BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Making Middle-earth on a shoestring

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Making Middle-earth on a shoestring: "Lord of the Rings fans who are finding the wait for 2011's The Hobbit movie just too long may find solace in a new fan-made film that premieres this weekend.

The Hunt for Gollum - which tells the story of Aragorn as he sets out to discover the truth about the Ring - was inspired by the appendices from Tolkien's fantasy epic.

With a budget of £3,000, the film cost somewhat less than Peter Jackson's trilogy, but that doesn't mean this fan-film looks like it was put together with cardboard and string.

The trailer promises a lavish production that models itself closely on Jackson's vision of Middle-earth - with North Wales, Epping Forest and Hampstead Heath doubling for Tolkien's orc-infested lands.

The 40-minute story is set between The Hobbit and the Fellowship of the Ring - and boasts a lead actor who looks astonishingly like Viggo Mortensen's heroic Aragorn.

The world premiere at the Sci-Fi-London film festival on Sunday is the culmination of a two-year project that was conceived, created and funded by fans. The film will also be free-to-view on the web.

The not-for-profit film was written and directed by Chris Bouchard, who explains how The Hunt for Gollum came to the big screen - and predicts the future of fan-made movies.

"

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Invisibility cloak edges closer

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Invisibility cloak edges closer: "Scientists have rendered objects invisible to near-infrared light.

Unlike previous such 'cloaks', the new work does not employ metals, which introduce losses of light and result in imperfect cloaking.

Because the approach can be scaled down further in size, researchers say this is a major step towards a cloak that would work for visible light."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Debut for world's fastest camera

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Debut for world's fastest camera: "The fastest imaging system ever devised has been demonstrated by researchers reporting in the journal Nature.

Their camera's 'shutter speed' is just a half a billionth of a second, and it can capture over six million images in a second continuously.

Its 'flashbulb' is a fast laser pulse dispersed in space and then stretched in time and detected electronically.

The approach will be instrumental in imaging fast-moving or random events, such as communication between neurons.

What is more, the camera works with just one detector, rather than the millions in a typical digital camera."

BBC NEWS | Health | Child behaviour 'linked to sleep'

BBC NEWS | Health | Child behaviour 'linked to sleep': "A good night's sleep could reduce hyperactivity and bad behaviour among children, a Finnish study reports.

It has been suggested that some children who lack sleep do not appear tired, but instead behave badly.

Of the 280 examined in the Pediatrics study, those who slept for fewer than eight hours were the most hyperactive.

Experts said adequate sleep could improve behaviour in healthy children and reduce symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

It is recognised that chronic sleep deprivation is a problem for many adults in Western countries and that it can have consequences for their health and daily life.

The team behind this research said not enough was understood about the role of sleep in children's lives but it has been estimated that a third of US children do not get enough sleep."

BBC NEWS | Health | 'Proof' face creams beat wrinkles

BBC NEWS | Health | 'Proof' face creams beat wrinkles: "Scientists say they have clinical proof that a face cream available on the high street does reduce wrinkles.

Five months' worth of stock of the leading brand sold in a day after Professor Chris Griffiths announced in 2007 it appeared to combat sun damage.

Two years on from the BBC Horizon programme showcasing his work, his team has shown the cream visibly smoothes out the skin.

Boots predicts boom sales of its No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum.

This moisturiser is a richer version of its Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum that the team tested before and found it stimulated the production of fibrillin-1, a protein that promotes elasticity in the skin which is lost with sun damage.

Although his University of Manchester team only tested one brand of anti-ageing cream, Professor Griffiths said similar products available on the market would probably also work."

BBC NEWS | Health | Fatty foods 'offer memory boost'

BBC NEWS | Health | Fatty foods 'offer memory boost': "Eating fatty foods can help boost memory, a US study suggests.

A team at the University of California, Irvine discovered oleic acids from fats are converted into a memory-enhancing agent in the gut.

They hope their work, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could offer a new way to treat memory-related problems.

Drugs to mimic the action of the compound are in trials for controlling the dangerous fat triglyceride.

Evidence shows high levels of oleoylethanolamide or OEA can reduce appetite, produce weight loss and lower blood cholesterol as well as triglyceride levels, making it an attractive candidate as a diet pill too."

BBC NEWS | Americas | Bullet bounces off US woman's bra

BBC NEWS | Americas | Bullet bounces off US woman's bra: "A US woman had a lucky escape when a burglar's bullet bounced off the metal underwire in her bra.

Police in the city of Detroit said one of three intruders fired a shot when the woman looked out of her window and saw them raiding the house next door.

The bullet smashed the window and hit her, but instead of causing serious injury - or worse - it was deflected off the wiring in her bra.

The unnamed 57-year-old woman was taken to hospital and released the same day.

'It did slow the bullet down,' said a police spokesman. 'She sustained injuries but they're not life-threatening.'

...


Local police Sgt Eren Stephens Bell told the Detroit News: "We need to get some bulletproof vests made from that. It is some strong wire."

BBC NEWS | Technology | Optical disc offers 500GB storage

BBC NEWS | Technology | Optical disc offers 500GB storage: "A disc that can store 500 gigabytes (GB) of data, equivalent to 100 DVDs, has been unveiled by General Electric.

The micro-holographic disc, which is the same size as existing DVD discs, is aimed at the archive industry.

But the company believes it can eventually be used in the consumer market place and home players.

Blu-ray discs, which are used to store high definition movies and games, can currently hold between 25GB and 50GB.

Micro-holographic discs can store more data than DVDs or Blu-ray because they store information on the disc in three dimensions, rather than just pits on the surface of the disc

"

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | World first for strange molecule

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | World first for strange molecule: "A molecule that until now existed only in theory has finally been made.

Known as a Rydberg molecule, it is formed through an elusive and extremely weak chemical bond between two atoms.

The new type of bonding, reported in Nature, occurs because one of the two atoms in the molecule has an electron very far from its nucleus or centre.

It reinforces fundamental quantum theories, developed by Nobel prize-winning physicist Enrico Fermi, about how electrons behave and interact."

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Confusion over NZ islands' names

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Confusion over NZ islands' names: "New Zealanders are to be asked what they would like to call their two main islands, currently North and South.

The country's Geographic Board, which assigns and approves place name changes, has announced consultations on alternative English and Maori names.

The move follows the discovery that the geographically correct names, used for 200 years, were not legally registered."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | 'Quiet Sun' baffling astronomers

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | 'Quiet Sun' baffling astronomers: "The Sun is the dimmest it has been for nearly a century.

There are no sunspots, very few solar flares - and our nearest star is the quietest it has been for a very long time.

The observations are baffling astronomers, who are due to study new pictures of the Sun, taken from space, at the UK National Astronomy Meeting.

The Sun normally undergoes an 11-year cycle of activity. At its peak, it has a tumultuous boiling atmosphere that spits out flares and planet-sized chunks of super-hot gas. This is followed by a calmer period.

Last year, it was expected that it would have been hotting up after a quiet spell. But instead it hit a 50-year year low in solar wind pressure, a 55-year low in radio emissions, and a 100-year low in sunspot activity.

According to Prof Louise Hara of University College London, it is unclear why this is happening or when the Sun is likely to become more active again."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Lightest exoplanet is discovered

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Lightest exoplanet is discovered: "Astronomers have announced the discovery of the lightest planet ever detected outside our Solar System.

Situated in the constellation Libra, it is only about twice as massive as the Earth, whereas most other exoplanets identified have been far bigger.

The scientists say the planet's orbit takes it far too close to its star Gliese 581 for life to be possible.

The detection was made by an international team of researchers using a 3.6m telescope at La Silla, Chile."

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Tasmania's wombat poo paper a hit

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Tasmania's wombat poo paper a hit: "In recent years, a company in the port city has been experimenting with paper made from kangaroo droppings - but its popularity has been eclipsed by wombat-inspired products.

Creative Paper manager Darren Simpson says the manufacturing process can be rather unpleasant.

"When we are boiling it, it does smell horrific as you can imagine, but once it has been sterilised and rinsed properly there's no scent left to it. If anything it just gives you a nice organic smell," he said."

BBC NEWS | Americas | Women at war face sexual violence

BBC NEWS | Americas | Women at war face sexual violence: "n her new book, The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq, Helen Benedict examines the experience of female soldiers serving in the US military in Iraq and elsewhere.

Here, in an article adapted from her book, she outlines the threat of sexual violence that women face from their fellow soldiers while on the frontline, and provides testimony from three of the women she interviewed for her book."

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | YouTube to stream Hollywood films

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | YouTube to stream Hollywood films: "Hollywood films like Cliffhanger and the 1967 version of Casino Royale are available on YouTube after the company announced a partnership with Sony.

Better known for music videos and cute kittens, YouTube wants to expand its library of movies and TV shows.

Deals have also been struck with the likes of MGM, Lions Gate, Discovery Communications and National Geographic.

Launch titles are largely older fare, such as 1980s cop show TJ Hooker, and the service is currently US-only."

BBC NEWS | Americas | YouTube orchestra makes its debut

BBC NEWS | Americas | YouTube orchestra makes its debut: "At least 90 musicians from more than 30 different countries have given their first performance in the YouTube Symphony Orchestra in New York.

The video-sharing website held a contest that allowed anyone, anywhere to upload a clip of themselves playing. A selection went to a popular vote.

The winners were flown in to play at Carnegie Hall - one of the most prestigious venues in the world."

BBC NEWS | Health | Female hairiness health warning

BBC NEWS | Health | Female hairiness health warning: "Excessive hairiness in women is not just a cosmetic problem but is likely to be a sign of an underlying medical condition, say UK doctors in a report.

Five to 15% of women have excess hair, and a hormone disorder is the most likely cause in many cases, they said.

Women with the problem should not be afraid to seek medical advice, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists report urged.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the cause in 70% to 80% of cases."

BBC NEWS | UK | Audio slideshow: Remembering Hillsborough

BBC NEWS | UK | Audio slideshow: Remembering Hillsborough: "On the afternoon of Saturday 15 April 1989, 96 Liverpool fans were fatally injured at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough ground.

They had gone to watch their team play Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi-finals, but became crushed against steel fences that surrounded the pitch.

Here - using BBC Radio archive and graphic images from that day - we pay tribute to the victims by recalling how events unfolded."

Warning: This slideshow contains images which some people may find disturbing.

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Ants inhabit 'world without sex'

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Ants inhabit 'world without sex': "An Amazonian ant has dispensed with sex and developed into an all-female species, researchers have found.

The ants reproduce via cloning - the queen ants copy themselves to produce genetically identical daughters.

This species - the first ever to be shown to reproduce entirely without sex - cultivates a garden of fungus, which also reproduces asexually."

Man Dies Days After Swordfight That Killed Woman - Indiana News Story - WRTV Indianapolis

Man Dies Days After Swordfight That Killed Woman - Indiana News Story - WRTV Indianapolis: "INDIANAPOLIS -- A man died Monday, days after he was involved in a swordfight with the grandson of a woman who was killed when she tried to intervene in the fight, police said."

For the atrocious first sentence and the hilarious comments.

BBC NEWS | Health | Scientists find 'pleasure nerves'

BBC NEWS | Health | Scientists find 'pleasure nerves': "Scientists say they understand more about how the body responds to pleasurable touch.

A team, including scientists from the Unilever company, have identified a class of nerve fibres in the skin which specifically send pleasure messages.

And people had to be stroked at a certain speed - 4-5cm per second - to activate the pleasure sensation."

Towards the perfect soft boiled egg » blog.khymos.org

Towards the perfect soft boiled egg » blog.khymos.org

BBC NEWS | Europe | 'Lap-dancing nun' performs for Church

BBC NEWS | Europe | 'Lap-dancing nun' performs for Church: "Anna Nobili is no ordinary nun.

The 38-year-old used to be a lap-dancer, and spent many years working in Italian nightclubs.

She is now using her talents in a rather different way - for what she calls 'The Holy Dance' in a performance on Tuesday evening at the Holy Cross in Jerusalem Basilica in Rome, in front of senior Catholic clerics including Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Vatican's Cultural Department."

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Australian canine castaway found

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Australian canine castaway found: "A pet dog which was washed overboard and believed drowned has been found four months later - as a castaway on a remote Australian island.

Sophie Tucker - named after the famous US entertainer - vanished as Jan and Dave Griffith sailed through stormy waters off Queensland last November.

But unknown to her grieving owners, the plucky dog survived a long swim across shark-infested waters to an island.

There she lived on a diet of baby goats until being found by visiting rangers."

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | How a memory champ's brain works

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | How a memory champ's brain works: "It takes less than 30 seconds for the reigning World Memory Champion to recall the sequence of a pack of playing cards. In an hour, he can memorise 26 more packs. But can the secrets of memory grand masters help the rest of us find our car keys?

'I forget everything,' says World Memory Champion Ben Pridmore.

'I walk into a room and forget what I am doing there, open the fridge and wonder why I am looking in there. I am famously bad at being able to remember people's names and faces.'

And, it seems, appointments. When I arrive to interview Mr Pridmore, he has forgotten our scheduled encounter."

BBC NEWS | Europe | Paris liberation made 'whites only'

BBC NEWS | Europe | Paris liberation made 'whites only': "Papers unearthed by the BBC reveal that British and American commanders ensured that the liberation of Paris on 25 August 1944 was seen as a 'whites only' victory.

Many who fought Nazi Germany during World War II did so to defeat the vicious racism that left millions of Jews dead.

Yet the BBC's Document programme has seen evidence that black colonial soldiers - who made up around two-thirds of Free French forces - were deliberately removed from the unit that led the Allied advance into the French capital."

BBC NEWS | UK | Audio slideshow: The art of camouflage

BBC NEWS | UK | Audio slideshow: The art of camouflage: "Appearance, it seems, is key to survival in the animal kingdom - with some species able to blend in perfectly with their surroundings, while others behave quite the contrary."

BBC NEWS | Health | Sisters 'make people happy'

BBC NEWS | Health | Sisters 'make people happy': "Sisters spread happiness while brothers breed distress, experts believe.

Researchers quizzed 571 people aged 17 to 25 about their lives and found those who grew up with sisters were more likely to be happy and balanced.

The University of Ulster said having daughters made a family more open and willing to discuss feelings.

They said the influence of girls was particularly important after distressing family events such as marital break-ups."

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Baby chicks do basic arithmetic

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Baby chicks do basic arithmetic: "Baby birds can do arithmetic, say researchers in Italy.

Scientists from the universities of Padova and Trento demonstrated chicks' ability to add and subtract objects as they were moved behind two screens.

Lucia Regolin, an author of the study said the animals 'performed basic arithmetic' to work out which screen concealed the larger group of objects."