Twin birth rate rose 76 percent from 1980 through 2009.
Over the past three decades, the number of twins born to American women has risen dramatically, a new government study shows.
Continue reading… “Number of twins born in U.S. skyrockets”
U.S. cancer rates continue falling: American Cancer Society
Advances in cancer screening and treatment have prevented more than a million total deaths from cancer since the early 1990s.
U.S.cancer death rates are continuing to fall, dropping by 1.8 percent per year in men and 1.6 percent per year in women between 2004 and 2008, according to the American Cancer Society’s annual report on cancer statistics released on Wednesday.
Continue reading… “U.S. cancer rates continue falling: American Cancer Society”
China axes two-thirds of popular television shows
Chinese reality TV show, Super Girl is an annual national singing contest produced by Hunan Satellite Television.
On January 1st, an order to curb “excessive entertainment” on television came into force in China. In response, the number of scheduled entertainment programs has dipped sharply from 126 a week to just 38, according to Xinhua, the state news agency.
Amazing coat hanger sculptures by David Mach
Coat hanger sculpture by David Mach.
Sometimes the items we use everyday seem dull and ordinary. We never think that one day they might serve as material for an inspiring piece of art. Toasters, buttons and even eggshells have become quite impressive art pieces in the past, and predicting the materials that we’ll see used in the future is almost impossible. When it comes to pure creativity, artists who venture into the unknown have to be the most inspiring for aspiring artists today. Overlooking the obvious is nothing an artist should ever do it seems, and that becomes apparent when you find art pieces that border on the brink of madness. (Pics)
Continue reading… “Amazing coat hanger sculptures by David Mach”
Parasitic flies attack honeybees turning them into zombies
“Zombie” fly parasite causing decline of honeybee population.
A pile of dead bees was supposed to become food for a newly captured praying mantis. Instead, the pile of bees ended up revealing a previously unrecognized suspect in colony collapse disorder a mysterious condition that for several years has been causing declines in U.S. honeybee populations, which are needed to pollinate many important crops. This new potential culprit is a bizarre and potentially devastating parasitic fly that has been taking over the bodies of honeybees (Apis mellifera) in Northern California.
Continue reading… “Parasitic flies attack honeybees turning them into zombies”
Car seat sensors ID drivers by their rear ends
Pressure-sensing seat
Hilarity quickly ensues when Larry David calls out “I’d know that tush anywhere!” When your car says it – or at least, thinks it – the result is the engine starting and personal comfort preferences like climate control and seat positioning being remembered and activated, hands free. It’s still sort of hilarious, of course, but you can’t deny the security or the practicality inherent in the concept.
Continue reading… “Car seat sensors ID drivers by their rear ends”
Record 1.2 billion global apps downloaded in a week
All that time off during the holidays paid off for app developers, with a record-breaking 1.2 billion global downloads combined from Apple’s App Store and Android Market, a big bump of 60 percent from early December.
Continue reading… “Record 1.2 billion global apps downloaded in a week”
5 whimsical workspaces in Inventionland
George Davison, founder and chief executive officer of Davison International.
Davison International Inc., a 285-employee company that designs and creates kitchen gadgets, toys and other consumer products, relocated in 2006 to a 61,000-square-foot building in Pittsburgh, Pa. Its interior, which followed a year-long, $5 million renovation, is intended to encourage creativity and a positive attitude among staff. One third of its inventions are its own creations. The remainder are commissioned by third parties. (Pics)
Continue reading… “5 whimsical workspaces in Inventionland”
Stone Age temple found in Orkney is 800 years older than Stonehenge
Stonehenge may not have been the centre of Neolithic culture after all.
A 5000-year-old temple in Orkney could be more important than Stonehenge, according to archaeologists.
The site, known as the Ness of Brodgar, was investigated by BBC2 documentary A History of Ancient Britain, with presenter Neil Oliver describing it as ‘the discovery of a lifetime’.
So far the remains of 14 Stone Age buildings have been excavated, but thermal geophysics technology has revealed that there are 100 altogether, forming a kind of temple precinct…
Continue reading… “Stone Age temple found in Orkney is 800 years older than Stonehenge”
Death Valley microbe may spark novel biotech and nanotech uses
Badwater Basin, lowest elevation in the Western Hemisphere, at Death Valley National Park.
Nevada, the “Silver State,” is well-known for mining precious metals. But scientists Dennis Bazylinski and colleagues at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) do a different type of mining.
They sluice through every water body they can find, looking for new forms of microbial magnetism.
In a basin named Badwater on the edge of Death Valley National Park, Bazylinski and researcher Christopher Lefèvre hit pay dirt…
Continue reading… “Death Valley microbe may spark novel biotech and nanotech uses”
How people are turning to Facebook for organ donors
Damon Brown’s Facebook plea for a kidney paid off.
These days people are using Facebook for a lot more than looking at friends’ photos or playing addictive word games. Facebook and other social media sites are quickly becoming a go-to place to find a generous person with a kidney to spare.
New wave of ‘silent camera’ apps blamed for huge rise in illicit photography in Japan
An upskirt warning poster in a subway station outside Tokyo.
Almost all smartphone cameras have a built-in shutter noise to prevent the camera being used to take pictures without people’s consent. But a new wave of ‘silent’ apps – some specifically designed for voyeurism – have been blamed for a huge rise in illicit photography in Japan.
