BBC NEWS | Europe | Vatican divorces from Italian law

BBC NEWS | Europe | Vatican divorces from Italian law: "With effect from New Year's Day, the Pope has decided that the Vatican will no longer automatically adopt laws passed by the Italian parliament."

DailyTech - Defying Predictions, Sea Level Rise Begins to Slow

DailyTech - Defying Predictions, Sea Level Rise Begins to Slow: "Satellite altimetry data indicates that the rate at which the world's oceans are rising has slowed significantly since 2005. Before the decrease, sea level had been rising by more than 3mm/year, which corresponds to an increase of about one foot per century. Since 2005, however, the rate has been closer to 2mm/year.

The decrease is significant as global climate models predict sea level rise to accelerate as atmospheric CO2 continues to increase. In the 1990s, when such acceleration appeared to be occurring, some scientists pointed to it as confirmation the models were operating correctly."

DailyTech - Princeton Physicist Calls Global Warming Science "Mistaken"

DailyTech - Princeton Physicist Calls Global Warming Science "Mistaken": "Noted energy expert and Princeton physicist Dr. Will Happer has sharply criticized global warming alarmism. Happer, author of over 200 scientific papers and a past director of energy research at the Department of Energy, called fears over global warming 'mistaken'.

'I have spent a long research career studying physics that is closely related to the greenhouse effect', said Happer. 'Fears about man-made global warming are unwarranted and are not based on good science.'

Dr. Happer views climate change as a predominately natural process. 'The earth's climate is changing now, as it always has. There is no evidence that the changes differ in any qualitative way from those of the past.'"

Secret of the Lusitania: Arms find challenges Allied claims it was solely a passenger ship | Mail Online

Secret of the Lusitania: Arms find challenges Allied claims it was solely a passenger ship | Mail Online: "Her sinking with the loss of almost 1,200 lives caused such outrage that it propelled the U.S. into the First World War.

But now divers have revealed a dark secret about the cargo carried by the Lusitania on its final journey in May 1915.

Munitions they found in the hold suggest that the Germans had been right all along in claiming the ship was carrying war materials and was a legitimate military target."

Press TV - Iraq cheers reporter for Bush shoe attack

Press TV - Iraq cheers reporter for Bush shoe attack: "A study conducted by ORB -- a well-known British polling agency which has been tracking public opinion in Iraq since 2005 -- estimated in September 2007 that 1.2 million Iraqis had been killed in violence-related incidents following the March 2003 invasion of the country.

This is while Human Rights Watch estimates put the number of those killed during a period of twenty years of the reign of deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein at 250,000 to 290,000."

Fingerprints Can Reveal Drug Use, Medical History : Discovery News

Fingerprints Can Reveal Drug Use, Medical History : Discovery News: "Dec. 10, 2008 -- A careless touch could be all police or insurance companies need to determine not only your identity, but also your past drug use, if you've fired a gun or handled explosives, even specific medical conditions."

Palm Vein ID Scan Makes U.S. Debut : Discovery News

Palm Vein ID Scan Makes U.S. Debut : Discovery News: "'It's easy to steal a fingerprint,' said Hiroko Naito, a member of Fujitsu's PalmSecure Team that developed the technology. 'Palm vein information physically resides inside the patient, making it harder to steal.'"

'Mind-reading' software could record your dreams - tech - 12 December 2008 - New Scientist

'Mind-reading' software could record your dreams - tech - 12 December 2008 - New Scientist: "Pictures you are observing can now be recreated with software that uses nothing but scans of your brain. It is the first 'mind reading' technology to create such images from scratch, rather than picking them out from a pool of possible images."

Scientists extract images directly from brain ::: Pink Tentacle

Scientists extract images directly from brain ::: Pink Tentacle: "Researchers from Japan’s ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories have developed new brain analysis technology that can reconstruct the images inside a person’s mind and display them on a computer monitor, it was announced on December 11. According to the researchers, further development of the technology may soon make it possible to view other people’s dreams while they sleep."

Iraq and China Sign $3 Billion Oil Contract - washingtonpost.com

Iraq and China Sign $3 Billion Oil Contract - washingtonpost.com: "BAGHDAD, Aug. 28 -- Iraq and China signed a $3 billion deal this week to develop a large Iraqi oil field, the first major commercial oil contract here with a foreign company since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion."

California stop-smoking campaign saved $86 billion: report

California stop-smoking campaign saved $86 billion: report: "CHICAGO (Reuters) - California's large-scale tobacco control campaign has saved $86 billion in health care costs in its first 15 years, U.S. researchers said on Monday."

South Ossetia conflict: Russia seeks Chinese support as West warns of new dangers - Telegraph

South Ossetia conflict: Russia seeks Chinese support as West warns of new dangers - Telegraph: "Russia sought to bolster its diplomatic position in its stand off with the West over Georgia today by dispatching President Dmitry Medvedev to meet his Chinese counterpart."

Russian general says Poland open to nuclear strike - Times Online

Russian general says Poland open to nuclear strike - Times Online: "A senior Russian general warned Poland today that it was leaving itself open to retaliation - and possibly even a nuclear strike - by agreeing to host a US missile base."

Army tests James Bond style tank that is 'invisible' | Mail Online

Army tests James Bond style tank that is 'invisible' | Mail Online: "New technology that can make tanks invisible has been unveiled by the Ministry of Defence.

In secret trials last week, the Army said it had made a vehicle completely disappear and predicted that an invisible tank would be ready for service by 2012.

The new technology uses cameras and projectors to beam images of the surrounding landscape onto a tank."

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Pet dogs can 'catch' human yawns

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Pet dogs can 'catch' human yawns: "Yawning is known to be contagious in humans but now scientists have shown that pet dogs can catch a yawn, too."

Sleep on It: How Snoozing Makes You Smarter: Scientific American

Sleep on It: How Snoozing Makes You Smarter: Scientific American: "Whether deciding to go to a particular college, accept a challenging job offer or propose to a future spouse, “sleeping on it” seems to provide the clarity we need to piece together life’s puzzles. But how does slumber present us with answers?"

Live Longer: The One Anti-Aging Trick That Works - Yahoo! News

Live Longer: The One Anti-Aging Trick That Works - Yahoo! News: "While the quest for the proverbial Fountain of Youth is endless and typically fruitless, one method known to extend the human lifespan by up to five years has quietly become accepted among leading researchers.

The formula is simple: Eat less. It could add years to your life, several experts now say. And done in moderation, it could at least help you live a more healthy life."

'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution - MIT News Office

'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution - MIT News Office: "In a revolutionary leap that could transform solar power from a marginal, boutique alternative into a mainstream energy source, MIT researchers have overcome a major barrier to large-scale solar power: storing energy for use when the sun doesn't shine."

Live Longer: The One Anti-Aging Trick That Works - Yahoo! News

Live Longer: The One Anti-Aging Trick That Works - Yahoo! News: "While the quest for the proverbial Fountain of Youth is endless and typically fruitless, one method known to extend the human lifespan by up to five years has quietly become accepted among leading researchers.

The formula is simple: Eat less. It could add years to your life, several experts now say. And done in moderation, it could at least help you live a more healthy life."

Live Longer: The One Anti-Aging Trick That Works - Yahoo! News

Live Longer: The One Anti-Aging Trick That Works - Yahoo! News: "The formula is simple: Eat less. It could add years to your life, several experts now say. And done in moderation, it could at least help you live a more healthy life."