Flight Engineer Scott Kelly wants you to know what it’s like to be on the International Space Station. In this video he gives a detail guided tour, but can Mr. Kelly be trusted. If he’s in outer space HOW DO HIS GLASSES STAY ON HIS HEAD?!?!?

Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute captured the first video of this odd Pacific barreleye fish whose most prominent feature is a completely transparent head. Watch the video for a weird look into a working mind.

Meet Hatsune Miku, the world’s first all-virtual pop sensation. Even here voice is a digital creation. What started as a digital voice generator from Yahama known as a vocaloid has gained such popularity that the company has created a 3D Hologram version that has performed to packed stadiums. But the real question is when did we get 3D holograms?!

In this amazing photograph offered up by NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day you can see the edge of the NGC 4452 galaxy. It was taken by the revered Hubble telescope and gives we land-dwellers a rare glimpse into the long view of the cosmos.

[APOD]

Following up on our story from last week about the supposed time travler in the Charlie Chaplin film “The Circus.” According to this video from Discovery it was most likely a hearing aid that was popular at the time. Of course, that could just be what the ‘man’ wants us to think…

Check out this huge, 20-meter deep sinkhole that opened up in that appeared overnight in Schmalkalden, Germany. Officials are unsure what caused the crater that took a car and parts of a garage, but say they plan to fill the gaping hole with gravel. Kind of boring if you ask me.

From the Too Cool Not To Share file, first the first time in decades Michael J. Fox has returned to his most beloved role as Marty McFly for this promo for the 2010 Spike TV Scream Awards, which will feature a 25th Anniversary Back to the Future cast reunion. The promo is an obvious homage to the original teaser trailer for the film. Here’s hoping the reunion is as awesome as it appears.  Get ready to go back in time!

At long last, the original footage from the moon landing has been released. Until now, the best we have had is a recording sourced from a television camera pointed at a monitor on that fateful day. This restored footage is so clear you can even see the astronaut’s faces through their reflective helmets.

Watch this great interview with Dr. Michio Kaku (author of Hyperspace) as he explains how alternate realities may actually exist. If they do, maybe there’s an alternate Dr. Kaku who is trying to convince his world they don’t.

When Humphrey Simmons went fishing recently he didn’t expect to catch a shark, and he definitely didn’t expect the the shark to burp up the remains of a human being. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened.

When Simmons caught the shark a friend who was with him shot the shark several times. What happened next was shocking:

“We tied the rope around his tail fin, and pulled him towards the boat. We were going to cut the hook out of his mouth and let him go when he regurgitated a human foot — intact from the knee down.”

The body has been identified as a missing sailor. Play the slideshow below for several pictures of the grizzly sight (WARNING: Not for the squeamish!):

[The Tribune]

Students at the University of Toronto have built the first succesful human-powered Ornithopter (a machine that generates lift through the flapping of its wings). Dubber ‘The Snowbird,” the flying machine achieved. The flight lasted a scant 19.3 seconds, but it is still longer than any other attempt. You can find more info about the project here.

Worried about abduction? Worried about Spot getting sick? Like to race on your Segway? Don’t want an to be on the hook for your ransom payment? Check out this handy infographic to find out exactly what you can expect to pay for your weirdest insurance needs:

(Source: www.thirdshift.nu)

Can we call them or what? As we predicted in our post on Friday the Gregory Brothers of AutoTune the News have released a musical version of the ‘Bro-nado’ video. So grab a cool bottle of Smirnoff Ice and rock out!

In a video that could well be this month’s Double Rainbow two Brooklyn ‘bros’ marvel as a tornado passes in front of their apartment window. Dude. Look at it… It’s funneling. Oh my god, Dude.

How long until Autotune The News gets their hands on this remains to be seen.

Researchers at Stanford University have developed a flexible semiconductor which may yield new breakthroughs in robotics and artificial limbs. These semiconductors are covered in rubber and infused with air pockets that push back against pressure, allowing it to detect the presence of an object as light as a butterfly. While this will allow a robot to hug you without crushing you they still lack the power to love (for now).

Looks like the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department has finally got an internet connection, and what they’ve found has creeped them out. According to the police, the Internet darling known as ‘Pedobear’ is a secret symbol used by those who would prey on underage children. While they’ve got the basic gist of the meme they have completely missed the point of the character, which is trotted out in Internet discussions to point out when a story or post is unintentionally creepy.

Unfortunately this means if you are among the with it and hip who have a Pedobear t-shirt or sticker odds are if you make your way to California you might just draw the attention of the authorities.

As some of you know both I and Justin Robert Young attended the amazing Dragon*Con in Atlanta, GA this past weekend. EVERY type of fandom is represented at this mega-convention, and cosplay is the main event. I spent approximately 60 billion hours walking the floor just taking it all in while trying to avoid drunk people piking on the floor, and what follows are the five most creative Dragon*Con costumes I saw.

Check out this amazing video that shows what happens when electricity meets flesh. A Japanese women scaled an electric pole and refused to come down, and while arguing with authorities touched one of the lines, sending a 10,000 volt spark arcing from her finger to her face. To her credit, she argued for another 45 mins. before firefighters finally talked her down.

It’s official… we can now move objects with simple lasers.

Developed at the Australian National University, the new discovery can move small objects 100X larger than a bacterium up to a meter in water.

The device works by shining a hollow laser beam around tiny glass particles. The air surrounding the particle heats up, while the dark center of the beam stays cool. When the particle starts to drift out of the middle and into the bright laser beam, the force of heated air molecules bouncing around and hitting the particle’s surface is enough to nudge it back to the center.

A small amount of light also seeps into the darker middle part of the beam, heating the air on one side of the particle and pushing it along the length of the laser beam. If another such laser is lined up on the opposite side of the beam, the speed and direction the particle moves can be easily manipulated by changing the brightness of the beams.

Researchers are confident that with enough testing they should be able to move larger objects longer distances, eventually allowing you to become even lazier!

[Physorg.com]

Who does the mysterious Yacht belong to? Authorities in the Redington Beacharea of Florida were left scratching their heads Wednesday when this unmanned craft arrived on the sand. The $1,000,000 craft was never registered after it was sold by the previous owner 2 years ago, leaving the police to wonder who the new owner might be and what might have happened to them.

Police hope that the owner will report the craft as missing… if he wasn’t lost at sea.

If you thought staying away from airports would keep you safe from the new full-body scanners that were recently deployed think again. As this video shows back-scatter enabled vans are already rolling out.

According to Forbes:

American Science & Engineering, a company based in Billerica, Massachusetts, has sold U.S. and foreign government agencies more than 500 backscatter x-ray scanners mounted in vans that can be driven past neighboring vehicles to see their contents

Due to this recent development, now may be the perfect time to invest in lead underwear.

Forget peak oil, peak helium is set to upset children’s parties and squeaky voices by 2015.

Due to legislation passed in 1996, the United States reserves of helium must be sold off within the next five years, which has led to the lifting gas being criminally under-priced. According to Nobel laureate Robert Richardson:

The Earth is 4.7 billion years old and it has taken that long to accumulate our helium reserves, which we will dissipate in about 100 years. One generation does not have the right to determine availability for ever.

Unless we find another hidden reserve of the stuff, expect highly-flammable hydrogen balloons to replace helium once it runs out.

[New Zealand Hearld]

Finally, science is addressing the truly important questions… Namely, why that homely girl you took home after a night of drinking seemed much hotter the night before.

…two photos of the same person were supplied. One was natural. The other was subtly altered to make their face less symmetrical. Symmetry is one of the keys to perceived beauty. Respondents were asked which photo they preferred.

In the second test, more altered photos were supplied. The pub-goers were asked to rate the attractiveness of those.

As it turns out, alcohol keeps us from properly assessing the symmetry in people’s faces, and as we all know the more symmetrical a face the more attractive we perceive it to be.  What’s worse is that the uglier the person is the more this effect is enhanced.

See? Now instead of making excuses to your friends you can defend yourself with sound scientific fact!

[thestar.com]

Before he boards the international space station in November, NASA’s latest robotic creation Robonaut 2 is spending his time mastering social networking. Using the Twitter handle @AstroRobonaut, the robot is answering questions from the public about his upcoming trip from more than 14,000 Twitter followers.

Robonaut 2 was designed to mimic basic human task and serve as a futuristic helper monkey on the Space Station. Many famous Twitterers have taken notice of the newest Twitter phenom, with even Conan O’Brian chiming in:

The NASA robot doing chores on the space station has its own Twitter account. I’m glad to see NASA is still shooting for the stars.

Robonaut 2 was a bit snarky in his reply:

@ConanOBrien Astronauts are excited to have me @ station because they’ve programmed me to always laugh at their jokes. Jealous?

No word on if the tweets will continue from the Space Station.

[Space.com]

Check out this great video showing the most realistic endgame for augmented reality I’ve seen. Prepare to be eye-banged!

Here’s more information from the producer of the video himself:

The latter half of the 20th century saw the built environment merged with media space, and architecture taking on new roles related to branding, image and consumerism. Augmented reality may recontextualise the functions of consumerism and architecture, and change in the way in which we operate within it.

Remember that pirate ship they found under the World Trade Center we reported on in July? Researchers gathered many samples and the investigation has now started to reveal the true origins of the ship.

The wood samples will hopefully tell us where the ship was built by analyzing the properties and age rings. They are also analyzing various woodworms in the wreckage to glean where the ship might have sailed.

The American Archaeologist site is keeping a close eye on the ship and will report findings as they happen.

[American Archaeologist]

Scientists at the University of Calgary have used a specific type of microchip called a neurochip to allow doctors to monitor the brain waves of victims of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

While the chips aren’t quite ready to replace your Gravis Gamepad, researchers hope they will eventually let patients control symptoms and doctors to monitor the brain’s reaction to new treatments.

[CBC News]

Enjoy this stunning HD video of the Apollo 11 rocket taking off… in HD! No clue how they kept the camera from melting, but their innovation makes for a great video.

In an update to our story from last week (Asteroid Heading For Earth (in 2182)!), NASA is considering sending a probe to the ominous asteroid 1999 RQ36 to collect rock samples so they can more accurately when and if it will collide with earth. The project is being proposed as part of the New Frontiers program, and is competing with a trip to Venus for funding.

Basically, we are choosing between finding out when Earth will be destroyed or finding somewhere else to go before it is. Considering Bruce Willis will most likely not be around when the time comes I think we can safely write off the ‘Armageddon Option.’

[Telegraph.co.uk]

Marvel at the various life cycle of the fantastical Turritopsis nutricula, a jellyfish that is, for all practical purposes, immortal. This strange creature reaches adulthood, transforms itself back into a child, then lives through it’s life again. Think of it as Groundhog Day with a jellyfish.

While old age can’t kill it, the creature is still susceptible to disease and fatal injuries.  Read more about this fascinating forever-fish here.

Newly declassified documents have revealed that former Prime Minister Winston Churchill demanded a cover-up of an encounter between a Royal Air Force plane and a UFO.

The revelation was found in a letter from the son of one of Churchill’s bodyguards who claimed to have witnessed Churchill viewing pictures of the incident and demanding it remain secret for at least 50 years because ‘it would create mass panic among the general population and destroy one’s belief in the Church’.

UFO experts aren’t surprised, however. Churchill is known as a big UFO buff, and even requested an update from the British government in the 50′s.

[Telegraph.co.uk]

Check out this awesome custom lock that detects a special knock to open the door. It’s programmable, which is good because “Shave and a haircut, two bits” is the knocking equivalent of having ‘password’ as your password.

Australian  scientist Ragbir Bhathal believes he has detected extra-terrestrial signals by monitoring light from the stars. Many scientists attempt to detect alien life by monitoring radio signals, but Bhathal’s method has made even Arthur C. Clarke stand up and take notice.

His findings this past September are exactly what he’s been looking for since he started the OZSETI project. Unlike most people making claims of finding alien communications he is encouraging physicists to analyze his findings and find flaws with them. Barring peer review, it’s possible this bearded man from Oz may make history by detecting the first actual signs of alien life.

[VBS Blog]

Scientists say that the 510-meter in diameter (101955) 199 RQ36 astroid could strike Earth in a scant 172 years.

While there is no pressing need to build a spaceship to save your great-great-great-great grandchildren, the article does mention a similar asteroid that narrowly missed a collision with Terra firma in 2004. Probably best not to think about it too much.

[Discovery News]

Inspired by the film Inception. What mysteries lie behind the cats eyes?

A hybrid zebra/donkey was born this past week at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve in Dahlonega, Georgia.

According to the Preserve’s staff, “zedonks” (as the hybrids are known) are very rare. Turns out zebras usually find donkeys “out of their league.” Darn prissy zebras! You know they always settle for a donkey after they turn 30.

[Gainsville Times]

The world’s first successful face transplant patient has revealed his improved face in Barcelona this week.

Known only as ‘Oscar,’ the patient thanked the hospital and the face-doner’s family for the medical breakthrough that will eventually allow him to regain up to 90% of his facial functions.

Unfortunately, ‘Oscar’ looks nothing Nicholas Cage OR John Travolta. See, kids? Sometimes even movies lie.

[BBC News]

Start off your week with this video of an ant trying to chug a massive raindrop. He’s going to feel that in the morning!

A wooden version of Stonehenge was found less than a kilometer away from the original landmark Thursday. Using sophisticated equipment researchers have uncovered a very similar structure buried in the earth.

The new site is thought to be a complementary site to the original Stonehenge. While they have only just begun to analyze the data and have no plans of actually digging up the new find it is believed that the two structures were built around the same time.

Whether this new structure has anything to do with the wooden Stonehenge in Cincinnati we reported on yesterday remains to be seen.

[Reuters]

Check out this UFO spotted in the skies over Fresno, CA over the 4th of July weekend. The news station covering the story got several confirmations  of the lights in the sky, and even some amateur video. So, what do you think? UFO, airplanes flying in formation, or sparklers tied to balloons? Let us know in the comments!

In 1994 62 schoolchildren from England with no prior exposure to portrayals of Aliens & UFOs in the media say they had an extra-terrestrial encounter. Watch this fascinating investigation and let us know what you think in the comments!

[Part 1]

[Part 2]

A ship from South Korea was refused port when thousands of large spiders were discovered throughout the ship’s cargo.

The local Department of Agriculture deemed the arachnids “too numerous to destroy or contain.” Officials  are unsure of why the spiders are on board, or even what species they are.

Considering the cargo was meant to build housing for U.S. military contractors it’s safe to say that “War On Ugly-Wugly Creepy Crawlies” is imminent.

[Stars and Stripes]

Japanese scientists have created the world’s first touchable holograms. Using 2 Wiimotes and a wave emitter to create pressure on the user’s hands Researchers at Tokyo University have developed the technology to be used from everything from basic computing to light switches and doorknobs. Who would have thought the world of Minority Report would be brought to you be Nintendo. I’m pretty sure Google will be the first with pre-cogs though.

Construction workers at the site where the World Trade Center once stood unearthed a ship from the 18th Century in New York City yesterday.  Crews rushed in to get as much data about the ship recorded before the heat of the sun turn it dust, as well as to ensure that worked continued at the historical site.

So did they build the WTC over a pirate’s hideaway, or did Revolutionary New Yorkers find a creative way to dispose of those darn Redcoats? Let us know your craziest theories in the comments!

[New York Times]

We get pretty cocky here in the 21st Century with our internets and World Wide Web Highway pages, but did you know that the idea for the Internet is four years older than Superman?

In the video above you can check out Belgium inventor Paul Otlet’s idea for a windowed display system that hooked up to other systems “over the telephone.” He also called word processing, a file system, and the multimedia CD-Rom craze all the way back in 1934.

How would the Internet be different today if we had made it then? Let us know your alternative Internet history in the comments!

Check out Paul Otlet’s Wikipedia page

Check out this creepy full-motion x-ray of a human being speaking. The human being in question is Christine Ericsdotter and she recorded herself speaking to study how the different parts of our mouths work together to make words. You can read more about the study here and watch a full video here (Quicktime required).

In honor of his birthday this past Saturday, enjoy this brief History of Nikola Tesla and learn why he was the weirdest inventor this side of Fred MacMurray.

Related Story: Reason #99,912 Why Nikola Tesla Rules: He Knew Mobile Phones Were Coming

Tinkerers from the Site3 coLabratory have discovered how to make fire… with your mind!

The PK4A Project uses a headset to read brain patterns and a small homemade computer to increase or decrease the flame based on the user’s cerebral input.

The headset is called the NeuroSky MindSet and uses four sensors to detect two of the eight energy bands the brain produces. The computer interprets the brainwaves using a custom algorithm and reflects the level of activity with a massive propane flame.

Safety is obviously a concern so the inventors use a ‘dead-man switch,’ which constantly has to be pressed for the device to function.

While there are no plans to put the item up for sale basic specs are available on the project site.

If you can’t wait to see this thing in action, here’s a video of them using it at Firefly 2010.

Check out this crazy footage from Japanese TV of the Northern White-faced Owl’s amazing transformation defense. Watch it until the end for the creepy Owl-Cat transformation!

A couple of week ago we told you about Wicked Laser’s Spyder III Pro laser, a ‘real-life light saber’ that can also potentially blind you and give you cancer.

Well, it turns out George Lucas noticed the resemblance to the powerful Jedi weapon and issued a cease & desist to Wicked Lasers. It comes in the form of a press release posted on Business Wire:

“It has come to our attention that a company called Wicked Lasers is selling a highly dangerous product out of Hong Kong that is designed to look like a lightsaber from Star Wars. This product is not licensed or approved by Lucasfilm in any way. We have demanded that Wicked Lasers immediately cease and desist their infringing activities. As Wicked Lasers itself admits, this product can cause serious injury to the user and other people. We strongly discourage consumers from purchasing it.”

The Spyder III is still available for about $200, but with the legal department of LucasFilm involved it’s likely to go the way of the Death Star at any time.

Canadian Filmmaker Rob Spence has turned tragedy into tragedy-aide with his new invention.

Spence lost his eye in a shooting accident when he was a teenager. With the proliferation of cheap miniature cameras he realized he could record true first-person footage with a little tinkering. He’s installed the camera into a prosthetic eye, and while it’s doesn’t give him binocular vision it does allow him to shoot and stream footage of everything he sees. He’s also included a red light to enhance the creepy factor.

You can find out more about Spence’s futuristic project by checking out his blog.

Last week we reported on how the FAA is clearing the way for Terrafugia’s new flying car. Now, thanks to the power of the Youtubes, we have video of this wondrous flying machine. It’s sleek as a thoroughbred, it’s seats are a feather bed, but I think I’ll let the 40 people who have already put down a $10,000 deposit test it for a while to make sure it doesn’t go ‘Bang-Bang.’

13-year-old Hibiki Kono has finally done what most of us have dreamed of since we were teenagers: Built a machine that simulates the most famous power of Marvel Comics’s Spider-Man.

The machine, constructed over 5 months, uses vacuum cleaners to hold wanna-be webheads to any surface, although Kono admits his mom won’t let him use it inside lest he damage the walls. Hopefully the machine will allow him to shed his VERY nerdy demeanor like the spider bite did for Peter Parker. That might be a bit far-fetched though.

What would you do with a Spider-Man machine? Let us know in the comments!

This baby was recently born in California with 6 perfectly functional fingers and toes on each hand and foot, respectively.  The condition, known as polydactylism, is not uncommon. What is unique about this case is that the baby’s extra fingers and toes are all proportional and work perfectly. One thing is for sure, you don’t want to play this kid in Mortal Kombat.

And while we are talking about mutations, do the muttonchops on the Doctor in this video count as a mutation? Like Wolverine needed another power…

Scientists at The University of Sheffield have captured the sounds of the exterior layer of the sun known as the solar cornea. If you ever wanted to know what hell might sound and look like this is the video for you.

You can get a clearer look at what’s making the sound here, and check out the full press release for more information.

Earlier this week Weird Things hipped you to a new jet pack that is set to go on sale. Now we are proud to inform you that the dream we’ve all had since seeing our first episode of The Jetsons is set to take flight.

The FAA has created an exception to help Terrafugia’s ‘flying car’ get off the ground. The company was having trouble making the prototype vehicle safe while staying within the weight limits for for a Light Sports Aircraft. This means it will most likely be available for consumers by late 2011. Expect new laws to ban texting-while-flying by 2012.

Drivers/Pilots can travel up to 450 miles in the air and enjoy 30 miles per gallon on the ground. No word on pricing, but you should probably start arranging that third mortgage right now to beat the rush.

In a scene right out of The Wizard of Oz a dog survived a 20-mile flight through the air.

Strong winds in Gesztered, Hungary lifted the dog, who was seeking shelter from the storm in his dog house, high into the air. When the newly-renamed ‘Lucky’ was found by the combined efforts of the Red Cross and it’s owner it was shaken but otherwise unharmed.

Was this an accident with a happy ending, or are dogs just now catching up to the Wright Brothers?

[Digital Spy]

When our loved ones pass away we are often told that they will always be with us. Kim Mordue of Wales took that comforting advice a little too literally.

When her son passed away from a drug overdose, Mordue memorialized him in a most unusual fashion. She mixed the deceased’s ashes in with tattoo ink and had her husband give her a memorial tattoo with the mixture.

“I’ve put Lloyd back where he started,” she says, “he’s in my body again.”

This isn’t the first unusually artistic (and creepy) use of ashes in recent history.  When former Marvel Comics editor Mark Gruenwald passed away in 1997 his final wishes were that his ashes be used for a limited-edition print run of Squadron Supreme, a comic he wrote in the 80′s.

Do you know any weirder ways people have used the ashes of the dead? Let us know in the comments!

[UPI]

Just because cats are trying to take control of our brains doesn’t mean they need them. In this eerie footage we see a cat achieve 3 different gait patterns with NO BRAIN AT ALL! Scientists turned off the cats brain to study how much of an animal’s movement is controlled by thought and how much is simply a mechanical mechanism.

As if we needed another reason to fear cats…

Check out this weird shape-shifting UFO caught on camera in earlier this month in Yokohama, Japan. It changes from saucer to sphere and back again. And you have to hand it to the cameraman for keeping such a tight shot on it.

UFO, or SFX Senior Project? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Aspiring Jedis the world over are rejoicing with the release of the new Spyder III Pro Artic Laser which is billed by the maker (WikedLasers.com) as “the most dangerous laser ever created.”

Obviously modeled on the Skywalker Family’s favorite accessory, the laser produces an “ultra high power 1W beam” that is 1,000 times more powerful than the sun. It can instantly blind anyone within 700 feet after powering on for a 1/4 second and can easily cause skin burns as well as cancer. Even staring at the dot it produces when shined on a wall can cause permanent retinal damage.

This laser is every Star Wars fan’s dream come true, but it is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY. So please please please don’t buy it.

Here’s where you can buy it.

[Sky News]

In the 1940′s the archetype of The Mad Scientist was prevalent in all media from movie serials to comic books. Most people didn’t think such characters actually existed, but they instilled fear in the audience who were afraid of science after the advent of the atomic bomb.

Little did they know that over in communist Russia Mad Scientists were hard at work on a freaky Frankenstein-lite experiment.  By hooking the severed head of a dog up to a blood pump the head re-animates and reacts to stimuli.

Uber-creepy, but it does suggest that the Jar Heads featured in Futurama might just exist some day.

Six men have sequestered themselves in a Russian Bunker for a 520-day experiment to study how a mission to Mars would effect astronauts.

The experiment will simulate the isolation of space travel and offer limited access to the outside world. Much like an actual space mission the scientists will only be able to communicate with “Mission Control” when they need assistance. Unlike an actual space mission the researchers will also be participating in simulated Inter-planetary chess with chess master Anatoly Karpov.

Participants can end the study at any time by simply walking out, which is a bit of a cop out. If nobody leaves please join us back here in about a year for our follow-up story: “Russian Researchers Bugger, Eat Each Other.”

[NPR]

Scientists at the Frederick Hutchinson Cancer Institute have released findings that explain why some creatures can survive being frozen and could lead to advances in suspended animation.

The study finds that small organisms such as yeast can survive extremely cold temperatures if you take away all their oxygen first. The yeast used in the experiment boasted a 66% survival rate after being frozen one day. Better odds than instant death, anyway.

The scientists aim to use the finding to find a way to slow the maturation of terminal illnesses to give conventional treatments more time to work. Once they adapt these new ideas to human beings suspended animation is a certainty.

Would you freeze yourself? Let us know in the comments!

[Science Daily]

NASA has cautiously released data from their Cassini spacecraft that suggests Saturn’s moon Titan could by the home to some form of alien life.

The data shows hydrogen funneling down through the atmosphere then mysteriously disappearing as it hits the surface, which is exactly what would happen if there was a life form on Titan that consumed hydrogen instead of oxygen. Regardless of whether there is life there or not we won’t be holding a block party any time soon.

As always scientists remain skeptical, but it’s possible we may finally MAKE CONTACT without having to venture out of The Milky Way.

[SPACE.COM]

We all remember a couple of years ago when all the bees started disappearing. Now it seems non-winged animals are also taking flight.

A new study has revealed that eight species of snakes have seen their number dwindle since the mid-90′s. Some populations have lost 90% of their members. Researchers are baffled as to why this is happening. Some blame El Nino, while others see it as a broader trend among animal populations as a response to pollution and global warming.

Unfortunately nobody has suggested the most obvious solution: Check the Plane.

[BBC News]

Many suspect that cats are “up to something.” Turns out that something is serving as a transportation system for parasites that make humans do foolishly dangerous things.

Toxioplasma gondi is a parasite that generally moves through a cat’s digestive system that is passed on to mice through the cat’s feces. Once infected, the parasite burrows into the internal organs of the mouse causing cysts and eventually making the mouse abandon it’s natural instincts and do everything it can to get the cat to kill it. Once eaten, the parasite passes again through the cat and finds a new host.

Unfortunately, Toxioplasma gondi can also infect other mammals, such as humans. That’s right. These parasites are taking over our brains, driving us to dangerous behavior, and causing mental illness! And all because we keep them in our homes and clean up their waste.

In some populations over 60% of the population is infected. Pregnant women and people with immune diseases can have serious side effects to the parasite, but the rest of us only have to worry about randomly trying to kill ourselves.

Explains base jumping.

[The Economist]

This past Friday North Korea announced a new “Super Drink” that purports to give consumers a longer and healthier life.  The drink is made from 30 different plants and contains 60 different “micro-elements” to allegedly  multiply brain cells, reduce geriatric diseases, protect skin, and reduce the effects of aging.

This is all according to the North Korean Government’s news agency so stay skeptical, but the product does claim no side-effects. Considering it’s basically a bunch of plants thrown in a blender that’s probably true, but don’t be surprised if you start glowing in the dark from either awesome new super powers or radiation poisioning.

Who wants to try it first?

[BBC]

Scientists at the Competence Center for Coping with Crises in Complex Socio-Economic Systems (CCSS) are using a supercomputer to simulate life on Earth with the aim of supplying the systems as virtual advisers to world leaders to consult in times of crisis.

The “Living Earth Simulator” project is using trends from social sites like Facebook and Second Life to  teach the computer how the world works. Hopefully the leaders of the world will allow for a 25% chance of trolling.

[ScienceDaily]

Every generation of teenagers has their own “outsider” sub-culture. Goth, hippie, punk, raver… All pleasantly strange without being scary. But as yet another sign we live in the future, teenagers have finally found a way to freak out even the most die hard counter-culturist. At over a dozen high schools in San Antonio, TX teenagers are transforming into werewolves.

While there isn’t much supernatural about these teens (they put together outfits made of fake tales, novelty contacts, fangs, and dog leashes to approximate the real thing) there is plenty weird about it. The kids involved don’t find it terribly odd though.  To them it’s not a gang or a cult or a sign they need therapy. They consider their pack a support system, which is a something they’ll desperately need to make it through High School dressed as werewolves.

Is this happening elsewhere, or is it just a Texas thing? If you’ve seen a pack of wolves in your town let us know in the comments!