CDC developed PCR diagnostic test to detect novel H1N1 virus.
On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in response to the ongoing global spread of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus, which causes swine flu. A Phase 6 designation indicates that a global pandemic is [...]

 In a move designed to keep the US Navy off balance
Somali pirates are now attempting to hijack airplanes
Not everything in life is as it seems. In fact, perception is nine-tenths of our own reality. These photos are intended to show us not only how badly we suck at separating reality from the surreal, but also [...]

Muppets make sci-fi cool
The Muppet Show only ran for five seasons, but it managed to cover a lot of ground, including some great science fiction inspired moments. Here are seven of the best science fiction moments of the Muppet Show’s unfortunately short run.

Gray hair and stress, not so far fetched
If you’ve ever blamed your gray hair on stress, you weren’t far from the truth. Genotoxic stress–the kind that can damage a cell’s DNA–causes hair to whiten over time, according to a new study.

Everything is bigger in Texas maybe even the earthquakes
The earth moved here on June 2. It was the first recorded earthquake in this Texas town’s 140-year history – but not the last.
There have been four small earthquakes since, none with a magnitude greater than 2.8. The most recent ones came Tuesday night, just as the [...]

The possibility of Air France Flight 447 breaking up in midair is just plain scary
Air France Flight 447 may have broken apart in the air, new reports indicate.
A Brazilian newspaper cites unnamed investigators who say an examination of some of the retrieved bodies, which were found as far as 85 miles apart, indicates that the [...]

Fingerprint theory rejected
Scientists say they have disproved the theory that fingerprints improve grip by increasing friction between people’s hands and the surface they are holding.
Nobody is sure of the exact function of fingerprints, but improved grip has long been a favoured theory.
However, in a series of tests to measure friction between a finger and a [...]

Permanent Hair Does Not Need Combing 

A British firm is taking a disturbingly permanent solution to hair loss to the US.
Birmingham based HiStyl uses what it describes as “a mild form of medical tattooing” to simulate the look of shaved or closely cropped hair. The company has announced that representatives will travel to San Francisco and Florida [...]

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If you consider that the modern toilet paper was first introduced in 1857, the whole butt wipe thing is waaay due for a major advance.
Ancient Romans used to wipe their butts after going to the bathroom with a sponge on a stick (which they put in a bucket of saltwater after they’re done for reuse [...]

 
Spanish architects Jose Selgas and Lucia Cano of Selgascano have designed an office for their own practice, located in the woods near Madrid in Spain. (Pics)

Digital textbooks to replace printed textbooks in schools 
In the state that gave the world Facebook, Google and the iPod, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says forcing California’s students to rely on printed textbooks is so yesterday.

 Couples who live together are more than twice as likely to become obese than those who live separately
The study to be published next month in the journal Obesity also showed that the risk of obesity rises the longer people live together.
Penny Gordon-Larsen, associate professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, found some positive [...]