[Tsundoku]

Just as a response to DW's post, problem solvered:

This post has been edited by Sombra: 15 July 2011 - 09:12 AM

[Adjutant Stormy~]

Ugh, bad science is bad.

[Tsundoku]

Adjutant Stormy, on 15 July 2011 - 09:16 AM, said:

Ugh, bad science is bad.

O RLY?

------------------------

http://www.abc.net.a...11/s3257196.htm

Paint-on solar panels now possible

Simon Lauder reported this story on Thursday, June 30, 2011 08:12:00
Listen to MP3 of this story ( minutes)

Alternate WMA version | MP3 download

TONY EASTLEY: It's the type of technology only dreamed of a few years ago but Australian researchers have turned it into reality, developing solar panels which can be painted or printed directly onto a surface.

It's one of several projects which has the potential to revolutionise solar energy, eliminating the need for bulky panels which need to be attached to buildings.

The integration of solar cells with building products is expected to make solar energy much cheaper in years to come as AM's Simon Lauder reports.

SIMON LAUDER: With help from the CSIRO, University of Melbourne PhD student Brandon MacDonald has worked out how to make solar cells so small they can be suspended in liquid, such as ink.

BRANDON MACDONALD: And we can then apply this ink onto a surface, so this could be glass or plastics or metals. What we could do is actually integrate these into the building as it's being made. So you can imagine solar windows or having it actually be part of the roofing material.

SIMON LAUDER: It means that one day soon solar panels will no longer be something you bolt onto a roof. They'll be printed or painted on instead.

These solar panels will be made of nano-crystals which have a diameter of just a few millionths of a millimetre.

Brandon MacDonald says they'll use just 1 per cent of the materials needed to make traditional solar panels.

BRANDON MACDONALD: The problem with sort of conventional solar cells which are based on silicone and have been around for 60 years is that they are quite efficient at converting sunlight to energy.

But in terms of making them it's a fairly costly and time consuming process and so at the moment solar energy is more expensive than say coal or fossil fuels.

With this sort of, these inks, and eventually trying to print the cells on a large scale we hope that we'll make it so that this technology is cost competitive with traditional energy sources.

SIMON LAUDER: And how much cheaper do you think it will be?

BRANDON MACDONALD: We would aim to have it be at least probably two or three times sort of cheaper than solar cells that are out on the market right now.

SIMON LAUDER: He's hoping the print-on solar panel will be on the market in about five years.

An Australian based company has already taken a big step towards the large scale marketing of a very similar product.

Solar developer Dysol has struck a deal with steel giant Tata Steel to develop building products such as steel girders and roofing panels with solar panels embedded in the surface.

Dysol's founder Sylvia Tulloch, says the product should be ready to go in two years.

SYLVIA TULLOCH: I think a third generation solar where we talk about processes that enable us to integrate solar layers into all sorts of everyday products and particularly into building products; so roofs or walls or windows that have layers on them that generate electricity.

SIMON LAUDER: So in years to come you can have an entire building which is generating electricity?

SYLVIA TULLOCH: Absolutely. So when you specify your roof, you will specify what proportion of it you want to be generating electricity.

TONY EASTLEY: Sylvia Tulloch from solar developer Dysol ending that report from Simon Lauder.

[Wolfy]

http://www.gizmodo.c...-eat-an-iphone/


Arsehole Boyfriend Forced His Girlfriend To Eat An iPhone

By Casey Chan on July 21, 2011 at 9:25 AM

Brian Anscomb, a 37-year-old patent lawyer and dickhead of the week, supposedly “force-fed” an iPhone to his 23-year-old girlfriend in an attempt to make her eat it. That’s, like, really not cool man. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE.The ‘stuffing an iPhone down his girlfriend’s throat’ incident happened this past weekend during an argument the two had on the Upper East Side of New York City. Anscomb’s lawyer denies the allegations but Anscomb’s girlfriend suffered bruising and cuts on her mouth. We don’t know the full story but my god man, how bat shit crazy do you have to be to make someone eat an iPhone?

It wasn’t the first time Anscomb escalated an argument by doing something to a phone either. Earlier this month, he had allegedly broke his girlfriend’s mobile phone in half when she tried to call the cops. This guy must really hate phones. [NY Post via Village Voice]

[Tsundoku]

I'm sure we can trace this shit back to Abyss somehow ...

---------------------------------------

http://www.news.com....c-1226099151039

Green ant 'zombies' affected by deadly fungus attacked by slayers - latest scientific research

By Daniel Bateman
From: The Cairns Post
July 21, 2011 4:02PM

Researchers find ants effected by deadly 'zombie' fungus are fighting back - involving cannibalism and an LSD like compound.

GREEN ants may be zombie ant slayers, or love chowing down upon the zombified flesh of their infected relatives.

Researchers from James Cook University in Cairns Queensland, and Penn State University in the USA have found native green ants behave in a surprising way when they encounter a member of their colony infected with a deadly fungus, in effect acting like "zombie-slayers".

The bizarre parasitic fungus named Cordyceps, infects ants with its spores, forcing them into a zombie like state within days.

The behaviour of the ant is altered by the fungus, causing them to die in an exposed position, such as clinging onto and biting the edge of shrub leaves.

Researchers think the fungus excretes an LSD-like compound suggesting the zombie ant might be "high" when it dies.

When the ant dies spores from the fungus grow out of the insects head and then rain down upon unsuspecting victims walking on the same ant trail infecting them and spreading the fungus throughout the ant colony.

But now it seems the healthy ants are fighting back.

They attack and dismember the infected individual, removing the infected ant’s abdomen, much like humans attacking zombies in horror movies.

Penn State Biologist Dr Anna Schmidt, has spent the past few weeks scouring the forests around far North Queensland searching for ants infected with the fungus. She is trying to find out why the slaying green ants act in such a strange manner.

“Is that because the healthy ants encounter the infected ants and think ‘hey that’s bad I’d better destroy it, or hey that’s something I can eat’”

The project will also aim to decipher how exactly the fungus alters the behaviour of ants, and whether the spread of the fungus is affected by climate.

“There are not that many ants now, but in a few months there will be with the wet season, that way we can study the live ants interacting” Dr Schmidt said.

The study will help scientists better understand the relationship between fungi and insects in the rainforests.

“It’s biodiversity on a whole different scale.”

------------------------------------------

I have these weird mental images of an ant Scooby Squad, plus versions of Milla Jovovich and of course the Michelle Rodruigez one always dies ...

[Tsundoku]

I shouldn't laugh, it's pretty serious. But I can't help myself.

------------------------------------------

http://www.news.com....0-1226102263423

RAAF man serious after portaloo blast

From: AAP
July 26, 2011 6:47PM

A MAN from the Royal Australian Air Force who suffered horrific burns in a portaloo explosion, remains in a serious condition.

The man received third-degree burns to his head, face, arms, chest and airways in the incident at the Rockhampton airport about 9.30am (AEST) yesterday.

The Department of Community Safety said it's believed the man was lighting a cigarette at the time, a spokeswoman said.

He was taken to the Rockhampton Hospital but transferred to the burns unit of the Royal Brisbane Hospital overnight.

He remains in a serious condition, a defence spokesman told AAP.

The man had been taking part in a joint US-Australia military exercise, Talisman Sabre.

-------------------------------------------

That's the closest the RAAF has been to actual danger in over 60 years.

[Darkwatch]

Fox news anchor asks Bill Nye if recent (in geological terms) volcanism on the Moon is related to humans burning fossil fuels and the climate change debate.


Watch it, see it. Weep!

[Dammon]

... I'm not even sure what to say about this one:

http://www.perthnow....u-1226107886001

---------------------------------------

From correspondents in Stockholm
August 04, 2011 2:34AM

A SWEDISH man who was arrested after trying to split atoms in his kitchen says he was only doing it as a hobby.
Richard Handl overnight said that he had the radioactive elements radium, americium and uranium in his apartment in southern Sweden when police showed up and arrested him on charges of unauthorised possession of nuclear material.

The 31-year-old Mr Handl said he had tried for months to set up a nuclear reactor at home and kept a blog about his experiments, describing how he created a small meltdown on his stove.

Only later did he realise it might not be legal and sent a question to Sweden's Radiation Authority, which answered by sending the police.

"I have always been interested in physics and chemistry," Mr Handl said, adding he just wanted to "see if it's possible to split atoms at home".

The police raid took place in late July, but police have refused to comment. If convicted, Mr Handl could face fines or up to two years in prison.

Although he says police didn't detect dangerous levels of radiation in his apartment, he now acknowledges the project wasn't such a good idea.

"From now on, I will stick to the theory," he said.

[Primateus]

That's the right can-do attitude.

[Shiara]

An interesting development in Australian politics (though not strictly political in nature)

Quote

Wong pregnancy sparks gay marriage debate

Federal Finance Minister Penny Wong has announced she is expecting a child with her partner, sparking fresh debate about Labor's stance on gay marriage.

Senator Wong released a statement on Tuesday revealing her long-term partner Sophie Allouache is expected to give birth in December after falling pregnant through in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

"Like any expecting parents, the prospect of welcoming this child into our lives fills us both with joy," she said.

"We are extremely grateful to our IVF service and staff, and to our donor, for giving us the opportunity to raise a child together."

Prime Minister Julia Gillard welcomed the news.

"I'm very pleased for Penny and her partner Sophie as they look forward to a new baby and the next phase of their lives," she told reporters in Canberra.

But Ms Gillard was pressed on whether it bothered her that the child would have parents who could not marry under Australian law.

"Clearly there are strong views about same-sex marriage in the community," said Ms Gillard, who believes marriage must be between a man and a woman.

"There are strong views in the political party I lead, and we'll have a debate at national conference about those strongly held views. I've made my views clear."

Treasurer Wayne Swan also congratulated Senator Wong.

"As any parent knows, starting a family is one of the most exciting times in your life, so this is just great news for Penny and Sophie," he said in a brief statement.

"On behalf of my own family and all my staff, I wish them both all the best on the long but enormously rewarding road of parenthood."

Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop passed on the coalition's congratulations.

"The birth of a child is a cause for great happiness for Penny Wong and her partner," she told AAP.

"I wish them all the very best in the coming months."

The couple know the biological father, and he will also be known to the child, Senator Wong said. But his name will not be released to the media, Senator Wong said.

"We have chosen to make this statement about Sophie's pregnancy as we understand there may be public interest due to my position," she said.

"I do not propose to make any further statements following today."

This post has been edited by Shiara: 09 August 2011 - 03:52 AM

[Adjutant Stormy~]

Dammon, on 05 August 2011 - 06:08 AM, said:

... I'm not even sure what to say about this one:

http://www.perthnow....u-1226107886001

---------------------------------------

From correspondents in Stockholm
August 04, 2011 2:34AM

A SWEDISH man who was arrested after trying to split atoms in his kitchen says he was only doing it as a hobby.
Richard Handl overnight said that he had the radioactive elements radium, americium and uranium in his apartment in southern Sweden when police showed up and arrested him on charges of unauthorised possession of nuclear material.

The 31-year-old Mr Handl said he had tried for months to set up a nuclear reactor at home and kept a blog about his experiments, describing how he created a small meltdown on his stove.

Only later did he realise it might not be legal and sent a question to Sweden's Radiation Authority, which answered by sending the police.

"I have always been interested in physics and chemistry," Mr Handl said, adding he just wanted to "see if it's possible to split atoms at home".

The police raid took place in late July, but police have refused to comment. If convicted, Mr Handl could face fines or up to two years in prison.

Although he says police didn't detect dangerous levels of radiation in his apartment, he now acknowledges the project wasn't such a good idea.

"From now on, I will stick to the theory," he said.

Of course it's possible to split atoms at home.

He somehow fucking got some americium and uranium, which do undergo spontaneous fission. Now, he'd NEVER KNOW that they were happening unless he had a decent spectroscope setup (unlikely). But yes, the location of these isotopes is a non-factor in their fission.

[Tapper]

Quote

'Lucky' woman who won lottery four times outed as Stanford University statistics PhD

She was called the luckiest woman in the world.
But now that luck is being called into question by some who think that winning the lottery four times is more than just a coincidental spell of good fortune.
Joan R. Ginther, 63, from Texas, won multiple million dollar payouts each time.

First, she won $5.4 million, then a decade later, she won $2million, then two years later $3million and in the summer of 2010, she hit a $10million jackpot.

The odds of this has been calculated at one in eighteen septillion and luck like this could only come once every quadrillion years.

Harper's reporter Nathanial Rich recently wrote an article about Ms Ginther, which calls the the validity of her 'luck' into question.
First, he points out, Ms Ginther is a former math professor with a PhD from Stanford University specialising in statistics.

A professor at the Institute for the Study of Gambling & Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada, Reno, told Mr Rich: 'When something this unlikely happens in a casino, you arrest ‘em first and ask questions later.'

Although Ms Ginther now lives in Las Vegas, she won all four of her lotteries in Texas.
Three of her wins, all in two-year intervals, were by scratch-off tickets bought at the same mini mart in the town of Bishop.
Mr Rich details the myriad ways in which Ms Ginther could have gamed the system - including the fact that she may have figured out the algorithm that determines where a winner is placed in each run of scratch-off tickets.

He believes that after Ms Ginther figured out the algorithm, it wouldn’t be difficult to determine where the tickets would be shipped, as the shipping schedule is apparently fixed, and there were a few sources she could have found it out from.

According to Forbes, the residents of Bishop, Texas, seem to believe God was behind it all.
The Texas Lottery Commission told Mr Rich that Ms Ginther must have been 'born under a lucky star', and that they don’t suspect foul play.

I especially like the chances of this occurring if she hasn't broken the code. I mean, one in a septillion... that is 1 in 1.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.
Even better is how people thought this was a god-sent gift. I mean, come on?
But the kicker is that no-one will be able to prove she cheated, and even so, is cracking an algorithm foul play, or just the company's problem?

[Darkwatch]

Quote

Woman arrested for assaulting 12-year-old girl for 'looking at' her 30-year-old boyfriend

A 24-year-old Connecticut woman has been charged with assault for grabbing a 12-year-old girl by the hair and throwing her down for 'looking at' her 30-year-old boyfriend.
The violent incident occurred at a family birthday party in North Branford, Connecticut on July 23.
Police didn’t arrest the woman, Candace Kiley of New Haven, until Tuesday because they had to apply for a warrant after she fled the scene.
North Branford police said the 12-year-old was not related to Kiley, nor did it appear that the two had a history.
Both were at the party because the unidentified victim is a friend of Kiley's younger sister.

The assault happened after Kiley’s boyfriend spilled a drink in the kitchen.
Police said the young girl had joined him there because she needed to get ice for her drink.
The girl was waiting for the man to clean up the spill when Kiley walked in.
Kiley then accused the 12-year-old of looking at her boyfriend, saying the victim had 'been looking at him all day.'
She grabbed the girl by the hair and threw her to the floor.
The 12-year-old sustained a head injury and then broke into an asthma attack, police said.

The assault continued until family members heard the commotion in the next room and intervened.
North Branford Police Department Lt. David D’Ancicco said: 'She landed flat on her back, hitting the back of head on the floor.'
He added that: 'Everybody immediately came to the 12-year-old’s aid.'
The girl suffered a bump on her head, but the family did not call an ambulance and the police did not send her to the hospital when they arrived.

Kiley had left the party by the time police got there, which is why they had to apply for a warrant.
Police charged Kiley on Tuesday with third-degree assault, disorderly conduct and risk of injury to a minor.
She was released pending a court appearance on Aug. 23.

Source: Here

I do not know what to say about that.

[King Lear]

Tapper, on 15 August 2011 - 02:30 PM, said:

Quote

'Lucky' woman who won lottery four times outed as Stanford University statistics PhD

She was called the luckiest woman in the world.
But now that luck is being called into question by some who think that winning the lottery four times is more than just a coincidental spell of good fortune.
Joan R. Ginther, 63, from Texas, won multiple million dollar payouts each time.

First, she won $5.4 million, then a decade later, she won $2million, then two years later $3million and in the summer of 2010, she hit a $10million jackpot.

The odds of this has been calculated at one in eighteen septillion and luck like this could only come once every quadrillion years.

Harper's reporter Nathanial Rich recently wrote an article about Ms Ginther, which calls the the validity of her 'luck' into question.
First, he points out, Ms Ginther is a former math professor with a PhD from Stanford University specialising in statistics.

A professor at the Institute for the Study of Gambling & Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada, Reno, told Mr Rich: 'When something this unlikely happens in a casino, you arrest 'em first and ask questions later.'

Although Ms Ginther now lives in Las Vegas, she won all four of her lotteries in Texas.
Three of her wins, all in two-year intervals, were by scratch-off tickets bought at the same mini mart in the town of Bishop.
Mr Rich details the myriad ways in which Ms Ginther could have gamed the system - including the fact that she may have figured out the algorithm that determines where a winner is placed in each run of scratch-off tickets.

He believes that after Ms Ginther figured out the algorithm, it wouldn't be difficult to determine where the tickets would be shipped, as the shipping schedule is apparently fixed, and there were a few sources she could have found it out from.

According to Forbes, the residents of Bishop, Texas, seem to believe God was behind it all.
The Texas Lottery Commission told Mr Rich that Ms Ginther must have been 'born under a lucky star', and that they don't suspect foul play.

I especially like the chances of this occurring if she hasn't broken the code. I mean, one in a septillion... that is 1 in 1.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.
Even better is how people thought this was a god-sent gift. I mean, come on?
But the kicker is that no-one will be able to prove she cheated, and even so, is cracking an algorithm foul play, or just the company's problem?

Cracking the Scratch Lottery Code:

http://www.wired.com...f_lottery/all/1
Too long to post in full, but it's a pretty interesting article.

[Tapper]

King Lear, on 15 August 2011 - 03:29 PM, said:

Tapper, on 15 August 2011 - 02:30 PM, said:

Quote

'Lucky' woman who won lottery four times outed as Stanford University statistics PhD

She was called the luckiest woman in the world.
But now that luck is being called into question by some who think that winning the lottery four times is more than just a coincidental spell of good fortune.
Joan R. Ginther, 63, from Texas, won multiple million dollar payouts each time.

First, she won $5.4 million, then a decade later, she won $2million, then two years later $3million and in the summer of 2010, she hit a $10million jackpot.

The odds of this has been calculated at one in eighteen septillion and luck like this could only come once every quadrillion years.

Harper's reporter Nathanial Rich recently wrote an article about Ms Ginther, which calls the the validity of her 'luck' into question.
First, he points out, Ms Ginther is a former math professor with a PhD from Stanford University specialising in statistics.

A professor at the Institute for the Study of Gambling & Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada, Reno, told Mr Rich: 'When something this unlikely happens in a casino, you arrest 'em first and ask questions later.'

Although Ms Ginther now lives in Las Vegas, she won all four of her lotteries in Texas.
Three of her wins, all in two-year intervals, were by scratch-off tickets bought at the same mini mart in the town of Bishop.
Mr Rich details the myriad ways in which Ms Ginther could have gamed the system - including the fact that she may have figured out the algorithm that determines where a winner is placed in each run of scratch-off tickets.

He believes that after Ms Ginther figured out the algorithm, it wouldn't be difficult to determine where the tickets would be shipped, as the shipping schedule is apparently fixed, and there were a few sources she could have found it out from.

According to Forbes, the residents of Bishop, Texas, seem to believe God was behind it all.
The Texas Lottery Commission told Mr Rich that Ms Ginther must have been 'born under a lucky star', and that they don't suspect foul play.

I especially like the chances of this occurring if she hasn't broken the code. I mean, one in a septillion... that is 1 in 1.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.
Even better is how people thought this was a god-sent gift. I mean, come on?
But the kicker is that no-one will be able to prove she cheated, and even so, is cracking an algorithm foul play, or just the company's problem?

Cracking the Scratch Lottery Code:

http://www.wired.com...f_lottery/all/1
Too long to post in full, but it's a pretty interesting article.

It is indeed. Hmm, I may have found a new use for those three illegal chinese immigrants I hide in my basement....

[Tsundoku]

Saw something about this a while ago, but the armour/skin thing is new. I want some.

-----------------------------------------

http://www.news.com....c-1226119457700

Artist uses spider-goat silk to make 'bulletproof skin'

By Lynn DeBruin in Salt Lake City
From: AP
August 22, 2011 9:00AM

Scientist spins spider-goat silk fibres
Artist uses fibres for 'bulletproof skin'
"What curious person could say no?"

A BIO-ART project to create bulletproof skin has given a Utah researcher even more hope his genetically-engineered spider silk can be used to help surgeons heal large wounds and create artificial tendons and ligaments.

Researcher Randy Lewis and his collaborators gained worldwide attention recently when they found a commercially viable way to manufacture silk fibres using goats and silkworms that had spider genes inserted into their makeup.

i_related.gif (12×12) Spider-goats!? Read the original story here

Spider silk is one of the strongest fibres known and five times stronger than steel. Professor Lewis's fibres are not that strong, but are much stronger than silk spun by ordinary worms.

With Prof Lewis's help, Dutch artist Jalila Essaidi conducted an experiment weaving a lattice of human skin cells and silk that was capable of stopping bullets fired at reduced speeds.

"Randy and I were moved by the same drive I think, curiosity about the outcome of the project," Essaidi said.

"Both the artist and scientist are inherently curious beings."

Prof Lewis thought the project was a bit off the wall at first, Essaidi acknowledged.

"But in the end, what curious person can say no to a project like this?" she said.

Essaidi, who used a European genetics-in-art grant to fund her project at the Designers & Artists 4 Genomics Awards, initially wanted to use Prof Lewis's spider silk from goats to capitalise on the "grotesque factor" of the mammal-spider combination.

But Prof Lewis didn't yet have enough of the spider goat silk to send hundreds of yards to Essaidi. So he sent her spools of silk from silkworms he had genetically engineered in a fashion similar to the goats.

Essaidi initially intended to fire .22 calibre bullets at the "skin" stretched in a frame. But she decided to place the "skin" on a special gelatin block used at the Netherlands Forensic Institute.

Using a high-speed camera, she showed a bullet fired at a reduced speed piercing the skin woven with an ordinary worm's silk But when tested with Lewis' genetically engineered worm's silk grafted between the epidermis and dermis, the skin didn't break.

Neither silk was able to repel a bullet fired at normal speed from a .22 calibre rifle.

"We were more than a little surprised that the final skin kept the bullet from going in there," Prof Lewis said of the tests at reduced speed.

"It still ended up 2 inches into the torso, so it would not have saved your life. But without a doubt the most exciting part for us is the fact that they were able to recreate the skin on top of our fibres. It's something we haven't done. Nobody has worked in that area."

Essaidi was intrigued by the concept of spider silk as armour, and wanted to show that safety in its broadest sense is a relative concept, hence bulletproof.
"If human skin would be able to produce this thread, would we be protected from bullets?"

"If human skin would be able to produce this thread, would we be protected from bullets?" she wondered on her blog.

"I want to explore the social, political, ethical and cultural issues surrounding safety in a world with access to new biotechnologies."

She said it is legend that Achilles was invulnerable in all of his body except for his heel.

"Will we in the near future due to biotechnology no longer need to descend from a godly bloodline in order to have traits like invulnerability?" she asked.

Prof Lewis downplayed the potential bulletproof applications of his research.

"I certainly would not discount that, but I don't see that as a tremendous application at the moment," he said.

He said bulletproof vests already exist. But being able to grow cells and use the material to replace large amounts of human skin could be significant for surgeons trying to cover large wounds, or treat people with severe burns.

He said the material's strength and elasticity would enable doctors to cover large areas without worrying about it ripping out — a big advantage over small skin grafts.

Prof Lewis couldn't give a time frame for such a use because it would require FDA approval. But he hoped to do some animal testing within two years, and noted spider silk already has proven very compatible with the human body.

The next step is to generate more material to test what cells will grow on it — made easier with the "transgenic" silk worms and milk from goat spiders.

The real stuff is still the holy grail for fibres and textiles but not the easiest to come by as evidenced by an 11-by-4 foot tapestry unveiled two years ago at the New York Museum of Natural History that took millions of spiders to complete.

"We know some skin cells will grow (on our fibres), but can we get cells that make ligaments and tendons grow," Prof Lewis said.

He said it may be easier to use the genetically engineered silk to make materials better than actual ligaments or tendons.

Essaidi, meanwhile, said she has plenty of wild ideas but wants to transplant the bulletproof skin.

She said Geert Verbeke, director of Verbeke Foundation in Belgium, the biggest Eco/BioArt museum, wants to wear the skin "as an ode to BioArt".

Back at Utah State's bio-manufacturing facility in Logan, Utah, Prof Lewis just started breeding for the next round of milking in January. He has about three dozen of the genetically-engineered goats and extracts proteins from the special milk, then spins them in a way that replicates the spider's method, resulting in a strong, light-weight fibre.

"Nothing is as strong as the natural fibre, yet," Prof Lewis said of spider silk.

"But we are working on solving that problem."

--------------------------------------------

Imagine a suit made of spider silk when we can synthesise it perfectly. Snazzy AND robust!

[Gust Hubb]

I thought of starting another thread with this as the headline, to help balance out my perceived brown-nosing, but I must confess it is easier to post this here for now (P.S. I did find that particular forum member's tragic thread that this article reminded me of .... I just am exerting exceptional self-control not posting a link to that infamous thread).

US trucker's penis amputated 'during circumcision'
http://www.bbc.co.uk...canada-14619926

This post has been edited by Gust Hubb: 23 August 2011 - 01:59 AM

[Beezulbubba]

Holy shit (SOURCE)

Quote

Man decapitates himself in front of deputies, firefighters after domestic dispute in Yorktown

3:27 p.m. EDT, August 30, 2011

Yorktown, VA - A man is dead after decapitating himself following a domestic dispute in Yorktown.

Yorktown sheriff deputies initially responded to reports of a domestic disturbance in the 100 block of Nathan Place around 10am this morning and learned the man had left before they had arrived. A few minutes later a utility trailer was reported on fire nearby at the intersection of Holmes Blvd and Wolftrap Rd. When deputies and firefighters arrived they found the man inside the white Ford Explorer that had been towing the trailer.

The man had apparently set the trailer on fire and refused to leave the SUV. A Fire Dept. officer noticed a cable attached to a nearby tree and wrapped around the neck of the driver. When deputies tried to get the man to leave the Explorer, he rapidly accelerated the SUV and was pulled from the vehicle and decapitated. The Explorer came to rest approximately 150 yards further down Holmes Blvd.

Deputies are withholding the man's name pending notification of his family, but say he was 46-years-old and most recently had been living in Chicago.

[worry]

That is so awesome!

[Tsundoku]

Best retail idea EVER!!!

---------------------------------------------

http://www.news.com....f-1226127519690

IKEA introduces MANLAND, the creche for retail-weary men
Save this story to read later

By Alison Stephenson, Deputy Entertainment Editor
news.com.au
September 01, 2011 5:43PM

IKEA introduces a "crèche" for men
Buzzer reminds wives to pick men up

YOU'VE probably seen the "boyfriend chair" in clothing stores for bored shopping companions.

Now IKEA has taken the concept one step further by creating a “crèche” for retail-weary men, complete with Xbox consoles, pinball machines, continuous televised sport and free hot dogs.

MÄNLAND is being trialled for four days this Father's Day weekend as a male-only play space to hang out in while wives and girlfriends peruse the aisles.

Publicity manager Jude Leon said the idea was modelled on the Swedish furniture giant’s existing child play area, SMALAND.

Ms Leon said women were given a buzzer to remind them to collect their other half after 30 minutes of shopping.

"Despite most men dreading a trip to the shops, we still attract a high proportion of male customers,” she said. “So we’re expecting the scheme to be a real success with both sexes.”

MÄNLAND is open from Thursday September 1 to Sunday September 4 from 10am-6pm at Sydney's IKEA store at Homebush Bay.

-----------------------------------

Now if only they could put one in every mall ...