BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Edinburgh, East and Fife | Overthinking 'disrupts golf putt'

BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Edinburgh, East and Fife | Overthinking 'disrupts golf putt': "Golfers who think too much about their technique between shots could be seriously affecting their performance, a study has suggested.

St Andrews University and US scientists said they had established that too much analysis made the golfer's game worse.

They said thinking too much about the previous shot can disrupt performance.

In total, 80 golfers were given shots to practise until they got it right. Those who discussed their putting between strokes took twice as long.

The study found that when the mix of skilled and novice golfers tried again, those who had discussed the shot took longer to get the shots right as those people who had spent a couple of minutes engaged in other, unrelated activities."

BBC NEWS | UK | Education | Drunken sailors left out of rhyme

BBC NEWS | UK | Education | Drunken sailors left out of rhyme: "'Drunken sailors' have been removed from the lyrics of a nursery rhyme in a government-funded books project.

But the Bookstart charity says the re-writing of What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor? has 'absolutely nothing to do with political correctness'.

The charity says that the shift from drunken sailor to 'grumpy pirate' was to make the rhyme fit a pirate theme, rather than censorship.

'Put him in the brig until he's sober,' has also been lost in the new version.

This latest ideological spat over nursery rhymes was sparked by the re-writing of What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor."

Good Lord:

PIRATES AHOY!

What shall we do with the grumpy pirate?
What shall we do with the grumpy pirate?
What shall we do with the grumpy pirate?
Early in the morning

Hooray and up she rises
Hooray and up she rises
Hooray and up she rises
Early in the morning

Do a little jig and make him smile
Do a little jig and make him smile
Do a little jig and make him smile
Early in the morning

BBC NEWS | Europe | Naked ramblers face Swiss fines

BBC NEWS | Europe | Naked ramblers face Swiss fines: "A local Swiss government plans to take action against a sudden and apparently unwelcome phenomenon - naked hikers.

Authorities in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden plan to introduce fines for anyone found walking in the picturesque mountain region without any clothes.

They decided to act before this year's hiking season began, after noticing a sudden influx of nudists last year - many of them from Germany."

Sherlock Holmes found dead at home.

68-year-old man found beaten inside Plano home | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News: "Sherlock Holmes was found by a friend about 12:45 a.m. inside his home in the 1100 block of Avenue I, said Plano police spokesman Rick McDonald."

'Immortal' jellyfish swarming across the world - Telegraph

'Immortal' jellyfish swarming across the world - Telegraph: "The Turritopsis Nutricula is able to revert back to a juvenile form once it mates after becoming sexually mature.

Marine biologists say the jellyfish numbers are rocketing because they need not die.

Dr Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute said: 'We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion.'"

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Craig lands role in Tintin movie

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Craig lands role in Tintin movie: "Filming for The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, directed by Steven Spielberg, has already begun." Yay!!!!

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Tyne | Cows find milky way to happiness

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Tyne | Cows find milky way to happiness: "Happy cows produce more milk, according to researchers at Newcastle University.

Cattle that are named and treated with a 'more personal touch' can increase milk yields by up to 500 pints a year."

BBC NEWS | Health | Peer reveals 'cello scrotum' hoax

BBC NEWS | Health | Peer reveals 'cello scrotum' hoax: "A top doctor has admitted her part in hoodwinking a leading medical journal after inventing a medical condition called 'cello scrotum'."

BBC NEWS | Americas | Child matador,11, kills six bulls

BBC NEWS | Americas | Child matador,11, kills six bulls: "An 11-year-old Franco-Mexican boy has killed six young bulls in a single fight, despite moves to stop the event.

Michelito Lagravere has been bullfighting since he was four years old.

Last year several of Michelito's bullfights in France were banned after protests by animal rights groups.

This time the controversial spectacle was given a last minute go-ahead despite pressure from child protection and anti-bullfighting campaign groups."

BBC NEWS | Health | Cutting calories 'boosts memory'

BBC NEWS | Health | Cutting calories 'boosts memory': "Reducing what you eat by nearly a third may improve memory, according to German researchers.

They introduced the diet to 50 elderly volunteers, then gave them a memory test three months later.

The study, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, found significant improvements.

However, a dietician said the reduction could harm health unless care was taken."

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Red Dwarf voyages back to Earth

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Red Dwarf voyages back to Earth: "Cult comedy Red Dwarf is returning to TV, 21 years after its initial launch.

The show has been resurrected by digital channel Dave for a two-part Easter weekend special, which sees the cast finally return to Earth."

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Japanese firms unveil 'robocop'

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Japanese firms unveil 'robocop': "Two Japanese companies have unveiled a security robot that can be commanded from a mobile phone to hurl a net that traps suspected intruders.

The prototype T-34 was developed jointly by robot firm Tmsuk Co and security firm Alacom Co.

It moves at up to 10km/h (6mph), and can be controlled by someone seeing real-time images on a mobile phone.

The small robot is built on wheels and is equipped with sensors that can detect the movements of intruders.

'Security sensors often set off false alarms but examining the location with the robot will lead to more efficient operations,' said a statement from the companies."

BBC NEWS | Americas | 'Polite' Britons died on Titanic

BBC NEWS | Americas | 'Polite' Britons died on Titanic: "More British passengers died on the Titanic because they queued politely for lifeboats, researchers believe.

A behavioural economist says data suggests Britons in that era were more inclined to be 'gentlemanly' while Americans were more 'individualist'.

Women with children had a 70% better chance of survival than men in such an environment, he told the BBC.

The Titanic sank during its maiden voyage in 1912 after hitting an iceberg, with the loss of 1,500 lives.

David Savage, from Queenland University of Technology, studied the disaster to look at how people react in life and death situations.

He said that in testimonies from inquiries in America and Britain just after the event, there were a lot of statements from women saying their husbands put them on lifeboats.

They then "went to the back of the boat to have a cigar, to stand around and be chummy, while basically the boat went down."

Mr Savage said: "There was one gentleman who was rather wealthy... who went back downstairs after he put his wife on the [life] boat... put on his tuxedo...went back upstairs and smoked... with the idea that if I am going die, I may as well die as a gentleman and well-dressed."

"

BBC NEWS | Americas | Obama inauguration | Obama is sworn in for second time

BBC NEWS | Americas | Obama inauguration | Obama is sworn in for second time: "Barack Obama has been sworn in as US president for the second time in two days, because one word was given out of order during Tuesday's ceremony.

The Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, John Roberts, administered the oath again at the White House.

The decision to repeat the oath was taken out of an abundance of caution, an official said.

But Mr Obama joked: 'We decided it was so much fun....' before adding: 'We're going to do it very slowly.'"

BBC NEWS | Americas | US priests 'in $800,000 theft'

BBC NEWS | Americas | US priests 'in $800,000 theft': "Two Roman Catholic priests have been accused of stealing $800,000 from the collection plate of their church in the US state of Florida.

They allegedly planned to spend the money on property, holidays, gambling and to meet the expenses of mistresses.

One of the priests, Fr John Skelan has admitted the charges, but his colleague Fr Francis Guinan denies them.

US law - the statute of limitations - prevents the priests being charged with thefts that occurred before 2001.

But the auditors say that up to $8m might have disappeared over a period of 20 years."

BBC NEWS | Americas | Obama orders Guantanamo closure

BBC NEWS | Americas | Obama orders Guantanamo closure: "US President Barack Obama has ordered the closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison camp within one year."

MTV Multiplayer » Wii Pole Dancing Game Calls For Developers And Publishers — Any Takers?

MTV Multiplayer » Wii Pole Dancing Game Calls For Developers And Publishers — Any Takers?: "“We have not managed to tie up a deal for this yet but we still remain hopeful,” he wrote. “We have, however, connected with a company that is manufacturing a peripheral product and we are investigating mutual publishing opportunities. Please feel free to give a shout out to any developers or publishers who want to give this a crack. [The game] just needs someone with a little nerve.”

He added that Carmen Electra is “available to be involved” but is not associated with the project at this time."

A Meal To Die For Video - CBSNews.com

A Meal To Die For Video - CBSNews.com: "A Meal To Die For

Bill Geist visits the Heart Attack Grill in Chandler, Ariz., where you can almost feel your arteries clogging."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Little dung beetle is big chopper

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Little dung beetle is big chopper: "It was rooted at the rear end of the food chain, but now the humble dung beetle is biting back.

A ferocious scarab species has been filmed in Peru attacking and eating millipedes 10 times its length.

D. valgum no longer dines on faeces. Instead, the nocturnal predator prefers to decapitate live prey with its armour 'teeth' and then devour their insides.

It is a rare example of a scavenger species turning carnivore, say US scientists in a Royal Society journal."

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Rising fame for Obama 'lookalike'

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Rising fame for Obama 'lookalike': "A 'shy' photographer in Indonesia is in great demand because of his resemblance to the new US President, Barack Obama.

Ilham Anas, 34, is already a celebrity in Jakarta, where Mr Obama once lived, but his fame is spreading.

He has appeared on Indonesia's premier TV talk show, done an advertisement as Mr Obama, and received other marketing offers from companies in the region."

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iraq fails to sell Saddam's yacht

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iraq fails to sell Saddam's yacht: "The Iraqi government's attempts to sell a luxury yacht that once belonged to Saddam Hussein have foundered.

Despite features including a missile launcher and operating theatre, no-one was willing to pay $30m for the 82m (270ft) Basrah Breeze.

The vessel, which will be towed back to Iraq from Europe, also has an escape tunnel leading to a mini-submarine.

Baghdad officials have blamed the global economic slump for their failure to find a buyer."

Invention: Biofuel from the oceans - tech - 21 January 2009 - New Scientist

Invention: Biofuel from the oceans - tech - 21 January 2009 - New Scientist: "Now a group at the Korea Institute of Technology in South Korea has developed a way to use marine algae, or seaweed, to produce bioethanol and avoid taking up land altogether.

The group says seaweed has a number of advantages over land-based biomass. It grows much faster, allowing up to six harvests per year; unlike trees and plants, it does not contain lignin and so requires no pre-treatment before it can be turned into fuel; and it absorbs up to seven times as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as wood.

The group's patent suggests treating all sizes of algae - from large kelp to single-celled spirulina - with an enzyme to break them into simple sugars, which can then be fermented into ethanol.

The resulting seaweed biofuel is cheaper and simpler to produce than crop or wood-based fuels, and will have no effect on the price of food, says the group."

Invention: Biofuel from the oceans - tech - 21 January 2009 - New Scientist

Invention: Biofuel from the oceans - tech - 21 January 2009 - New Scientist: "Now a group at the Korea Institute of Technology in South Korea has developed a way to use marine algae, or seaweed, to produce bioethanol and avoid taking up land altogether.

The group says seaweed has a number of advantages over land-based biomass. It grows much faster, allowing up to six harvests per year; unlike trees and plants, it does not contain lignin and so requires no pre-treatment before it can be turned into fuel; and it absorbs up to seven times as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as wood.

The group's patent suggests treating all sizes of algae - from large kelp to single-celled spirulina - with an enzyme to break them into simple sugars, which can then be fermented into ethanol.

The resulting seaweed biofuel is cheaper and simpler to produce than crop or wood-based fuels, and will have no effect on the price of food, says the group."

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Obama speech censored in China

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Obama speech censored in China: "China has censored parts of the new US president's inauguration speech that have appeared on a number of websites.

Live footage of the event on state television also cut away from Barack Obama when communism was mentioned.

China's leaders appear to have been upset by references to facing down communism and silencing dissent.

English-language versions of the speech have been allowed on the internet, but many of the Chinese translations have omitted sensitive sections."

BBC NEWS | Programmes | World News America

BBC NEWS | Programmes | World News America

BBC NEWS | Health | Men 'can fight food urges better'

BBC NEWS | Health | Men 'can fight food urges better': "Men are more likely than women to be able to resist a plate full of tempting treats, American research suggests.

In an experiment in New York, a group of 23 volunteers were asked to try to suppress their hunger.

The men seemed to do better and brain scans later revealed they had far less activity than the women in a part of the brain linked to desire for food.

The researchers say this ability to 'switch off' thoughts of food may explain lower rates of obesity in men.

The complex mechanisms which control how much we eat are not fully understood."

BBC NEWS | Health | Staying calm 'prevents dementia'

BBC NEWS | Health | Staying calm 'prevents dementia': "People who are more laid back are less likely to develop dementia in old age, a study has suggested.

Research published in the journal Neurology asked 500 healthy elderly people to fill out questionnaires about their personalities.

Those who were calm and relaxed had a 50% lower risk of developing dementia during the six years of the study."

BBC NEWS | Health | Asian heart disease gene found

BBC NEWS | Health | Asian heart disease gene found: "A gene mutation that almost guarantees the development of heart disease is carried by 60m people, researchers say.

Around 4% people from the Indian subcontinent have the mutation, which increases the risk of heart disease seven-fold, Nature Genetics reports."

BBC NEWS | Special Reports | Three generations: Little Rock to Obama

BBC NEWS | Special Reports | Three generations: Little Rock to Obama: "For generations of African-Americans, a black US president was an impossible dream. Civil rights veteran Terrence Roberts explains his family's journey from segregation to the inauguration of President Obama."

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Painter finds fakes at art show

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Painter finds fakes at art show: "A leading Indian artist has said he was 'stupefied and outraged' to find that many of his paintings at a show he was inaugurating were fakes.

SH Raza was inaugurating the exhibition at an art gallery in Delhi.

The Dhoomimal Art Gallery closed its show as soon as Mr Raza pointed out the fakes but said it had sourced them from the painter's family."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Ancient Persians 'gassed Romans'

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Ancient Persians 'gassed Romans': "Ancient Persians were the first to use chemical warfare against their enemies, a study has suggested.

A UK researcher said he found evidence that the Persian Empire used poisonous gases on the Roman city of Dura, Eastern Syria, in the 3rd Century AD.

The theory is based on the discovery of remains of about 20 Roman soldiers found at the base of the city wall."

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BBC NEWS | Americas | Obama's 'Beast' of a car revealed

BBC NEWS | Americas | Obama's 'Beast' of a car revealed: "t looks like something out of a James Bond film.

But the presidential seal on the side marks this hulking limo out as something not even the superspy will be able to get his hands on.

These are the first pictures of the new armoured limousine which will be used to ferry Barack Obama around.

Nicknamed 'The Beast', the Cadillac will make its debut on 20 January, as part of the inaugural parade.

It is traditional to show presidential cars off for the first time in this way."

BBC NEWS | Health | 'Visions link' to coffee intake

BBC NEWS | Health | 'Visions link' to coffee intake: "People who drink too much coffee could start seeing ghosts or hearing strange voices, UK research has suggested.

People who drank more than seven cups of instant coffee a day were three times more likely to hallucinate than those who took just one, a study found."

YouTube - Jennifer 8. Lee: Who was General Tso? and other mysteries of

YouTube - Jennifer 8. Lee: Who was General Tso? and other mysteries of: "Reporter Jennifer 8. Lee talks about her hunt for the origins of familiar Chinese-American dishes --"

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Mummy of female pharaoh uncovered

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Mummy of female pharaoh uncovered: "Egyptologists have discovered the remains of a mummy thought to belong to a queen who ruled 4,300 years ago, Egypt's antiquities chief has said.

The body of Queen Seshestet was found in a recently-discovered pyramid in Saqqara, Zahi Hawass announced.

She was mother of King Teti, founder of the Sixth Dynasty of pharaonic Egypt. Her name was not found but 'all the signs indicate that she is Seshestet'.

Such old royal mummies are rare. Most date from dynasties after 1800 BC.

Historians believe Queen Seshestet ruled Egypt for 11 years - making her one a small number of women pharaohs."

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hamete virtual dice server - a die roller online: "a free dice roller service for dice used in RPG or PBEM games."

The MegaPenny Project | Index Page

The MegaPenny Project | Index Page: "Visualizing huge numbers can be very difficult. People regularly talk about millions of miles, billions of bytes, or trillions of dollars, yet it's still hard to grasp just how much a 'billion' really is. The MegaPenny Project aims to help by taking one small everyday item, the U.S. penny, and building on that to answer the question: 'What would a billion (or a trillion) pennies look like?'"

BBC NEWS | Americas | NY eatery frees ancient lobster

BBC NEWS | Americas | NY eatery frees ancient lobster: "A lobster believed to be some 140 years old is to be freed from the confines of a tank at a New York restaurant.

George the giant lobster, weighing 9kg (20lb), will be returned to the ocean, from where he was caught two weeks ago."

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Devon | Black humour film promotes region

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Devon | Black humour film promotes region: "Advertising agencies are being lured to the South West with a black humour video that has become an internet hit.

The film, produced with £10,000 from the South West Regional Development Agency, shows people being dumped on a trailer and squashed by a cider press.

A farmer then shows how the creative juices are bottled for consumption."

BBC NEWS | Health | Baby girl born to 'dead' mother

BBC NEWS | Health | Baby girl born to 'dead' mother: "An ice-skating star's baby has been born two days after she collapsed and died from a brain haemorrhage, a hospital has confirmed.

Doctors at Oxford's John Radcliffe hospital kept Jayne Soliman's heart beating until they had delivered her baby daughter Aya Jayne on Friday.

Baby Aya was born prematurely at 25 weeks by Caesarean section.

She is now being cared for by doctors at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.

Although exceedingly rare, this is not the first time a baby has been kept alive in the womb of a dead mother."

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Follow your nose on web scent map

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Follow your nose on web scent map: "A Japanese website has given the phrase 'follow your nose' a whole new meaning with an interactive map that lets users describe smells they have encountered.

Members of the 'Nioibu' or Smell Club have posted descriptions of more than 160 odours from around the world, the Associated Press news agency says.

The scents range from 'cats with halitosis' in Kamakura, Japan, to 'verbena soap' in Paris, AP said.

All that is missing, said a spokeswoman for Nioibu, is a 'smelling function'.

'That is our next challenge,' said Kayo Matsubara, from Kayac Inc, which runs the Japanese-language Nioibu.com website.

Other scents that Nioibu's 'smellists' - as members are called - have posted include 'steam coming out of a rice cooker' and 'used socks in the summer'."

BBC NEWS | Africa | By flying car from London to Timbuktu

BBC NEWS | Africa | By flying car from London to Timbuktu

BBC NEWS | Africa | Pirate 'washes ashore with cash'

BBC NEWS | Africa | Pirate 'washes ashore with cash': "The body of a Somali pirate who reportedly drowned soon after receiving a huge ransom has washed ashore with $153,000 in cash, his uncle says.

The man was one of a group of pirates who seized the Saudi supertanker Sirius Star in November.

They reportedly received $3m (£1.95m) for freeing the tanker but five were said to have drowned after fleeing.

A relative of the drowned pirate told the BBC the family was now trying to dry out the recovered money.

The pirates' boat capsized when they were hit by rough seas as they were heading back to their homes in central Somalia, the leader of the pirates told AFP."

BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Rent-a-friend in Japan

BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Rent-a-friend in Japan: "Lola - or Rora - to give her a slightly more Japanese pronounciation - is a beauty and she knows it.

Customers pay by the hour for her company. Usually they just want to stroke her, but as a special treat for favoured clients, she will lie back in a chair, close her eyes and pose for photographs.

Lola is a Persian cat who works at the Ja La La Cafe in Tokyo's bustling Akihabara district. It is one of a growing number of Cat Cafes in the city which provide visitors with short but intimate encounters with professional pets.

When I called, there were 12 felines and seven customers, mostly single men."

BBC NEWS | UK | England | London | Bride's advert for wedding guests

BBC NEWS | UK | England | London | Bride's advert for wedding guests: "A bride from Eastern Europe who is marrying in London is advertising for 'decent' guests to fill her side of the church.

The Ukrainian woman's family are all at home, and only her parents can be at the ceremony.

So the woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, has posted a free ad on classifieds website Gumtree looking for 30 people to sit with her."

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Wanted: Paradise island 'caretaker'

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Wanted: Paradise island 'caretaker': "Tourism officials in Australia are describing it as 'the best job in the world'.

They want someone to work on a tropical island off the Queensland coast.

No formal qualifications are needed but candidates must be willing to swim, snorkel, dive and sail.

In return, the successful applicant will receive a salary of A$150,000 ($103,000, £70,000) for six months and get to live rent-free in a three-bedroom villa, complete with pool."

BBC NEWS | Americas | Divorce man 'wants kidney back'

BBC NEWS | Americas | Divorce man 'wants kidney back': "A US man divorcing his wife is demanding that she return the kidney he donated to her or pay him $1.5m (£1m) in compensation."

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Arts & Culture | Obama to star in Spider-Man comic

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Arts & Culture | Obama to star in Spider-Man comic: "US President-elect Barack Obama is to appear on the cover of a special edition of a Spider-Man comic.

A six-page story, with the superhero saving the day when an imposter tries to take Mr Obama's place as president, will hit shelves next Wednesday.

Marvel Comics editor Joe Quesada said the idea for edition came after Mr Obama admitted he was a Spider-Man fan.

'How great is that? The commander-in-chief to be is actually a nerd-in-chief,' Mr Quesada said."

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reaction_version5.swf (application/x-shockwave-flash Object)

BBC NEWS | Health | Tetris 'helps to reduce trauma'

BBC NEWS | Health | Tetris 'helps to reduce trauma': "Playing the computer puzzle game Tetris can help reduce the effects of traumatic stress, UK researchers say.

Volunteers were exposed to distressing images, with some given the game to play 30 minutes later, the PLoS One journal reported.

Players had fewer 'flashbacks', perhaps because it helped disrupt the laying down of memories, said the scientists.

It is hoped the study could aid the development of new strategies for minimising the impact of trauma.

However, the researchers accept translating their findings into practical applications could prove difficult."

BBC NEWS | Americas | The 'misunderestimated' president?

BBC NEWS | Americas | The 'misunderestimated' president?: "All politicians are prone to make slips of the tongue in the heat of the moment - and President George W Bush has made more than most.

The word 'Bushism' has been coined to label his occasional verbal lapses during eight years in office, which come to an end on 20 January.

Here are some of his most memorable pronouncements."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | First flight of algae-fuelled jet

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | First flight of algae-fuelled jet: "A US airline has completed the first test flight of a plane partly powered by biofuel derived from algae.

The 90-minute flight by a Continental Boeing 737-800 went better than expected, a spokesperson said.

One of its engines was powered by a 50-50 blend of biofuel and normal aircraft fuel.

Wednesday's test is the latest in a series of demonstration flights by the aviation industry, which hopes to be using biofuels within five years.

The flight was the first by a US carrier to use an alternative fuel source, and the first in the world to use a twin-engine commercial aircraft (rather than a four-engine plane) to test a biofuel blend.

The flight from Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport completed a circuit over the Gulf of Mexico, and pilots carried out a series of tests at 38,000ft (11.6km), including a mid-flight engine shutdown.

'The airplane performed perfectly,' test pilot Rich Jankowski told the Houston Chronicle newspaper.

'There were no problems. It was textbook.'"

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Lincolnshire | UFO claim over wind farm damage

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Lincolnshire | UFO claim over wind farm damage: "UFO enthusiasts are claiming damage to a Lincolnshire wind farm turbine was caused by a mystery aircraft.

The turbine at Conisholme lost one 66ft (20m) blade and another was badly damaged in the early hours of Sunday.

County councillor for the area Robert Palmer said he had seen a 'round, white light that seemed to be hovering'.

Ecotricity, which owns the site, said while investigations continued they were not ruling anything out - but the extent of damage was 'unique'."

Peak Performance: Why Records Fall - New York Times

Peak Performance: Why Records Fall - New York Times: "THE old joke -- How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice -- is getting a scientific spin. Researchers are finding an unexpected potency from deliberate practice in world-class competitions of all kinds, including chess matches, musical recitals and sporting events.

Studies of chess masters, virtuoso musicians and star athletes show that the relentless training routines of those at the top allows them to break through ordinary limits in memory and physiology, and so perform at levels that had been thought impossible.

World records have been falling inexorably over the last century. For example, the marathon gold medalist's time in the 1896 Olympics Games was, by 1990, only about as good as the qualifying time for the Boston Marathon."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Getting into space by broomstick

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Getting into space by broomstick: "The prospects for the space elevator have been shaken up with a simple prototype using a broomstick."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Black holes 'preceded galaxies'

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Black holes 'preceded galaxies': "A cosmic chicken-and-egg question has been solved by astronomers, who now say that black holes came before galaxies."

BBC NEWS | Americas | Payout for Arabic shirt passenger

BBC NEWS | Americas | Payout for Arabic shirt passenger: "An air passenger forced to cover his T-shirt because it displayed Arabic script has been awarded a payout of $240,000 (£163,000), his lawyers say.

Two Transportation Security Authority officials and JetBlue Airways will be forced to make the payout.

Raed Jarrar, a US resident, had accused them of illegally discriminating against him based on his ethnicity and the Arabic writing on his T-shirt.

The payout is the largest of its kind since the 9/11 terror attacks.

Lawyers representing Mr Jarrar say the settlement is a victory for free speech and a blow to the practice of racial profiling."

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Afghan foetus 'aborted by razor'

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Afghan foetus 'aborted by razor': "The family of a 14-year-old Afghan rape victim face prosecution after her foetus was removed without anaesthetic.

The mother and brother of the girl are accused of cutting her open with a razor blade to perform an abortion.

Doctors say the girl is in a critical condition. A man accused of raping her is under arrest, officials say.

Rape victims and their families in Afghanistan often feel ashamed to report what has happened because people may think the victim consented to sex.

Sex outside marriage is illegal in Afghanistan."

BBC NEWS | Americas | Chairlift mishap strips US skier

BBC NEWS | Americas | Chairlift mishap strips US skier: "A skier was left dangling from a chairlift at an American resort after he became stuck upside-down with his ski trousers round his ankles.

Photos show the man naked from his waist to his knees, swinging from one leg, and still wearing both skis.

He became entangled shortly after boarding the Skyline Express lift.

The lift was stopped and reversed about 12ft (3.6m) before he was freed by the Vail Ski Patrol, Vail Resort said in a statement about the 1 January incident.

The resort operator said the 48-year-old man was suspended for about seven minutes, but was uninjured."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | 'Spookfish' has mirrors for eyes

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | 'Spookfish' has mirrors for eyes: "A Pacific fish uses mirrors as well as lenses to help it see in the murky ocean depths, scientists have revealed.

The brownsnout spookfish has been known for 120 years, but no live specimen had ever been captured.

Last year, one was caught off Tonga, by scientists from Tuebingen University, Germany.

Tests confirmed the fish is the first vertebrate known to have developed mirrors to focus light into its eyes, the team reports in Current Biology.

'In nearly 500 million years of vertebrate evolution, and many thousands of vertebrate species living and dead, this is the only one known to have solved the fundamental optical problem faced by all eyes - how to make an image - using a mirror,' said Professor Julian Partridge, of Bristol University, who conducted the tests."

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Surrey | Sprout-fed gorillas kick up stink

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Surrey | Sprout-fed gorillas kick up stink: "A festive treat had to be taken off the menu at a Surrey theme park after visitors complained about a band of gorillas who were kicking up a stink.

The western lowland gorillas at Chessington World of Adventures loved their sprouts but the vegetables created a flatulence problem.

'It was pretty bad,' said zoo keeper Sonia Freeman. 'It wasn't an area to be in if you had a sensitive stomach."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Milky Way 'bigger than thought'

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Milky Way 'bigger than thought': "Our galaxy is much bigger than once thought, according to research presented at a major astronomy meeting this week.

The results suggest the Milky Way is roughly the same size as Andromeda, the largest galaxy in our local group.

What is more, it is moving 15% faster than earlier predictions.

The greater mass means that future collisions with nearby galaxies could happen sooner than thought, according to the researchers."

BBC NEWS | Health | Warning over 'third hand smoke'

BBC NEWS | Health | Warning over 'third hand smoke': "Many people are unaware that even smoking away from babies or pregnant women presents a risk, according to US research.

Poisons in cigarette smoke can linger on fabrics or hair, but a survey of 1,500 households found that fewer than half of smokers knew this.

Only a quarter had strict rules about not smoking in the house, according to the report in the journal Pediatrics."

Cat sees world from both sides

Worcester Telegram & Gazette News: "When people first see Frank and Louie they “paws” and do a double take.

He is one cat with two faces — and two names. The soft, fluffy feline belongs to a Millbury woman named Marty, who has asked us not to use her last name because she fears a crush of publicity, like that which surrounded the recent birth of a kitten with two faces in Ohio."

Sinfest

Sinfest: "Expand My World"

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | The 'first true scientist'

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | The 'first true scientist'

BBC NEWS | Health | Playing golf can 'damage hearing'

BBC NEWS | Health | Playing golf can 'damage hearing': "Keen golfers are being warned by doctors that they could be risking their hearing for their sport.

Players who use a new generation of thin-faced titanium drivers to propel the ball further should consider wearing ear plugs, experts advise.

Ear specialists suspect the 'sonic boom' the metal club head makes when it strikes the ball damaged the hearing of a 55-year-old golfer they treated."

BBC NEWS | Health | Playing golf can 'damage hearing'

BBC NEWS | Health | Playing golf can 'damage hearing': "Keen golfers are being warned by doctors that they could be risking their hearing for their sport.

Players who use a new generation of thin-faced titanium drivers to propel the ball further should consider wearing ear plugs, experts advise.

Ear specialists suspect the 'sonic boom' the metal club head makes when it strikes the ball damaged the hearing of a 55-year-old golfer they treated."

BBC NEWS | Europe | Child elopers' Africa plan foiled

BBC NEWS | Europe | Child elopers' Africa plan foiled: "Two German children - aged five and six - have been stopped by police from eloping to Africa to tie the knot in the sun, reports say.

The budding lovebirds, identified as Mika and Anna-Lena, packed bathing costumes, sunglasses and a lilo and headed for the airport.

They even had the presence of mind to invite along an official witness - Anna-Lena's seven-year-old sister.

The three got as far as Hanover railway station before police intervened.

The young couple were 'very much in love' and had decided to get married in Africa 'where it is warm', police spokesman Holger Jureczko told the AFP news agency."

freezebubbles/ice giant

freezebubbles/ice giant: "t's very cold tonight, so we played with bubbles. If you blow them upwards enough they have time to freeze on the way down."

The Stanford Chaparral | Humor Magazine

The Stanford Chaparral | Humor Magazine: "At Saks Fifth Avenue
Cashier: Would you like to buy or sell today?
Tourist: I’m actually just looking for fragrances.
Cashier: Would you like to buy or sell today?
Tourist: Eh...buy. To buy.
Cashier: We currently have potion, high potion, and elixir.
Tourist: Hmm, is Elixir by Estee Lauder?
Cashier: It was looted from a slain necromancer on the Long Island."

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | New Doctor Who to be announced

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | New Doctor Who to be announced: "The name of the actor who will replace David Tennant in Doctor Who will be announced on Saturday."