Scientists create artificial sperm.

Can they artificially flavor it? From Daily Mail:

In a world first, British scientists have grown human sperm in the laboratory.

The breakthrough in stem cell science offers a potential cure for male infertility and could be used in IVF clinics in as little as five years.

It would allow thousands of men to father children that are genetically their own, possibly from just a sliver of their skin.

But the cutting-edge work is fraught with medical and ethical problems.

It raises the possibility of babies being born entirely through artificial means, and even the macabre scenario of long-dead men 'fathering' children from beyond the grave.

Robot developed that navigates like a human.

Now there is nowhere to run or hide. From Technology Review:

European researchers have developed a robot capable of moving autonomously using humanlike visual processing. The robot is helping the researchers explore how the brain responds to its environment while the body is in motion. What they discover could lead to machines that are better able to navigate through cluttered environments.

The robot consists of a wheeled platform with a robotic "head" that uses two cameras to capture stereoscopic vision. The robot can turn its head and shift its gaze up and down or sideways to gauge its surroundings, and can quickly measure its own speed relative to its environment.

The machine is controlled by algorithms designed to mimic different parts of the human visual system. Rather than capturing and mapping its surroundings over and over in order to plan its route--the way most robots do--the European machine uses a simulated neural network to update its position relative to the environment, continually adjusting to each new input. This mimics human visual processing and movement planning.

Ginormous jellyfish may destroy Japan's fishing industry.

From Pink Tentacle:

Japanese researchers monitoring the activity of giant jellyfish in Chinese waters are warning of a potentially historic and catastrophic invasion this year.

Marine surveys conducted in late June have revealed alarming numbers of Nomura’s jellyfish — massive creatures that grow up to 2 meters (6 ft 7 in) in diameter and weigh as much as to 220 kilograms (about 450 lbs) — lurking in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. The researchers warn that ocean currents may bring swarms of the monster jellies to Japan, which has been plagued by similar invasions in recent years.

Based on what they have seen so far, the researchers warn this year’s onslaught of Nomura’s jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai, or Echizen kurage in Japanese) could deliver a massive blow to Japan’s fishing industry, rivaling even the devastating 2005 deluge that caused tens of billions of yen (hundreds of millions of dollars) in damage nationwide.

Game show looks to convert atheists.

No swamis, no swamis, no swamis STOP! From Yahoo! News:

What happens when you put a Muslim imam, a Christian priest, a rabbi and a Buddhist monk in a room with 10 atheists?

Turkish television station Kanal T hopes the answer is a ratings success as it prepares to launch a gameshow where spiritual guides from the four faiths will seek to convert a group of non-believers.

The prize for converts will be a pilgrimage to a holy site of their chosen religion -- Mecca for Muslims, the Vatican for Christians, Jerusalem for Jews and Tibet for Buddhists.

But religious authorities in Muslim but secular Turkey are not amused by the twist on the popular reality game show format and the Religious Affairs Directorate is refusing to provide an imam for the show.

"Doing something like this for the sake of ratings is disrespectful to all religions. Religion should not be a subject for entertainment programs," High Board of Religious Affairs Chairman Hamza Aktan told state news agency Anatolian after news of the planned program emerged.

The makers of "Penitents Compete" are unrepentant and reject claims that the show, scheduled to begin broadcasting in September, will cheapen religion.

"We are giving the biggest prize in the world, the gift of belief in God," Kanal T chief executive Seyhan Soylu told Reuters.

"We don't approve of anyone being an atheist. God is great and it doesn't matter which religion you believe in. The important thing is to believe," Soylu said.

Japanese to pop American cherries.

From Fresh Plaza:

A new agreement has been reached with the Japanese government. Growers are now able to immediately export their cherries to Japan.

There's been a change in protocol when it comes to shipping cherries to Japan. Now the cherries can be shipped sooner, meaning fresher cherries and better sales over seas.

Under the old restrictions Washington cherries had to be fumigated for bugs before they could be sent to Japan. This treatment could delay the shipment by two-weeks and it cost growers lots of money. Now the cherries only need to be inspected before being shipped out. This means the cherries will be shipped fresher and farmers will pay less in the process.

Coozer-Bits.

RUW: Panasonic creates robot that dispenses drugs.

Yipes: Super prickly cacti spreading in Australia. One prick can puncture a truck tire!

Sports: Yankees fan wins suit after being thrown out for pee break during "God Bless America."

Health: Nutrition labeling systems becoming more confusing, meaningless.

Misc: Britain launches full-scale review of its armed forces.

Dorky: Outer space gets its own internet. Uranus porn!

Aww: Dogs communicate where to find tasty treats through sniffing breath.

Yipes: Japan scientists to breed "super tuna"!

Politics: Half TRILLION dollar transportation bill mostly bipartisan earmarks and corruption.

Goldblum: Behind the fake report of The Goldblum's impossible demise.

Misc: Al Gore talks about something other than Sarah Palin or Michael Jackson. I guess it's not important.

Dorky: 15 science fiction film sequels that don't utterly suck.

Duh: Costa Rica is the world's happiest place.

Yipes: Top-class restaurant opens up inside of prison.

Science: Why were dinosaurs so big anyway?

Aww: Study: Self-help programs just make you feel worse.

Mountain lays eggs.

From Ananova:

Tourism chiefs in China are trying to attract visitors by claiming that a mountain lays eggs.

Officials at Gulu village, Guizhou province, claim a cliff of Gandeng Mountain has laid more than 100 eggs, reports Guizhou Metropolis News.

They claim the eggs, as big as car tyres, appear in 'sockets' in the cliff around every two years.

Yang Shengjia, director of the local tourism bureau, said: "Another mountain egg is expected to be laid soon.

"If people, like visitors, can have long enough patience, they may view the astonishing scene of the mountain laying an egg."

Robots invade ramen noodle shops.

Robots in charge of our noodles?! When will humankind learn? From CNET:

Just when you thought your noodle waterslide was the height of Japanese food gadgetry, a ramen shop in Minami-Alps, Yamanashi, Japan, is gaining popularity for its robot chef.

Technically the robot doesn't make the noodles, instead assembling the bowl, including the customized flavor options. Customers place orders on a computer, customizing aspects such as the levels of soy sauce and salt, and richness of the soup. Shop owner Yoshihara Uchida says there are 40 million different flavor permutations.

[...] The robot was completed in December 2008 after five years of trial and error, including computer crashes caused by spilled soup. Uchida wants to mass produce the robot in the future and "leave my mark out there," which means one day you too can have a ramen robot.

Thief tries to rob man at fork point.

From the NYPD's daily blotter (no link):

Stick a fork in this guy.

A sloshed thief tried to rob a man at forkpoint at a New Dorp train station, sources said.

Luis Vasquez, 20, allegedly jumped off the westbound platform and crossed over both tracks to get to his victim at 1:30 a.m. July 4. He jumped up on the eastbound platform and allegedly began rifling through the victim's pockets.

When the victim started to squirm, the bandit whipped out the utensil and tried to stick him with it. He then punched him in the face and fled. Vasquez was charged with attempted robbery and criminal possession of a weapon, said a spokesman for DA Daniel Donovan.

New evidence that vinegar fights fat.

We reported this a couple of months ago (and I've been putting apple cider vinegar on everything since, to no avail). From Science Daily:

Researchers in Japan are reporting new evidence that the ordinary vinegar — a staple in oil-and-vinegar salad dressings, pickles, and other foods — may live up to its age-old reputation in folk medicine as a health promoter. They are reporting new evidence that vinegar can help prevent accumulation of body fat and weight gain.

Tomoo Kondo and colleagues note in the new study that vinegar has also been used as a folk medicine since ancient times. People have used it for a range of ills. Modern scientific research suggests that acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, may help control blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and fat accumulation.

Their new study showed that laboratory mice fed a high-fat diet and given acetic acid developed significantly less body fat (up to 10 percent less) than other mice.

Importantly, the new research adds evidence to the belief that acetic acid fights fat by turning on genes for fatty acid oxidation enzymes. The genes churn out proteins involved in breaking down fats, thus suppressing body fat accumulation in the body.

90,000 seals to be clubbed to death.

You know, I always thought seal clubbing was funny, but that's because I didn't realize people actually did it. WTF, Namibia. From Huffington Post:

Namibia's annual commercial seal hunt will go on despite objections by animal welfare groups, a government official said Monday.

Frans Tsheehama of the Namibian fisheries and marine resources ministry said that the season started on July 1 and will run until Nov. 15.

Hunters are expected to club over 90,000 seals, including 85,000 pups.

The hunt was expected to begin last week, but there was confusion over whether the killings had begun after numerous media reports that a South African-based animal rights activist was in negotiations to halt them.

Namibia is one of only a few remaining countries with a commercial seal harvest. The government argues that the seal population needs to be controlled to protect fish stocks.

However, animal rights activists say the practice is inhumane and outdated.

Seals are hunted for skins, fur and meat, and seal genitals are sold as traditional medicines and aphrodisiacs in Asia.

Two strong coffees a day can reverse Alzheimer's.

From Daily Mail:

Drinking two strong cups of coffee a day could keep Alzheimer's disease at bay - and may even reverse some of its symptoms, a study suggests.

Researchers have uncovered evidence that caffeine not only helps to stave off dementia, but can also treat it.

Although the findings come from animal research, the scientists say they are some of the most promising experiments of their kind ever done.

Dr Gary Arendash, who led the study at the University of South Florida, said: 'The new findings provide evidence that caffeine could be a viable treatment for established Alzheimer's dis-ease, and not simply a protective strategy.

'That's important because caffeine is a safe drug for most people. It easily enters the brain, and it appears to directly affect the disease process.'

Chicago cabbie kidnaps woman, forces her to spit in his face.

I'd spit in his face. With a hammer. From Chicago Sun-Times and thanks to Christy.

A taxi driver from Evanston licked a 24-year-old customer's feet and forced her to spit in his face and rub his nipples during an attack in the back of his cab over the July 4th weekend, Cook County prosecutors said Monday.

The Rockford woman was lost late Friday and was trying to reconnect with her friend when she hailed Fred Batrony's cab at Clark and Fullerton, authorities said. During the ride the woman fell asleep. When she awoke, she found herself in a secluded "forest type area" and saw Batrony nestle up to her in the passenger seat, assistant state's attorney George Canellis said.

Batrony, 55, started talking "naughty" to the woman, asking her to spit on him and touch him, according to a police report. She eventually complied because she was afraid, Canellis said before Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. ordered Batrony held in lieu of $1 million bail.

Batrony also licked the woman's toes and feet when he sexually abused her, Canellis said. Afterward, the Port-au-Prince, Haiti, native allegedly asked the victim where she needed to go, and he drove her to Clark and Diversey.

Ryanair to make passengers stand up during flights.

Honestly, it would probably be more comfortable to stand anyway. From Daily Mail:

Ryanair wants passengers to stand during its flights so the budget airline can squeeze more people onboard.

The Irish air carrier plans to cut costs by making fliers perch on stools with seatbelts around their waists.

Chief executive Michael O'Leary has already held talks with US plane manufacturer Boeing about designing an aircraft with standing room.

Should the idea get the go-ahead from the Irish Aviation Authority, the airline plans to either order new jets or refurbish its existing fleet.

Ryanair estimates it would be able to pack in 30 per cent more passengers while slashing costs by 20 per cent.

Spokesman Stephen McNamara said: 'It would be vertical seating more akin to a stool and the person would still be strapped in."

Coozer-Bits.

Lame: Georgia freemasons confused by black member.

Biz: 10 dumbest moments in business in 2009 (so far).

Creepy: Rabbit-obsessed woman sent back to jail after being caught in hotel room with... rabbits.

Film: Harry Potter actor has swine flu.

Eats: The truth behind Coke, Dr. Pepper, and KFC's secret recipes. (Hint: 10 of KFC's 11 secret herbs and spices is MSG.)

Awesome: Spanish police foil prison escape by zeppelin!

Booze: Australian wine now cheaper than water. (And about as flavorful.)

D'oh: Top spy's wife accidentally discloses everything on Facebook.

Booze: Drink beer, win a trip to outer space!

Daily sex makes for healthier sperm.

Damn, this sucks. Can I have the daily sex without the super potent sperm? From Yahoo! Canada:

Having sex every day improves the quality of men's sperm and is recommended for couples trying to conceive, according to new research.

Until now doctors have debated whether or not men should refrain from sex for a few days before attempting to conceive with their partner to improve the chance of pregnancy.

But a new study by Dr David Greening of Sydney IVF, an Australian center for infertility and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, suggests abstinence is not the right approach.

He studied 118 men with above-average sperm DNA damage and found the quality of their sperm increased significantly after they were told to ejaculate daily for seven days.

On average, their DNA fragmentation index -- a measure of sperm damage -- fell to 26 percent from 34 percent, Greening told the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam on Tuesday.

Frequent sex does decrease semen volume but for most men this is not a problem.

"It seems safe to conclude that couples with relatively normal semen parameters should have sex daily for up to a week before the ovulation date," he said in a statement.

Marion Barry charged with stalking.

From AP News:

Police say former Washington Mayor Marion Barry has been arrested and charged with stalking a woman.

The United States Park Police said Barry, a current D.C. Council member, was arrested Saturday in Washington after a woman flagged down an officer and complained that Barry was stalking her.

Barry was charged with misdemeanor stalking and released.

A message left seeking comment from a spokeswoman for Barry wasn't immediately returned early Sunday.

Barry served four terms as mayor. In his third, he was videotaped in 1990 in a hotel room smoking crack cocaine in an FBI sting. He served six months in prison and in 1994 regained the mayor's office.

Beer bellies caused by genetics, not beer!

Best news all weekend. From Daily Mail:

Beer lovers across Britain will be raising a glass to the latest research on drinking.

For scientists have discovered that the so-called 'beer belly' is not caused by consuming alcohol – but more to do with genetics.

A study of thousands of beer drinkers found that although people who drink regularly are more likely to put on weight, they do not necessarily accumulate fat around the abdomen.

Researchers monitored more than 20,000 people – 7,876 men and 12,749 women – over an average of eight-and-a-half years.

Men who were classed as the heaviest drinkers – regularly consuming two pints of beer a day – put on the most weight.

But when the researchers then measured hip-to-waist ratios to establish which drinkers developed a pot belly, the results were randomly spread across all drinking groups.

The scientists concluded that genetic factors dictating how people put on weight were more significant than drinking beer.

However, they insist that their findings do not mean that drinking should be encouraged, and recommend giving up alcohol completely to avoid gaining weight.

Monorail! Monorail!

From ABC:

Two monorail trains crashed early Sunday morning in the Magic Kingdom section of Walt Disney World, killing one train's operator, emergency officials said.

The transit system, which shuttles thousands of visitors around the sprawling resort each day, was shut down while authorities investigated the holiday weekend wreck.

The monorail operator died at the scene of the crash, which happened around 2 a.m., said Bo Jones, deputy chief for Reedy Creek Fire Department. The other train operator was not injured, but was taken to a hospital because he was emotionally shaken. Jones said five park guests were treated at the scene, though the Orange County Sheriff's office said six were treated.

Diane Keaton rushed to hospital after sumo wrestling accident.

From a few days ago, but what a headline! From here.

Diane Keaton was rushed to hospital after hurting herself during a sumo wrestling match. The Oscar-winning actress was filming a fight scene for new movie "Morning Glory" in New York's Battery Park Monday and injured her head during the process.

The 63-year-old star left the set on a stretcher and was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was given precautionary tests.

A statement said: "Diane Keaton is in good health and spirits following a fall on set of 'Morning Glory' where she bumped her head. The actress was taken to a hospital for precautionary tests and has been cleared by doctors to return to work."