Weird World News

November 7, 2016

Fuel From Sewage Is the Future

Live Long and ... Facebook?

Global Rise in Methane from Agriculture?

Homes in Wealthier Neighborhoods Have More Bugs

Latest Headlines

updated 5:08pm EST

Procedure Feared to 'Suck Brain from Skull' Safe for Malaria Patients

Oct. 28, 2016 — An American researcher is challenging a widely held African belief that a spinal tap, a procedure safely used to treat other diseases, could suck the brain from the base of the skull and cause death ... read more

'Chemtrails' Not Real, Say Atmospheric Science Experts

Aug. 12, 2016 — Well-understood physical and chemical processes can easily explain the alleged evidence of a secret, large-scale atmospheric spraying program, commonly referred to as ... read more

1967 Solar Storm Nearly Took US to Brink of War

Aug. 9, 2016 — A solar storm that jammed radar and radio communications at the height of the Cold War could have led to a disastrous military conflict if not for the US Air Force's budding ... read more

Will Pedestrians Walk Freely in a World of Self-Driving Cars?

Oct. 26, 2016 — Imagine an urban neighborhood where most of the cars are self-driving. What would it be like to be a pedestrian? Self-driving cars are programmed to obey the rules of the road, including waiting for ... read more

Computers Should Be Named on Patents as Inventors, for Creativity to Flourish

Oct. 17, 2016 — New research is calling for inventions by computers to be legally granted patents. The research states that the rapid increase in computer power is ... read more

Your Next Nurse Could Be a Robot

Oct. 5, 2016 — The nursing assistant for your next trip to the hospital might be ... read more

Popeye Was Right: There’s Energy in That Spinach

Sep. 22, 2016 — Using a simple membrane extract from spinach leaves, researchers have developed a cell that produces electricity and hydrogen from water using sunlight. Based on photosynthesis, and technology paves ... read more

Food Waste Could Store Solar, Wind Energy

Sep. 15, 2016 — Saving up excess solar and wind energy for times when the sun is down or the air is still requires a storage device. Batteries get the most attention as a promising solution although pumped ... read more

Viewing Video in Slow Motion Makes Action Appear More Intentional, New Study Finds

Aug. 4, 2016 — Watching a video of a harmful or violent act being committed can provide useful evidence of the circumstances surrounding the action. But new ... read more

Sharks Get Bad Rap When Viewed With Ominous Background Music

Aug. 4, 2016 — In a new study, researchers found that the background music in shark documentaries affects viewers' perceptions of sharks. The researchers suggest that ominous background ... read more

'Blue Blood' Bid to Encourage DNA Screening

How Self-Driving Cars Could Make Pedestrians More Annoying

New Robot Toy Uses ‘emotions’ To Interact With People

Smart Glass Taps Into Beer Drinker's Data

Disguised as a Tuna, Bioswimmer Is Changing the Game for Underwater Inspections

Oct. 18, 2016 — BioSwimmer is a semi-autonomous underwater vehicle equipped to inspect a vessel’s exterior for illicit cargo and contraband, as well as harbor facilities for unwanted ... read more

Beam Me Up to the Video Conference

Sep. 7, 2016 — When science fiction heroes communicate, they don‘t use landlines or cell phones. The caller simply appears in virtual form in the middle of the room; full sized and three dimensional. This vision ... read more

Hey, Tall Guy! What's the Politics Like Up There?

Aug. 16, 2016 — If you want to predict which political party someone will support, take note of the person's height. The taller a person is, the more likely he or she is to support conservative political ... read more

People Not Technology Will Drive Success of Autonomous Vehicles

Aug. 2, 2016 — As the world moves closer to autonomous and self-driving vehicles, road safety experts are turning from technology to psychology to better understand the road to safer ... read more

Quick Meal? 3-D Printed Dinner

July 29, 2016 — A professor and his students have invented a 3D food printer that could revolutionize the way we think about food and prepare it -- it can fabricate edible items through computer-guided software and ... read more

No Dream: Electric Brain Stimulation During Sleep Can Boost Memory

July 28, 2016 — For the first time, scientists report using transcranial alternating current stimulation, or tACS, to target a specific kind of brain activity during sleep and strengthen memory in healthy ... read more

Americans Worried About Using Gene Editing, Brain Chip Implants and Synthetic Blood

July 26, 2016 — Many in the general public think scientific and technological innovations bring helpful change to society, but they are more concerned than excited when it comes to the potential use of emerging ... read more

Driving, Thinking, Dreaming: Why Motoring Can Be Therapeutic

July 26, 2016 — Although driving is now more commonly associated with road-rage than relaxation – at least in congested urban areas – research into the ways in which the concentration required for driving can ... read more

Postcards Provide Link to Edwardian Social Media

July 26, 2016 — A new public searchable database provides access to a unique and inspirational treasure trove of amazing stories and pictures through what researchers term the 'social media' of the ... read more

Historical Love-Affair With Indulgent Foods

July 26, 2016 — Our desire for indulgent meals may be over 500 years old. A new analysis of European and American paintings across five centuries shows that salt, bread, sausage, and shellfish were among the most ... read more

We're Lucky Climate Change Didn't Happen Sooner

July 21, 2016 — There is some consolation in how the fossil fuel-induced climatic changes we increasingly experience through droughts and storm surges are playing out. It could have happened sooner, and therefore ... read more

Light-Bulb Moment for Stock Market Behavior

July 21, 2016 — Physicists have discovered that the timing of electronic orders on the stock market can be mathematically described in the same way as the lifetime of a light ... read more

Reading Harry Potter Lowers Americans' Opinions of Donald Trump, Study Finds

July 20, 2016 — Can Harry Potter defeat Donald Trump? A new study has found that Americans who read Harry Potter books hold a lower opinion of Donald Trump, even after controlling for many factors like party, ... read more

Social Robots: Programmable by Everyone

July 20, 2016 — Social robots can be used in the educational or health system, where they would support trainers and therapists in their work. The robots can be programmed to practice vocabulary with children or to ... read more

Medieval Water Power Initiated Collapse of Salmon Stocks

July 20, 2016 — Salmon largely disappeared from our waters due to the construction of water mills, ecologists now conclude. The construction of water mills caused the destruction of the gravel beds in streams, ... read more

Cosmetic Therapy: The Link Between Makeup and a Down Economy

July 19, 2016 — During tough economic times, women engage in the “lipstick effect,” stocking up on cosmetics and beauty products. The phenomenon has occurred during every major recession in U.S. history and ... read more

Scientists Predict Academic Achievement from DNA Alone

July 19, 2016 — Scientists have used a new genetic scoring technique to predict academic achievement from DNA alone. This is the strongest prediction from DNA of a behavioral measure to ... read more

Cougars Could Save Lives by Lowering Vehicle Collisions With Deer

July 14, 2016 — A team of researchers has for the first time begun to quantify the economic and social impact of bringing back large carnivores. Using cougars and their value in reducing deer-vehicle collisions as a ... read more

Shocking New Role Found for the Immune System: Controlling Social Interaction

July 13, 2016 — The immune system affects -- and even controls -- social behavior, a new study has found. Researchers discovered that blocking a single type of immune molecule made mouse brains go hyperactive and ... read more

Boredom Can Lead to More Extreme Political Views, Researchers Find

July 7, 2016 — Boredom may be contributing to a widening of political views among voters, according to a new study. The findings are based on one experiment and two scientific surveys carried out in the Republic of ... read more

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Disguised as a tuna, bioswimmer is changing the game for underwater inspections

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Beam me up to the video conference

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Hey, tall guy! What's the politics like up there?

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

People not technology will drive success of autonomous vehicles

Friday, July 29, 2016

Quick meal? 3-D printed dinner

Thursday, July 28, 2016

No dream: Electric brain stimulation during sleep can boost memory

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Cougars could save lives by lowering vehicle collisions with deer

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Shocking new role found for the immune system: Controlling social interaction

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Boredom can lead to more extreme political views, researchers find

Friday, July 1, 2016

Technique from biology helps explain the evolution of the American car

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Infant bodies were 'prized' by 19th century anatomists, study suggests

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

In worldwide chemotaxis competition, researchers race cell lines to the finish line

Thursday, June 16, 2016

New research casts doubt over tale of famous Brontë dress

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Witnesses can catch criminals by smell: Human nose-witnesses identify criminals in a lineup of body odor

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

How will automated technology affect communication-related jobs?

Friday, May 27, 2016

Rapid bone growth and underwater breathing: Putting the science of Harry Potter’s universe to the test

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Benefit of organizational misconduct: Others in group may work harder, study says

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Photonics advances allow us to be seen across the universe, with major implications for search for extraterrestrial intelligence

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Friday, May 13, 2016

Ancient Irish musical history found in modern India

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Big thinking in small pieces: Computer guides humans in crowdsourced research

Monday, May 9, 2016

Do witchcraft beliefs halt economic progress?

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Women ratchet themselves up the social ladder, one high heel at a time

Monday, May 2, 2016

Economy flyers unite! Research shows air rage a product of class difference

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Strong interactions with voice-guided vehicles do not result in safer driving

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Robots may be able to lift, drive, and chat, but are they safe and trustworthy?

Friday, April 22, 2016

Adding some salt to the recipe for energy storage materials

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Have trouble media multitasking? Mindfulness intervention helps sharpen focus, study shows

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Fresh look at trope about Eskimo words for snow

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

The trouble with drinking guidelines: What, in the world, is a standard drink?

Friday, April 8, 2016

Timber skyscrapers could transform London's skyline

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Basketball games mimic nature

Monday, March 28, 2016

Conspicuous consumption may drive fertility down

Friday, March 25, 2016

Boost fundraising with something simple: Sandpaper

Monday, March 21, 2016

Narcissistic artists sell more art, for more money

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Communicating vehicles could ease through intersections more efficiently, study finds

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Engineering student’s late night caffeine craving inspires travel mug that brews its own coffee

Monday, February 29, 2016

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Conservatives prefer using nouns, new research finds

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Mutual mistrust may have added a few X-files to the UFO era

Friday, February 12, 2016

Using stories to teach human values to artificial agents

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Why you may skimp on your Valentine's Day gift

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Americans recognize 'past presidents' who never were, study finds

Monday, February 8, 2016

Artistic space odyssey to broadcast people's messages to the stars

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Researchers link compulsive Facebook checking to lack of sleep

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Winning a competition predicts future dishonest behavior, say researchers

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Guidelines for human genome editing

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Some consumers use ‘servant’ brands to gain sense of power, study finds

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

'Spectre' villain fails neuroanatomy in latest Bond film

Thursday, December 17, 2015

How anti-evolution bills evolve

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Women less likely to hold academic medical leadership roles than men with mustaches

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Lie-detecting software uses real court case data

Monday, December 7, 2015

In social movements, 'slactivists' matter

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Color affects ethical judgments of brands, research suggests

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Watching eyes prevent littering

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Why bartenders have to ignore some signals

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Stormy space weather puts equatorial regions' power at risk

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

What's in a name? More than you think...

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Who's the 'enviest' of them all?

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Vast energy value in human waste

Monday, November 2, 2015

Does cheering affect the outcome of college hockey games?

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

In an urban environment, not all vultures are created equal

Monday, October 19, 2015

Would you eat your pet cat?

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Expert passport officers better at detecting fraud using face recognition technology

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Cheaters sometimes prosper on Facebook

Friday, September 11, 2015

Competition and decision-making: Too many candidates spoil the stew

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Scents sell: The sweet smell of success

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Scientists use Instagram data to forecast top models at New York Fashion Week

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Toilet waste provides knowledge about diseases' global transmission routes

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Linguist explains secret language of Gulliver's Travels

Friday, August 7, 2015

'Caveman instincts' may favor deep-voiced politicians

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Brain surgery saved Russian general who helped defeat Napoleon: Scientists 'rewrite' history books

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Hormones influence unethical behavior, experts say