In search of the next Stephen Hawking

Guardian.co.uk-- Without fanfare or ceremony, the most celebrated scientist in the country, Stephen Hawking, quietly stepped down this week from the most prestigious post in British physics.

Hawking's successor as Lucasian professor of mathematics at Cambridge University will be decided by committee this month, but as he moves on, leading physicists warn that Britain risks losing the next generation of great minds.

Government pressure on universities is diverting researchers away from purely intellectual problems and on to sure-fire money-making projects, physicists say. The university's role of pulling in and nurturing deep thinkers will be sidelined in favour of people who can turn profits by making better widgets.

The shift from "blue skies research" to more practical problems will turn gifted students with the potential to be the next Hawking or Sir Isaac Newton off science for good, physicists claim.

The invisible world of government secrecy

Amidst the American hunger for instantaneous news and up-to-date "facts," this unflinching film uncovers the vast, invisible world of government secrecy

Ouija Board: Conduit of the Devil or Belief?

Paranormal News Insider-- "Is there anyone here who would like to speak to us? Please tell us your name."

A common first line to many who take the adventure of playing with a Ouija board. First of all, Ouija is a registered trademark of Parker Brothers, a subsidiary of Hasbro, and it's a board game made of plastic and wood. So, what's the fuss?

Many people claim to have had strange and evil things happen while or after using a Ouija board, many groups and individuals (paranormal groups and ghost investigators alike) are against anyone using these devices (much to the dismay of Parker Brothers) since they are "dangerous" and "unpredictable" in how they operate.

Scientologists win rights case against Russia

Associated Press (STRASBOURG, France) — Russia's ban on the Church of Scientology is illegal, the European Court of Human Rights said Thursday in a binding ruling.

The court said Russia cannot ban the Church of Scientology just because it has not been in the country for long and awarded each of the groups euro5,000 ($7,270) in damages. The groups together also received euro10,000 ($14,500) for costs, which they shared.

The case was brought to the Strasbourg-based court by two Russian Scientology branches that were refused listing as "religious organizations" because they have not existed for at least 15 years as required by Russia's Religions Act.

The Mystique Behind Black Cats

TheCatSite.com-- One of the three prevalent superstitions alive in our culture today concerns the black cat

These superstitions are: the number 13 being unlucky, you don’t walk under an open ladder, and if a black cat crosses your path, it is considered bad luck. Interestingly enough, in most other cultures, the black cat is a prized possession. Owning one is considered to bring the owner good luck.

The origin of the black cat and good luck is believed to have begun in Ancient Egypt with the sacred black cat of Oagans- BAST. BAST, a goddess of Egypt reigned in the Twenty-Second Dynasty and was the official deity of Egypt. Many courted her favors, by procuring black cats into their households; believing that she would become part of that cat in spirit, and grace the home with riches and prosperity.

Rabid Cats on the Rise (Zombie Cats?)

LiveScience.com (WASHINGTON)-- In a warning to cat owners, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA, said new data shows that the number of reported rabies cases among cats increased by 12 percent in 2008 compared to 2007.

“While dogs have historically been associated with rabies transmissions to humans, cats are the animal most likely to expose a human to rabies,” the CDC said in a feature on its website. “Cats are often in close contact with both humans and wild animals, including those that primarily transmit rabies. This creates a situation in which rabies may be more easily transmitted to humans from cats.”

In looking for a reason for the rise in cat rabies, the CDC noted that, “cat owners might not be as likely to visit a veterinarian’s office, where they can receive shots that can keep their cat safe from rabies.” The CDC cited data from the American Veterinary Medical Association that “indicates that more than 36 percent of U.S. cat-owning households did not visit a veterinarian in 2006.” That is more than double the percentage of dog-owning households that didn’t visit a vet.

Hitler's Escape

The DNA Mystery: Scientists Stumped By "Telepathic" Abilities

DailyGalaxy.com-- DNA has been found to have a bizarre ability to put itself together, even at a distance, when according to known science it shouldn't be able to. Explanation: None, at least not yet.

Scientists are reporting evidence that contrary to our current beliefs about what is possible, intact double-stranded DNA has the “amazing” ability to recognize similarities in other DNA strands from a distance. Somehow they are able to identify one another, and the tiny bits of genetic material tend to congregate with similar DNA. The recognition of similar sequences in DNA’s chemical subunits, occurs in a way unrecognized by science. There is no known reason why the DNA is able to combine the way it does, and from a current theoretical standpoint this feat should be chemically impossible.

The Twilight Zone Turns 50!

Wired.com-- On October 2, 1959, the first episode aired of what would turn out to be a seminal work of science-fiction television. For the first time the famous four-note musical motif played, and for the first time Rod Serling told viewers that they were “entering a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind.” Yes, it may be hard to believe, but today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the premiere of The Twilight Zone.

The first episode, titled “Where Is Everybody?” and starring Earl Holliman, was written by Serling and very much set the tone for the series: Holliman plays a man, dressed in an Air Force jumpsuit, who wanders about a town that seems to have no other people in it, though has evidence of very recent habitation (food on the stove, burning cigarettes in ashtrays, etc.). It turns out (SPOILER ALERT) that he is imagining the whole thing, and that he’s actually been put in isolation to see if he can stay sane for a trip to the moon.

English archaeologists find new prehistoric site

PhysOrg.com -- Archaeologists have discovered a smaller prehistoric site near Britain's famous circle of standing stones at Stonehenge.

Researchers have dubbed the site "Bluehenge," after the color of the 27 Welsh stones that were laid to make up a path. The stones have disappeared but the path of holes remains.

The new circle, unearthed over the summer by researchers from Sheffield University, represents an important find, researchers said Saturday. The site is about a mile (2 kilometers) away from Stonehenge.

Bluehenge, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southwest of London, is believed to date back 5,000 years.

Mike Parker Pearson of Sheffield University said he believed the path and Stonehenge itself were linked to rituals of life and death.