Here are some news stories from this week that I think the mainstream media completely missed out on. All links are from legitimate news sources and not the fringe / wacko sites.
* Picking up strange objects that hundreds of anonymous people have used before you is a bad idea. A recent study shows there are tons of Herpes and E.Coli on those beauty tester products at cosmetic counters! Yuck! [STYLECASTER]
* That stolen phone from Apple? Looks like Apple is going to file charges for theft. Say goodbye to the website Gizmodo! [ELECTRONISTA]
* Want to see if your kid will be successful in life? Grab a bag of marshmallows and watch this study to see how to test ’em! [CBS NEWS]
* In other kid-research news, everybody needs to let kids play more! Play really develops children’s brains! [THE ATLANTIC]
* Hey Hollywood! Here’s my pitch for the week. Double Jeapordy? Amateur hour. Triple jeapordy? Ah, that’s the trick! Getting someone who committed a crime re-tried and convicted on the same charges that were dismissed at the first trial! How? I have the script framework online at [ABC NEWS]
* Google has been asked 3,500 times in the last 6 months by assorted governments for user’s information. They made a nice map showing the who and the where. [WIRED]
* A mega-giant jellyfish was spotted swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Considering how much the mini-size jellyfish hurt when they sting with their microscopic barbs, this monster must immediately put you in a coma if it grazes you! [BBC.CO.UK]
* Melt in brain implants are coming! Considering how many people have already artificially melted their brains, this should go over quite well. [SCIENCE CODEX]
* How does the brain slow down time? Mind blowing quote : “The implication is that we don’t really have a direct experience of what we’re feeling ‘right now,’ but only a memory – an unreliable memory – of what we thought it felt like some seconds or milliseconds ago. The vivid present tense we all think we inhabit might itself be a retroactive illusion.” Dude. So I’m actually experiencing life as a memory? Soooo where am I and who’s really guiding the ship? [PSYCHOLOGY TODAY]
* Scientific research shows that psychopaths are not deterred by fearful faces. One psychopath in the study, when shown a photo of a fearful face, said “I don’t know what that expression is called, but I know it’s what people look like right before I stab them.” OK, so now that we have correlation established, let’s work on that causation bit. [SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN]
* New scientific research has also found out that meditation is really good for you. Might I also seriously recommend a good tea to go with it? Not the local stuff mind you… get “London Cuppa” or a quality Ceylon based tea to start off with. [SCIENCE DAILY]
* Next time somebody is getting all “HULK SMASH” on something, they may actually be a heart patient trying to save their own lives! New research shows that “bottled up anger is deadly for heart patients” so they gotta get it out ASAP. [REUTERS]
Tickle This!
* Tickle Me Elmo creator Bruce Lund just created… a rifle-sized weapon for the military called the “Big Hurt”?!? Lund plans on going back to making toys full time after this weapon gets bought by the military. As an extra special bonus, Lund says the weapon has a “stun” and a “kill” setting, and it will be up to the shooter to decide which setting is necessary. Dude. On the one hand I’m psyched that there’s a pre-phaser that’s finally going to see the light of day in my lifetime. But on the other hand, I’ll never be able to look at Elmo the same way again. [POPULAR MECHANICS]
* Some toymaker technician saw the movie “Never Say Never Again” and actually made a toy that shocks the hell out of you! The point is to hold on to the toy as long as possible and be the last one holding it! Story at [BOING BOING] and toy link at [BRANDO]. BONUS: Here’s the clip from “Never Say Never Again” I was talking about. How many brain cells did it take to remember that moment all this time?
* Balloon boy’s parents just agreed to pay $36k in restitution for wasting everybody’s time and sympathy. Considering what national prominence this story had, I don’t think that fine is enough. Especially since that poor kid is stigmatized/traumatized for life. [9NEWS]
* And finally, on the more looney side of things, the EU now says traveling for tourism is a human right! “The plan — just who gets to enjoy the travel package has yet to be determined — would see taxpayers footing some of the vacation bill for seniors, youths between the ages of 18 and 25, disabled people, and families facing “difficult social, financial or personal” circumstances. The disabled and elderly can also be accompanied by one other person. The EU and its taxpayers are slated to fund 30% of the cost of these tours, which could range from youth exploring abandoned factories and power plants in Manchester to retirees taking discount trips to Madrid, all in the name of cultural appreciation.” OK, maybe it’s a gut reaction here, but all I have to say is WHAAAAAT???? [OTTAWACITIZEN]
