Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The ABCs of skepticism
A Poem Beyond Belief by Phil Plait.
--Bad Astronomy

Sydney summers by 2060 could be deadly
Global warming, drier weather and smog will make Australia's lifestyle capital a health hazard.
--Reuters

Lights in Sky Prompt Flood of Calls In Md., Va.
The National Weather Service said there is no evidence of any naturally occurring phenomenon to explain bright lights. --wbaltv.com

New theory for largest known mass extinction
Extinction could have been triggered by gas emissions of giant salt lakes. --PhysOrg.com

UFO Investigator Finds Mystery at CO Springs Park
UFO investigator Chuck Zukowski documents the unexplainable. --Colorado Springs Gazette

Monday, March 30, 2009

Volunteers flock to space experiment
Six volunteers will live in cramped metal containers. --BBC News

Giant ice flows bolster case for volcanoes on Titan
Slushy water from a hidden ocean may be pooling onto the icy surface of Saturn's moon Titan.
--New Scientist

Kept 30 years, supposed UFO piece now 'for sale'
A mysterious white-hot object that fell in Ohio fuels speculation. --Middletown Journal

Two more cows found mutilated
Trinidad and Walsenburg ranchers find dead cow, calf. --Pueblo Chieftan

Kusshi: The Mystery of Lake Kussharo
An unknown creature has long been sighted in Lake Kussharo, in the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan. --Cryptomundo

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Chinese computer espionage network uncovered
A study reveals the network GhostNet had invaded 1,295 computers in 103 countries. --The Observer

Scientists Map the Brain, Gene by Gene
The Allen Brain Atlas seeks to describe the brain at the level of specific genes and individual neurons.
--Wired

Loch Ness Monster Obsession Lives On
Photos, video and sonar have picked up unusual shapes and movements in Loch Ness.
--Good Morning America

Headmaster: No Vampires At Our School
A school administrator wants to set the record straight: There are no vampires at Boston Latin.
--WCVB-TV

Astronomy: The rock that fell to Earth
Researchers document a cosmic impact from start to finish for the first time. --Nature

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Five inventions that will change your life
A look at five inventions in development at some of the most cutting-edge research labs in the U.S. --FOX News

Pair disturbed by unexplained noises in night
Accounts of supernatural activity have been reported at Hooker hut on New Zealand's Mt Cook. --Stuff.co.nz

Dogs (not chimps) most like humans
Man's best friend serves as model for understanding human social behavior. --Discovery Channel

Russian bigfoot expedition postponed
The expedition that went looking for bigfoots in a cave in Siberia has so far been fruitless. --MosNews.com

Doctor in mid-surgery heart scare
An Italian surgeon finished a brain operation on a patient - despite suffering a heart attack. --BBC News

Friday, March 27, 2009

Ice that burns could be a green fossil fuel
Natural gas locked up in water crystals could be a source of enormous amounts of energy. --New Scientist

Mars domes may be 'mud volcanoes'
The structures could be the best place to search for life.
--BBC News

Ghosts in the Machine - with picture slideshow
Richard Wiseman launched an online investigation into the photographic evidence for ghosts earlier this month.
--The Scotsman

Victorian 'ghost' picked up by Google Street View
A ghostly figure dressed in Victorian clothes was filmed before vanishing into thin air. --The Telegraph

Florida UFO reports on the rise
Florida witnesses reported nine UFO incidents over 12 days. --Examiner.com

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Deja vu: Where fact meets fantasy
The feeling that history is repeating itself is one of the weirdest sensations a human can have.
--New Scientist

O'Hare UFO video surfaces on Youtube
MUFON director has questioned the footage. --Examiner.com

You Pay, Computer Prays For You
A look at the intersection between religion and technology. --Technovelgy.com

Artificial Genetics
New type of DNA has 12 chemical letters instead of usual 4. --Science Daily

Briny pools 'may exist on Mars'
Pools of salty water might be able to exist just below the surface of Mars. --BBC News

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Pancake ice takes over the Arctic
Researchers work to put changing ice types into climate models. --Nature

Unsung scientist who invented the 'death ray'
Harry Grindell Matthews was an eccentric British inventor and the genius behind a real-life laser-gun. --Daily Mail

At MIT's AgeLab growing old is the new frontier
Researchers seek to understand the needs of the aging. --Boston Globe

Sea Serpents Likely to be Discovered
A team of scientists have concluded that three new unusual species might await discovery. --Cryptomundo

Sleep Paralysis & Supernatural Assault
Audio interview with filmmakers Andrew Barnes & Paul Taitt. --Binnall of America

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Space storm alert: 90 seconds from catastrophe
A fierce solar storm could lead to a global disaster. --New Scientist

UFO files: USAF pilot's death explained
The death was not the result of a UFO encounter but a 'tragic' accident. --The Telegraph

Horror film draws unwanted visitors to Conn. house
Fans are making a beeline for the Southington home that inspired upcoming movie. --AP

Expedition sets off to check Bigfoot sightings
Two-day expedition will take scientists to a cave in Siberia. --Mosnews.com

New watch 'tells the future'
Swiss watch-makers have teamed up with Indian fortune tellers. --Ananova

Monday, March 23, 2009

Newly Restored "Picture of the Century"
NASA program, aimed at refurbishing lunar images, cleans up famous Copernicus picture. --Moon Views

UFO files: photographs of 'UFO next to RAF jet'
Recently released Ministry of Defense files detail internal furor over photographed objects.
--Telegraph

10 Ideas Changing the World
Transforming the suburbs, moving businesses to Africa, and "biobanks" are just some of the emerging new trends in today's world. --TIME

Liquid saltwater is likely present on Mars
Analysis of water, pictured on the Mars Rover's leg, indicates important ecological building block.
--Astronomy.com

Trunkless Dinos
Loren Coleman looks at the debate over whether or not dinosaurs had trunks. --Cryptomundo

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Smart-grid hackers could cause blackouts
Tests show that a hacker can cause a major blackout after breaking into a smart-grid system.
--CNET News

Trapped under ice
Nature talks to the team behind a risky mission to map the underside of an Antarctic glacier. --Nature

Finding Twin Earths Is Harder Than Thought
Does a twin Earth exist somewhere in our galaxy? If so, will that planet be habitable? --ScienceDaily

Mysterious Boom Rattles CRSA
A resounding boom rattled residents of Georgia-Carolina (with video report). --WJBF-TV

Three UFO low fly reports over IN, CA, VT
Three low flying UFOs were spotted over Indiana, California and Vermont on March 19th.
--UFO Examiner

Saturday, March 21, 2009

The human brain is 'on the edge of chaos'
The human brain functions at a critical point between order and randomness, new study says. --PhysOrg.com

Pink elephant is caught on camera
A pink baby elephant has been caught on camera in Botswana (with photo). --BBC News

The man they could not hang
Supernatural tales surround John 'Babbacombe' Lee, who survived three attempts at hanging.
--South Devon Herald Express

World's lightest material made into muscle
Material, when electrified, instantly and powerfully contracts. --Discovery Channel

Motorist blames GPS for trip down tracks
A motorist who drove along 20ft of a railway line told police officers his sat nav had directed him to turn on to the track. --Telegraph

Friday, March 20, 2009

Shortages will create 'perfect storm'
Growing populations, falling energy sources and food shortages will create the "perfect storm" by 2030, says scientist. --The Telegraph

Egypt unveils pharaonic embalming bed
The bed was used to prepare bodies for mummification more than 3,000 years ago. --AFP

Crawling the Web to Foretell Ecosystem Collapse
Human beings can serve as sensors by mining their online communications. --Wired

The Psychology of 'Knowing'
The tendency for the human mind to find coincidences, patterns, and connections in random data is called apophenia. --LiveScience

Tsunami 'trigger' spotted on Google Earth
The software could prove a useful tool where other types of survey prove too difficult or expensive.
--New Scientist

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Military Laser Hits Battlefield Strength
Huge news for real-life ray guns.
--Danger Room

Bat Hung On For a Ride Into Space
NASA hoped the bat would fly away before the spacecraft's Sunday evening liftoff. --Space.com

Man has lost finger replaced with USB drive
A computer programmer has built a special prosthetic finger to use as computer storage. --The Telegraph

NASA may send fleet of spacecraft to Venus
Two balloons, two landers, and an orbiter could be sent together to Venus. --New Scientist

Eight surprising fossil finds
Fossils reveal stories of life long past, and sometimes a story is unexpected. --MSNBC

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Fossil of 'ultimate predator' unearthed in Arctic
The remains of the huge 'Predator X' have been discovered in a remote Arctic archipelago.
--New Scientist

MRI Lie Detection to Get 1st Day in Court
Defense attorneys are for the first time submitting a controversial neurological lie-detection test as evidence in U.S. court. --Wired

Wild Green Men
Loren Coleman talks about green men, Jolly Green Giants, and Wild Men traditions. --Cryptomundo

Building the 21st-Century Mind
A professor of cognition and education reveals the five minds you need for success. --Scientific American

FBI: Comic book holds clue in D.B. Cooper case
The hijacker may have taken his name from a French comic book. --KOMO News

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

New Dinosaur Was Smaller Than Housecat
Scientists have described the smallest dinosaur in North America, and it was a carnivore. --LiveScience

Mind over body?
Can people think themselves sick? This is what psychiatrist Simon Wessely explores.
--New Scientist

Scientists aim to replicate the sun
Nuclear fusion experiments may offer the world a clean source of energy. --UPI.com

Lady in Blue still climbs the stairs
Morgan's Alley is rumored to be haunted by a spirit known as the Lady in Blue. --KlewTV.com

Blobs in Photos of Mars Lander Stir a Debate
Several photographs taken by NASA's Phoenix Mars spacecraft show what look like water droplets.
--NY Times

Monday, March 16, 2009

20 Things You Didn't Know About...Time
The beginning, the end, and the funny habits of our favorite ticking force. --Discover

Spin Battery
Physicist develops battery using new source of energy. --Science Daily

The Day the Sun Brought Darkness
Twenty years ago, astronomers witnessed a powerful explosion on the sun. --Astrobiology Magazine

Ten ways to save the World
Which less orthodox proposals could stave off disastrous climate change? --The Independent

Pentagon plans blimp to spy from new heights
The giant dirigible would use radar to closely and constantly monitor activity on the ground from 65,000 feet. --LA Times

Sunday, March 15, 2009

FBI Declines 2 of 3 Information Requests
FBI tells two out of three FOIA requesters that no such documents exist, study finds. --AP

Galaxies protected by mysterious dark matter
Hubble uncovers evidence of galaxies embedded in the unseen substance. --Space.com

In Arctic and Antarctic, a Species Overlap
The top and bottom of the Earth share a surprising number of species in common. --Discovery News

Erasing traumatic memory possible
A group of researchers have erased brain cells in mice that store fearful memories. --Toronto Star

Moon hides scars of a violent past
Our closest neighbor has been struck by three times more asteroids than previously thought.
--New Scientist

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Cow abducted by UFO?
Rancher thinks aliens abducted cow, carved it up and then dropped it back by the river. --WBBH-TV

Finger Length Predicts Speed, Aggression, Smarts
Boys with ring fingers longer than their index fingers run faster, a new study finds. --LiveScience

Ghost debunking exercise launched by Professor
Thousands of people are posting snapshots of alleged ghosts online for an experiment at the Edinburgh Science Festival. --Telegraph.co.uk

Scientists able to read people's minds
Brain scanner translates thoughts of participants in maze experiment. --The Independent

Sasquatch linked to mysterious footprints
A researcher in British Columbia claims to have photographic evidence that sasquatches exist.
--Prince George Citizen

Friday, March 13, 2009

Similar Videos Suggest Proof of Aliens
Both recordings show odd 'stick figures.'
--Unknown Country

Artificial life 'could be created within five years'
Laboratories across the world are closing in on a 'second genesis.' --The Telegraph

Pluto a Planet Again --in Illinois
March 13, 2009 was declared 'Pluto Day' in the State of Illinois, in honor of the date its discovery.
--National Geographic

Caravaggio was early 'photographer'
Italian artist used an early form of photography to create his masterpieces - 200 years before the invention of the camera. --BBC News

ISS Astronauts Take Shelter from Space Debris
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station took refuge inside their Russian-built Soyuz lifeboat.
--Space.com

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Giant Stingray Could be World's Largest
In central Thailand an enormous freshwater stingray was captured, tagged and released. --EcoWorldly

Mass hysteria breaks out in central America
People have reportedly fallen ill with what is known locally as grisi siknis ('crazy sickness').
--New Scientist

Metamaterial Revolution
The new science of making anything disappear. --Discover

Human-like robot smiles, scolds in classroom
Japan's robot teacher has eerily lifelike face. --AP

Discovery Creates Mystery Into Human Origins
Analysis of elongated skulls found in Russia.
--Third Eye Concept

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Satellite Debris Falling into Atmosphere
Engineers have been watching debris from recent collision over Siberia. --Space.com

'Dracula' fish shows baby teeth
Scientists have discovered a highly unusual fish with fangs made of bone. --BBC News

Missile-throwing chimp plots attacks on tourists
A chimp deliberately fashions discs of concrete to later hurl at zoo visitors. --New Scientist

10 Best Uses for RFID Tags
List includes Saguaro cacti and surgical sponges. --Wired Magazine

Strangest Beasts Ever to Die
More than 99 percent of all species that have lived on Earth are now extinct. --Discovery

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Skeptics Dispute Climate Worries and Each Other
The International Conference on Climate Change brings together political figures, conservative campaigners, scientists, & an Apollo astronaut. --NY Times

Believers hunt UFO at annual meeting
The recent International UFO Congress Convention & Film Festival has brought together the extraterrestrially curious for 18 years. --AP

Belief and the brain's 'God spot'
Scientists say they have located the parts of the brain that control religious faith. --The Independent

Kangaroo intruder terrorizes sleeping family
An Australian couple thought they were being attacked by an intruder when a kangaroo crashed through their bedroom window. --Reuters

Personal Experiences With 'Shadow People'
Man writes of terrifying encounter.
--Phantoms & Monsters

Monday, March 9, 2009

MUFON to receive major funding from billionaire
Bob Bigelow aims to help the Mutual UFO Network form "rapid response" teams to investigate UFO incidents. --Nashville UFO Examiner

Famed pastor predicts imminent catastrophe
David Wilkerson foresees riots and fires spreading across America's urban centers. --World Net Daily

Lost Fringe Conspiracy Occultists of Americana
Micah A. Hanks looks at some forgotten conspiracy theories and the minds behind them.
--The Gralien Report

Cannibalistic Jupiter ate its early moons
Astronomers theorize that the gaseous giant may have absorbed up to 20 moons. --New Scientist

NASA: Shuttle's Risk of Debris Strike Up 6 Percent
Remnants of the recent satellite collision raises risk of shuttle suffering a "catastrophic hit."
--Space.com

Sunday, March 8, 2009

'No proof' of bee killer theory
Scientists say there is no proof that a mysterious disease blamed for the deaths of billions of bees actually exists. --BBC News

'Invisibility cloak' directs light away from eye
A new metamaterial created by Rice University scientists could hide objects from human sight.
--Discovery Channel

Watchmen: The Science of Dr. Manhattan
Newsarama talks with Dr. James Kaklios, scientific adviser to Watchmen about explanations for Dr. Manhattan's powers. --Newsarama

Roswell Fireman Says It was a Flying Saucer!
A firefighter who was with the Roswell Fire Dept. talks about what crashed there in 1947.
--The UFO Iconoclast(s)

Metal Bits Self-Assemble Into Lifelike Snakes
At Argonne National Laboratory, nickel particles in a beaker are building themselves into magnetic snakes (with video). --Wired News

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Only a Dream? Maybe Not
New study explores how dreams influence day-to-day behavior. --ABC News

UFO buzzes town, many stunned witnesses
Media in the Czech Republic is widely reporting a series of UFO sightings that occurred last month (with photo).
--All News Web

Woman Finds Bone in M&M's
J. Paulette Potts of Atlanta claims to have found a bone while eating M&M's candy. --CafeTerra

Baby Olympian? DNA test screens sports ability
But some worry about mental toll the results of at-home test may bring. --MSNBC

'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
A skeleton exhumed from a Venice grave is being claimed as the first example of the "vampires" widely referred to in contemporary documents. --New Scientist

Friday, March 6, 2009

Mysterious noise shakes Orange County
Local authorities were swamped with phone calls from anxious residents. --KABC-TV

Meet the bionic reporter
Rob Spence is planning to have a camera embedded in his eye socket. --BBC News

Invisibility cloak closer to reality
Scientists have made huge strides in the past few years in the rapidly developing field of cloaking. --PhysOrg.com

Otzi the prehistoric iceman goes online
Site users can virtually tour his body. --Daily Mail

Shocking cancer treatment may also yield weapon
A technique thought to be a promising cancer treatment is also being investigated as the basis for a Taser-like weapon. --New Scientist

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Bionic eye gives blind man sight
A man who lost his sight 30 years ago says he can now see flashes of light. --BBC News

Howard Menger Passes
Famed UFO contactee Howard Menger died at his Florida home on February 25th. --UFO Mystic

Two black holes spiraling towards collision
A galaxy merger has sent two supermassive black holes on a collision course. --Ars Technica

China's artificially-induced snow closes highways
Heavy snow brought on after seeding clouds with chemicals. --news.com. au

This Cat Is Pretty Ugly... Seriously
Pet cat has gnarly locks but the rest of his skin is bald and rubbery. --wbztv.com

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The headset that will mimic all five senses
A virtual reality helmet recreates the sights, smells, sounds and even tastes of far-flung holiday destinations. --Daily Mail

Ancient supernovae may be recorded in ice
An Antarctic ice core shows what may be the chemical traces of supernovae that exploded a thousand years ago. --New Scientist

Italian doctor says he has cloned three babies
A controversial Italian doctor known said he cloned three babies who are now living in eastern Europe. --AFP

New Saturn Moon Photo
Tiny gem found in outer ring.
--National Geographic News

Aussie cobbles together Get Smart shoe phone
An Australian computer scientist has developed a mobile phone housed in a shoe. --Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Mars had 'recent' running water
Images from a NASA spacecraft orbiting the Red Planet show fan-shaped gullies on the surface. --BBC News

The True Story Behind Push
You think government-trained psychic spies are a bunch of hooey? Col. John Alexander would like to politely disagree. --Maxim

Dial H for Happiness
How neuroengineering may change your brain. --Wired

Man pulled car by eyelids
A Chinese man pulled a car by a rope attached only to his eyelids for more than five metres. --Ananova

Two-headed turtle
The remarkable pet can eat with both heads at the same time. --Ananova

Monday, March 2, 2009

Earth Critters Hitch Ride to Martian Moon and Back
A Russian spacecraft to Phobos will carry critters and microbes. --Discovery News

Solar calendar secret revealed in Suffolk church
This year's spring equinox will shed light on a religious statue. --EDP24

Explorers begin epic Arctic trek
A British team has begun a gruelling trek to the North Pole to discover how quickly the Arctic sea-ice is melting. --BBC News

A Sketchy Brain Booster: Doodling
Asked to remember names they'd heard on a recording, people who doodled while listening had better recall. --Wired

UFOs witnessed over four states
A silent V-shaped craft moved across CO skies near Boulder on Feb. 28. --Examiner.com

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Radio chip coming soon to your driver's license?
Homeland Security seeks next-generation REAL ID.
--WorldNetDaily

Parrots teach man to speak again
A man who lost his power of speech in an accident has been taught to speak again by parrots.
--Telegraph.co.uk

Market gloom can be self-fulfilling prophecy
"Recency" causes people to look to the recent past to guide their future course of action.
--Globe and Mail

Police hunt radioactive man on the run
Police are hunting down a man whose medical treatment has made him radioactive.
--news.com.au

David Attenborough: Yetis real
Wildlife expert David Attenborough says he believes there is "very convincing" evidence Yetis exist.
--The Sun

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