rebel bases in nearly a decade. But Turkey sought to avoid confrontation with U.S.-backed Iraq, saying the guerrillas were its only target."

Hawaiian aspartame ban stalls on lack of science

Hawaiian aspartame ban stalls on lack of science: "21-Feb-2008 - Moves to ban the use of aspartame in Hawaii appear to have failed after the bill was deferred until further evidence could be heard."

Report: Security relaxed at Obama speech - UPI.com

Report: Security relaxed at Obama speech - UPI.com: "DALLAS, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- The Secret Service told Dallas police to stop screening for weapons while people were still arriving at a campaign rally for Barack Obama, a report said."

BBC NEWS | Americas | US stealth bomber crashes on Guam

BBC NEWS | Americas | US stealth bomber crashes on Guam: "The United States Air Force (USAF) said both pilots had ejected safely before the plane came down at Andersen Air Force Base, shortly after take-off.

A spokeswoman said it was the first time a B-2 had crashed.

B-2 bombers, which can evade most radar signals, cost about $1.2bn (�610m) each to build."

BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkish troops enter north Iraq

BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkish troops enter north Iraq: "Turkish ground forces have rolled across the border into northern Iraq to target Kurdish rebels said to be sheltering there, Ankara has said."

China plans to halt rain for Beijing Olympics - Travel - LATimes.com

China plans to halt rain for Beijing Olympics - Travel - LATimes.com: "It is yet another attempt by man to triumph over nature.

Determined not to let anything spoil their party, organizers of the 2008 Summer Olympics said Wednesday that they will take control over the most unpredictable element of all -- the weather."

Navy Research Paper: 'Disrupt Economies' with Man-Made 'Floods,' 'Droughts' | Danger Room from Wired.com

Navy Research Paper: 'Disrupt Economies' with Man-Made 'Floods,' 'Droughts' | Danger Room from Wired.com: "A recently-unearthed U.S. Navy research project calls for creating mad-made floods and droughts to 'disrupt [the] economy' of an enemy state."

Daily Express: The World's Greatest Newspaper :: News / Showbiz :: Global warming? It’s the coldest winter in decades

Daily Express: The World's Greatest Newspaper :: News / Showbiz :: Global warming? It’s the coldest winter in decades: "NEW evidence has cast doubt on claims that the world’s ice-caps are melting, it emerged last night. Satellite data shows that concerns over the levels of sea ice may have been premature.

It was feared that the polar caps were vanishing because of the effects of global warming. But figures from the respected US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show that almost all the “lost” ice has come back."

Physicist Neil Turok: Big Bang Wasn't the Beginning

Physicist Neil Turok: Big Bang Wasn't the Beginning: "For decades, physicists have accepted the notion that the universe started with the Big Bang, an explosive event at the literal beginning of time. Now, computational physicist Neil Turok is challenging that model -- and some scientists are taking him seriously.

According to Turok, who teaches at Cambridge University, the Big Bang represents just one stage in an infinitely repeated cycle of universal expansion and contraction. Turok theorizes that neither time nor the universe has a beginning or end."

BBC NEWS | Technology | Brain control headset for gamers

BBC NEWS | Technology | Brain control headset for gamers: "'Emotiv is a neuro-engineering company and we've created a brain computer interface that reads electrical impulses in the brain and translates them into commands that a video game can accept and control the game dynamically.'"

Research backs theory that vitamin C shrinks tumours - Health News, Health & Wellbeing - Independent.co.uk

Research backs theory that vitamin C shrinks tumours - Health News, Health & Wellbeing - Independent.co.uk: "New research suggesting that vitamin C can be effective in curing cancer will renew interest in the 'alternative' treatment for the terminal disease.

Three cancer patients who were given large intravenous doses over a period of several months had their lives extended and their tumours shrunk, doctors reported yesterday."

BBC NEWS | Americas | Fidel Castro announces retirement

BBC NEWS | Americas | Fidel Castro announces retirement: "Cuba's ailing leader Fidel Castro has said he will not accept another term as president, ending 49 years in power."

Saboteurs may have cut Mideast telecom cables: UN agency

Saboteurs may have cut Mideast telecom cables: UN agency: "Damage to several undersea telecom cables that caused outages across the Middle East and Asia could have been an act of sabotage, the International Telecommunication Union said on Monday.

'We do not want to preempt the results of ongoing investigations, but we do not rule out that a deliberate act of sabotage caused the damage to the undersea cables over two weeks ago,' the UN agency's head of development, Sami al-Murshed, told AFP."

Why You Should Plan to Party When You’re 70 | Inventor Spot

Why You Should Plan to Party When You’re 70 | Inventor Spot: "Do you ever dream about the wild parties you'll have when you're 70 years old? If not, maybe you should - for the sake of your health. A new study shows that young people who view old age as a miserable time of life are more likely to engage in binge drinking, smoking, eating junk food, and other unhealthy habits than their peers who have a more positive perspective of old age."

The Raw Story | Homeland Security commissions new human incapacitation device

The Raw Story | Homeland Security commissions new human incapacitation device: "One company has received an $800,000 contract from the Department of Homeland Security to develop a new 'non-lethal' method of human incapacitation for use by law enforcement.

By 2010, Intelligent Optical Systems hopes to be selling a sort of high-powered flashlight, the 'LED Incapacitator,' which would act by not only effectively blinding its target, but overloading his or her brain, with rapidly flashing lights at varying colors and frequencies. In addition to disorientation, headache and nausea are also likely."