BBC NEWS | Health | Shopping sprees linked to periods

BBC NEWS | Health | Shopping sprees linked to periods: "Women may be able to blame impulse buys and extravagant shopping on their time of the month, research suggests.

In the 10 days before their periods began women were more likely to go on a spending spree, a study found.

Psychologists believe shopping could be a way for premenstrual women to deal with the negative emotions created by their hormonal changes."

Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg - model building - model railway Hamburg

Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg - model building - model railway Hamburg: "The largest model railway in the world and one of the most successful permanent exhibitions in Northern Germany."

BBC NEWS | Special Reports | Valued exposure: Ada Lovelace Day

BBC NEWS | Special Reports | Valued exposure: Ada Lovelace Day: "To celebrate the role of women in technology today has been named Ada Lovelace Day.

Augusta Ada Byron was born in 1815, the daughter of Lord Byron she is now known simply as Ada Lovelace. A skilled mathematician she wrote the world's first computer programmes for Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine.

Years ahead of her time she realised that the Analytical Engine 'might compose elaborate and scientific pieces of music of any degree of complexity or extent.'

She died, aged only 36, on 27th November 1852."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Children's sweet tooth explained

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Children's sweet tooth explained: "A compulsion for sweets is a well-known part of childhood, and research could have now explained why children love sugar quite so much.

The study, carried out in the US, found a direct link between children's growth and their preference for sugary drinks.

It showed that youngsters who preferred the sweetest drinks were the ones that were growing the fastest.

Researchers from the University of Washington and Monell Chemical Senses Center collaborated on the work.

The team used what they described as a 'sip and spit' method to test the children's preference for sugary drinks.

''Kids love sweets; they'll put sugar on frosted flakes. But that love seems to decline with age,' said Susan Coldwell from the University of Washington, who led the study."

YouTube - Extreme Sheep LED Art

YouTube - Extreme Sheep LED Art: "We took to the hills of Wales armed to the teeth with sheep, LEDs and a camera, to create a huge amazing LED display. Of sorts."

BBC NEWS | UK | World's oldest champagne opened

BBC NEWS | UK | World's oldest champagne opened: "The world's oldest champagne, bottled before Victoria became Queen, is still drinkable, with notes of 'truffles and caramel', according to the experts.

An 'addictive' bottle of 1825 Perrier-Jouet was opened at a ceremony attended by 12 of the world's top wine tasters.

Their verdict: the 184-year-old champagne tasted better than some of its younger counterparts."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Pink elephant is caught on camera

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Pink elephant is caught on camera: "A pink baby elephant has been caught on camera in Botswana.

A wildlife cameraman took pictures of the calf when he spotted it among a herd of about 80 elephants in the Okavango Delta.

Experts believe it is probably an albino, which is an extremely rare phenomenon in African elephants."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Pink elephant is caught on camera

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Pink elephant is caught on camera: "A pink baby elephant has been caught on camera in Botswana.

A wildlife cameraman took pictures of the calf when he spotted it among a herd of about 80 elephants in the Okavango Delta.

Experts believe it is probably an albino, which is an extremely rare phenomenon in African elephants."

BBC NEWS | Europe | Finn creates USB 'finger drive'

BBC NEWS | Europe | Finn creates USB 'finger drive': "A Finnish computer programmer who lost one of his fingers in a motorcycle accident has made himself a prosthetic replacement with a USB drive attached.

Jerry Jalava uses the 2GB memory stick, accessed by peeling back the 'nail', to store photos, movies and programmes.

The finger is not permanently attached to his hand, so it can be easily left plugged into a computer when in use.

Mr Jalava says he is already thinking about upgrading the finger to include more storage and wireless technology.

'I'm planning to use another prosthetic as a shell for the next version, which will have removable fingertip and RFID tag,' he wrote on his blog, ProtoBlogr.net.

Half of Mr Jalava's left ring finger had to be amputated last summer after he crashed into a deer while riding his motorbike near Helsinki.

He says he was inspired to create the unique storage device when doctors treating him joked that he should have a USB 'finger drive' after finding out that he was a software developer."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | 'Armed' chimps go wild for honey

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | 'Armed' chimps go wild for honey: "Cameras have revealed how 'armed' chimpanzees raid beehives to gorge on sweet honey.

Scientists in the Republic of Congo found that the wild primates crafted large clubs from branches to pound the nests until they broke open.

The team said some chimps would also use a 'toolkit' of different wooden implements in a bid to access the honey and satisfy their sweet tooth.

The study is published in the International Journal of Primatology.

Crickette Sanz, from the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, said: 'The nutritional returns don't seem to be that great.

'But their excitement when they've succeeded is incredible, you can see how much they are enjoying tasting the honey.'"

BBC NEWS | Health | Strive for '100 steps per minute'

BBC NEWS | Health | Strive for '100 steps per minute': "You should be taking 100 steps each minute for half an hour a day if you want to achieve 'moderate' exercise by walking, a study shows."

The 4 Most Impressive Wastes of Time On Record - Funny Videos | Cracked.com

The 4 Most Impressive Wastes of Time On Record - Funny Videos | Cracked.com: "The 4 Most Impressive Wastes of Time On Record"

5 Ways 'Common Sense' Lies To You Everyday | Cracked.com

5 Ways 'Common Sense' Lies To You Everyday | Cracked.com: "Albert Einstein said common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by the age of 18. It is also a result of some pervasive and extremely stupid logical fallacies that have become embedded in the human brain over generations, for one reason or another. These malfunctioning thoughts--several of which you've had already today--are a major cause of everything that's wrong with the world."


To quote Phil Plait: "Of course, a lot of the humor is childish — it’s Cracked, duh — but there is a core of wisdom and truth to their posts that attracts me."

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Audio slideshow: Dalai Lama's flight into exile

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Audio slideshow: Dalai Lama's flight into exile: "On 17 March 1959, as Chinese troops crushed a Tibetan rebellion, a young Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, fled into India.

Despite 50 years in exile, the reach of Tibet's spiritual leader has extended far beyond his community and his unwavering commitment to non-violence has earned the world's respect.

Here, the story of his flight into exile is told through archive images and audio."

BBC NEWS | Health | 'Brain decline' begins at age 27

BBC NEWS | Health | 'Brain decline' begins at age 27: "Mental powers start to dwindle at 27 after peaking at 22, marking the start of old age, US research suggests.

Professor Timothy Salthouse of Virginia University found reasoning, speed of thought and spatial visualisation all decline in our late 20s.

Therapies designed to stall or reverse the ageing process may need to start much earlier, he said."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Coatings that 'self-heal' in sun

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Coatings that 'self-heal' in sun: "Scientists have devised a coating that when scratched heals itself upon exposure to sunlight.

The secret of the material lies in using molecules made from chitosan, which is derived from the shells of crabs and other crustaceans.

In the event of a scratch, ultraviolet light drives a chemical reaction that patches the damage."

Museum finds secret message in Lincoln's watch | U.S. | Reuters

Museum finds secret message in Lincoln's watch | U.S. | Reuters: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A gold watch owned by Abraham Lincoln bears a message marking the start of the U.S. Civil War, but the president never knew of the 'secret' inscription uncovered on Tuesday at the National Museum of American History.

The engraving, by watchmaker Jonathan Dillon, is dated April 13, 1861, and reads in part: 'Fort Sumpter was attacked by the rebels' and 'thank God we have a government.'"

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Monkeys 'teach infants to floss'

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Monkeys 'teach infants to floss': "Making sure your offspring know how to clean their teeth appears to be as important to monkeys as to humans.

Female monkeys in Thailand have been observed showing their young how to floss their teeth - using human hair."

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Hampshire | 'Sausage-pony' prompts 999 calls

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Hampshire | 'Sausage-pony' prompts 999 calls: "A pony with short legs and a long body has caused numerous people to call the emergency services in the mistaken belief she is stuck in the mud."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Battery that 'charges in seconds'

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Battery that 'charges in seconds': "A new manufacturing method for lithium-ion batteries could lead to smaller, lighter batteries that can be charged in just seconds."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | 'Dracula' fish shows baby teeth

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | 'Dracula' fish shows baby teeth: "Scientists have discovered a highly unusual fish with fangs made of bone.

...

The tiny specimens came to the UK in a consignment of aquarium fish, and at first the researchers mistook them for another related species.

...

Given that these scientists, experienced with the family of fish, did not immediately spot D dracula as a new species, they suggest it is entirely possible that the little fanged creatures are swimming round unrecognised in other aquaria even now. "

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | How to understand risk in 13 clicks

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | How to understand risk in 13 clicks

BBC NEWS | Europe | 'Miraculous' survival in Turkey

BBC NEWS | Europe | 'Miraculous' survival in Turkey: "A 32-year-old man has survived with minor injuries after being hit by a flat-bed truck that was rammed by a train in Turkey.

CCTV footage shows Cem Tokac disappear under the wheels of the truck as it collides with the train.

Mr Tokac has said he remembers nothing of the incident and that life is 'beautiful'."

CURRY BEAR » Blog Archive : The Real Slumdog Millionaire? » The Real Slumdog Millionaire?

CURRY BEAR » Blog Archive : The Real Slumdog Millionaire? » The Real Slumdog Millionaire?: "When watching Slumdog Millionaire, there was one thing a lot of people did not understand. In the movie the kids who were from the slums became tour guides and took white people around on tours. Everyone had the same question, how did these kids know English. If they are from the slums how can they pick up one of the most difficult languages in the world? Well here is a video of a kid from the slums who also happens to be selling peacock feathers and check out how many languages he knows. This video was a big hit a few years ago and they just found this kid again in his teenage year and he is still doing the same thing. Check out these clips."

BBC NEWS | Europe | Spain arrests 'cocaine cast' man

BBC NEWS | Europe | Spain arrests 'cocaine cast' man: "A Chilean man with a broken leg was arrested at Barcelona airport after his 'cast' was found to be made of cocaine not plaster, Spanish police say.

The 66-year-old carried six cans of beer and two hollowed-out stools that also contained cocaine, they add.

The police statement said officers were investigating whether the injuries were inflicted intentionally 'to facilitate trafficking through security checks'."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Fish feast frenzy caught on film

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Fish feast frenzy caught on film: "A sardine feeding frenzy has been captured on camera in remarkable detail."

BBC NEWS | Health | Strained marriages 'harm women'

BBC NEWS | Health | Strained marriages 'harm women': "Women are more likely than men to suffer damage to their health from being in a strained marriage, research suggests.

US psychologists found wives in tense marriages were prone to risk factors for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

In comparison, husbands seemed relatively immune from such problems."

Muphry's law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Muphry's law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Not to be confused with Murphy's law."

BBC NEWS | Health | Bionic eye gives blind man sight

BBC NEWS | Health | Bionic eye gives blind man sight: "A man who lost his sight 30 years ago says he can now see flashes of light after being fitted with a bionic eye.

Ron, 73, had the experimental surgery seven months ago at London's Moorfield's eye hospital.

He says he can now follow white lines on the road, and even sort socks, using the bionic eye, known as Argus II.

It uses a camera and video processor mounted on sunglasses to send captured images wirelessly to a tiny receiver on the outside of the eye."

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Indian village paves way to love

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Indian village paves way to love: "More than 100 unmarried villagers in India's Bihar state are working flat out to build a 6km (3.7-mile) road to help their efforts to get married.

The village of Barwaan Kala, in the west of Bihar, is located high in the Kaimur hills and is known locally as the 'village of unmarried people'.

Some 121 villagers aged between 16 and 80 remain bachelors, they say, because of the remoteness of the village.

The last wedding in the village was reportedly 50 years ago."

BBC NEWS | Europe | Cricket 'was invented in Belgium'

BBC NEWS | Europe | Cricket 'was invented in Belgium': "New academic research claims cricket is not English, but was imported by immigrants from northern Belgium.

A poem thought to have been written in 1533 has been uncovered, which suggests the game originates from Flanders.

In the work attributed to John Skelton, Flemish weavers are labelled 'kings of crekettes', according to Paul Campbell of the Australian National University.

The discovery challenges the long established theory that the sport evolved from English children's games.

The first definitive references to the game appeared in England in the 1600s, when fines were handed out for those missing church to play."

BBC NEWS | Health | Anger at work 'good for career'

BBC NEWS | Health | Anger at work 'good for career': "Getting angry at work may not be a bad thing, and may in fact help you move up the career ladder, researchers believe.

The Harvard Medical School study found those who repressed frustration were three times more likely to say they had reached a glass ceiling.

But the team, which has followed 824 people over 44 years, said it was important to remain in control when standing your ground.

Outright fury was destructive, the researchers added."

BBC NEWS | Americas | US 'cell assault' video released

BBC NEWS | Americas | US 'cell assault' video released: "US prosecutors have released video footage of a sheriff's deputy striking a 15-year-old girl and throwing her onto a cell floor."