Blood From a Stone? No. Blood From Rice? Sure

Dracula may have a square meal at last.

Researchers in China believe they have found a way to produce and harvest large quantities of human serum albumin (HSA) -- a blood protein that is widely used in drug and vaccine production -- from ordinary grains of rice.

“It looks like an interesting technological step forward,”  Dr. Richard J. Benjamin, chief medical officer for the American National Red Cross, told FoxNews.com. “It could potentially produce large quantities in a reasonable time.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/10/31/blood-from-stone-no-blood-from-rice-sure/

Army’s Vision of the Future: Mostly Doom, Some Idiocy

Army’s Vision of the Future: Mostly Doom, Some Idiocy: "These are some of the geopolitical scenarios the U.S. Army thinks are more likely than not in the coming two decades. Urban combat that makes Sadr City and Fallujah look like cakewalks. Increased terrorist acts after the Iraq and Afghanistan wars end. Economic disaster and massive struggles for natural resources that compel historic enemies to side with one another, against the United States."

Military Tech In Action

Military Tech In Action: "Our picks of the best new images of the military in action, highlighting the technology that the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines deal with every day. "

Scientist who claimed 'end of scepticism' on climate change under fire from colleague over 'huge mistake'

Scientist who claimed 'end of scepticism' on climate change under fire from colleague over 'huge mistake' | Mail Online: "One of the authors of a scientific study billed as the ‘end of scepticism’ about climate change yesterday threatened to quit after she said the project leader underplayed the fact there has been no global warming for 13 years."

Scientists plan $1.5bn laser strong enough 'to tear the fabric of space'

A laser powerful enough to tear apart the fabric of space could be built in Britain.

The major scientific project will follow in the footsteps of the Large Hadron Collider and will answer questions about the universe.

The laser will be capable of producing a beam of light so intense that it will be similar to the light the earth receives from the sun but focused on a speck smaller than a pin prick.

Extreme: A laser powerful enough to tear apart the fabric of space could be built in Britain

Scientists say it will be so powerful they will be able to boil the very fabric of space and create a vacuum.

A vacuum fizzles with mysterious particles that come in and out of existence but the phenomenon happens so fast that no-one has ever actually been able to prove it.

It is hoped the Extreme Light Infrastructure Ultra-High Field Facility would allow scientists to prove the particles are real by pulling the vacuum fabric apart.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2055360/Giant-1bn-laser-strong-tear-fabric-space-built-Britain.html

Collecting Killer Asteroids in Earth Orbit

Collecting Killer Asteroids in Earth Orbit : Discovery News: "A couple weeks ago I wasn't far from "ground zero," with asteroid hunter Dave Trilling of Northern Arizona University. I'm not referring to any site of a terrorist attack, but rather a marauder from deep space.

About 50,000 years ago, a meteorite one-and-a-half times the length of a football field slammed into the Colorado plateau, unleashing the energy of 150 Hiroshima atomic bombs."

Cave Creatures: Reptilian Humanoids from the Hollow Earth?

Continuing our celebration of the month of “Crocktober,” there are a multitude of new creepy films and other entertainment out there, designed to chill the bones and raise the hairs of the faint-hearted (in a fun way). For many, the terrors that can achieve this sort of thing remain in the realm of sewn-together man-things like Frankenstein; or maybe your favorite ghouls are the blood-sucking boogers, most of which are far-less cordial and romantic than Edward and his Twilight ilk.

While I enjoy all of these creepy critters too, my personal favorite remedy for the Crocktober Creeps involves the subject of creatures from the depths of the underground realm. Books and films like The Descent take the notion of mankind’s greatest fears into the recesses of a hypothetical underworld which, in truth, provides a unique allegory for the eternal struggle between mankind and the influences of darkness… perhaps no place gets any darker than the Hollow Earth.

Read More: http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2011/10/cave-creatures-reptilian-humanoids-from-the-hollow-earth/

Homeland Security Office Stages a Mock Zombie Invasion

Homeland Security Office Stages a Mock Zombie Invasion: "An Ohio office of the Emergency Management Agency — part of the Department of Homeland Security —
will stage a mock zombie attack on Halloween using more than 225 volunteers dressed as zombies at an Ohio college."

The Science of Death: 10 Tales from the Crypt & Beyond

The Science of Death: 10 Tales from the Crypt & Beyond: "Science has a macabre side. Archaeologists and forensic scientists routinely uncover evidence of all sorts of past horrors: Bones gnawed by prehistoric cannibals, the graves of murdered infants, as well as the gruesome transformations that time and decomposition bring, such as bones wrapped in death wax. And don't forget zombie insects, nature's own undead; the neurology of decapitation and near-death experiences. Here's a selection of some of our most delightfully morbid stories, listed in no particular order."

Within a hair of Bigfoot

Within a hair of Bigfoot — RT: "The Russian Academy of Sciences has said it is highly likely that the Bigfoot really exists. Experts came to the conclusion after carrying out a microscopic analysis of hairs believed to belong to the yeti found in the Kuzbass region of Siberia."

Concerns Raised about Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes

Concerns Raised about Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes - NYTimes.com: "These mosquitoes are genetically engineered to kill — their own children."

Why Zombies Never Die

Why Zombies Never Die : Discovery News: "From Hatian legend to government protests to pub crawls, the zombie continues to represent."

Breeding Partners: A Comparison of Types

Breeding Partners: A Comparison of Types: "Considering a Race of 'Mutant Humans'"

National-scale iris and fingerprint identification

National-scale iris and fingerprint identification: "Neurotechnology announced MegaMatcher Accelerator 4.0, the latest update of the company’s multi-biometric software and hardware solution for high-volume, high-speed fingerprint and iris identification.



The software includes a larger database capacity, enhanced fault tolerance and a new matching algorithm that provides even greater accuracy, with extremely fast matching speeds of up to 100 million fingerprints per second – with a tolerance of 360 degrees of fingerprint rotation – and up to 200 million irises per second."

Terrorists join organized crime in trafficking of nuke and bio-material

WMD: Terrorists join organized crime in trafficking of nuke and bio-material - National Law Enforcement | Examiner.com: "More and more world leaders are becoming concerned over the close connection between terrorists and transnational organized crime (TOC), including their cooperation with one another in the illegal movement of nuclear, chemical, biological weapons and other potentially deadly materials, according to United Nations officials."

Lighting Sheets Made of Tiny LEDs

Lighting Sheets Made of Tiny LEDs - Technology Review: "Nth Degree Technologies plans to replace bulbs with lights that can be printed on large, flexible surfaces."

Study shows alien abductions, UFO encounters are lucid dream

 

Researchers at the Out-of-Body Experience Research Center (OOBE Research Center) at UCLA , say they have evidence that claims of close encounter with UFOs and extraterrestrials result from vivid or lucid dreams.

Lead researcher Michael Raduga, of the OOBE Research Center, in the study involving 20 volunteers which began on October 7, 2011, designed a method for coaching people how to have lucid dreams involving apparently real encounters with aliens. The subjects were coached on how to induce out-of-body encounters by mentally performing a series of exercises.

The researchers found it was not difficult to induce typical alien abduction reports after only a few days (3 days) of training the subjects. Using the exercises they had designed, the researchers found they could teach subjects how to have close encounters with aliens.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/313447#ixzz1cGZZbfuT

Vampire Stars, Frankensatellites & More: A Spooky Space Halloween

Halloween is nearly upon us, which means Earth will soon be crawling with costumed witches, ghouls and zombies. But October has shown us that our planet doesn't have a monopoly on spookiness.

Over the last month, a series of cosmic phenomena have provided thrills and chills, just in time for Halloween. Here's a rundown of the recent spooky space news, from revelations about vampire stars to a plan to build Frankensatellites in orbit.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/10/30/vampire-stars-frankensatellites-more-spooky-space-halloween/

Success for Andrea Rossi's E-Cat cold fusion system, but mysteries remain

Against all the odds, Andrea Rossi's E-Cat cold fusion power plant passed its biggest test yesterday, producing an average of 470 kilowatts for more than five hours. (A technical glitch prevented it from achieving a megawatt as originally planned). The demonstration was monitored closely by engineers from Rossi's mysterious US customer, which was evidently satisfied and paid up.

The energy was output in the form of heat, measured by the quantity of water boiled off. The results are reported in NyTeknik and Pure Energy Systems News, who both had reporters present for the test. Associated Press also sent a correspondent who should be filing a story in the next few days (one suspects his editors might have some questions).

Read More: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-10/29/rossi-success

Alien Base Found At Chinese Pyramid

Alien Base Found At Chinese Pyramid: "A team of daring Chinese researchers, digging into the ancient mysteries of the origin of their country, have come to the inescapable conclusion that 12,000 years ago an interstellar, supreme alien race used much of the northern and central Chinese regions as massive Earth bases."

How energy from under the ground could power American homes and all with existing technology

How energy from under the ground could power American homes and all with existing technology | Mail Online: "America could be standing on the most powerful renewable energy resource, which can be tapped into with existing technology -new research has revealed.

Buried deep below the surface scientists have discovered hot rocks across the U.S., which could provide up to 10 times the amount of energy given out by existing power plants.

Although this energy, called geothermal, is already generated in western U.S., it had previously been thought the eastern part of the county didn't have any hot rocks below the surface."
"

Astronomers discover complex organic matter in the universe

Astronomers discover complex organic matter in the universe: "In today's issue of the journal Nature, astronomers report that organic compounds of unexpected complexity exist throughout the Universe. The results suggest that complex organic compounds are not the sole domain of life but can be made naturally by stars."

Alien Genetic Takeover: The End of Humanity

COMMENT FROM ALEX JONES: Yes the headline says alien takeover, because it is is alien to cross plant, animal, insect and microbial species... and this ill mixing will cause disastrous results….

A plausible end-of-the-world scenario you've probably never thought of

A plausible end-of-the-world scenario you've probably never thought of: "You've seen the world end with fire, earthquakes, and WTF in movies like 2012 and The Core. But to find out about truly horrific, plausible scenarios you need to ask a scientist. We talked to Cal Tech's Joe Kirschvink, a geobiologist who studies the ancient history of life — and mass death. He gave us a nightmare scenario where one evolutionary shift in ocean microbes leaves humans unable to breathe."

Cold Fusion: Future of physics or phoney?

Today is set to be the start of a new era of cheap power, as a new type of low-cost nuclear reactor goes live in front of an audience of scientists and media representatives in Bologna. Once the mystery customer who commissioned the device has confirmed that it really is producing one megawatt, they'll pay the developer, Andrea Rossi. 

Unless, of course, it all goes horribly wrong.

Rossi's "energy catalyser" or E-Cat is based on a Low Energy Nuclear Reaction which produces vast quantities of energy from a few grams of hydrogen. Otherwise known as Cold Fusion, it's a field largely shunned by mainstream physicists. Rossi's work may have a significant number of followers, but  it's still extremely controversial and some critics accuse him of outright fraud.

Read More: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-10/28/cold-fusion?page=all

Invisibility Tiles Can Cloak Any Shape

Invisibility Tiles Can Cloak Any Shape - Technology Review: "Flat facets that can be easily joined to cover any shape could make invisibility cloaks more practical"

An Alien Code Close to Home: Seeking ET Beyond the Radio Silence

An Alien Code Close to Home: Seeking ET Beyond the Radio Silence: "Any intelligent extraterrestrial life that exists probably won't announce itself by blowing up the White House, or win over the hearts of children as a lovable alien with a glowing finger.



Many scientists simply hope to find evidence of them by scanning the skies for a radio signal from a distant star's alien civilization. But such efforts may also risk overlooking clues of past alien activity right here on Earth."

Japan: Fukushima disaster released twice as much radiation as initially estimated

Japan: Fukushima disaster released twice as much radiation as initially estimated - Telegraph: "Japan's nuclear disaster in Fukushima released twice as much radioactivity into the atmosphere as the authorities initially estimated, according to a new report."

Brain scanner 'reads' people's dreams - accurately enough to see what they are dreaming about

Most of us forget our dreams when we wake up - but scientists from German's Max Planck institute have demonstrated that it could be possible to 'read' and even record what people are dreaming about

Most of us remember only a tiny fraction of our dreams - but that could soon change.

Scientists predict that we could soon use computers to 'see' what we have dreamed about - and perhaps even record dreams to watch the next day.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2054594/Minds-eye-Experts-use-magnetic-scanner-videos-playing-inside-peoples-brains.html

Race To Mine The Moon Heats Up

Race To Mine The Moon Heats Up: "NASA has shifted its goals from returning to the moon to visiting an asteroid or even Mars, but not everyone has given up on going back. The space agency's attention deficit has sparked a race among private companies eager to return to Earth's satellite.

The latest competitor is Astrobotic Technology, a spinoff of the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. Its goal: to mine the moon for water and fuel. And a deal with NASA plus a contract for rides on private rockets means the company may be the first to go back."

Meet The Fuel of the Future: Bugs

Meet The Fuel of the Future: Bugs : Discovery News: "So to break the stranglehold of foreign oil, scientists and engineers are developing something called electro-fuels –- taking strange microorganisms that feed off harmful ammonia or hydrogen sulfides, running a charge of electricity through the solution, and watching as they convert carbon dioxide into the same kind of fuels we need to run our cars."

The Curse of the Silver Man

On Monday, March 13, 1978, Steven Spielberg’s seminal cinematic tour de force, “Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind” was unleashed on unsuspecting theatergoers across Great Britain, sparking a nationwide interest in the UFO phenomenon and making discussions of aliens and their hidden agendas a topic of conversation in nearly every kitchen, coffee shop, pub and schoolyard for the next six months.

While the massive influx of interest inspired by the aforementioned motion picture was surely a boon for both movie producers and publishers of pulp paperbacks, there was a man by the name of Ken Edwards, who — following a terrifying, and ultimately tragic, encounter with the unknown — would live to curse the extraordinary popularity of “Close Encounters” and the real-life extraterrestrials upon which it was based.

Read More: http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2011/10/the-curse-of-the-silver-man/

From 7 Billion People To 500 Million People – The Sick Population Control Agenda Of The Global Elite

From 7 Billion People To 500 Million People – The Sick Population Control Agenda Of The Global Elite: "The first of the “new 10 commandments” on the infamous Georgia Guidestones states the following….

“Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.”"

Huge Asteroid to Creep Near Earth on Nov. 8

Huge Asteroid to Creep Near Earth on Nov. 8 | Asteroids & Comets, Near-Earth Objects | Asteroid 2005 YU55, Potentially Dangerous Asteroids | Space.com: "Mark Nov. 8 on your calendar. A huge asteroid that could potentially threaten Earth in the far future will pass close by as astronomers around the world watch and measure."

Jules Verne´s UFOs

The Caravaca Files: Jules Verne´s UFOs: "The mysterious sightings of airships that newspapers in America and Europe reported upon began in November 1896, with the massive sighting of a huge cigar-shaped aircraft over the city of Sacramento (California), which was seen by many.

Days later, newspapers reported, from different states, other bizarre and impressive aircraft flying across the sky with impunity.

The chroniclers of the time described these flying machines as resembling enormous airships, with a cabin at the bottom and armed with powerful "reflectors" which alarmed witnesses.

Contemporary researchers such as Robert G. Neely Jr., Donald Hanlon and Jacques Vallee, have been able to find more than two thousand newspaper accounts, between the years 1896-1897, that referred to the appearance of such strange aircraft in the United States, baptizing those sightings, as the Air-Ship Wave."

British Man Phones Police After Mistaking Moon For UFO

Hertfordshire Police have released this audio of a local man who called 999 (the UK's version of 911) after seeing what he believed to be a UFO. Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/moon-ufo-phone-call-2011-10#ixzz1c1MhuKON

New Mayan Documentary Filmmaker Offers Photo as Proof of Aliens, Says Stephen Hawking Agrees

Earlier we had reported, Mexico and Guatemala government Officials told the world " Mayan new film documentary will provide the proof of alien contact "
Now, the filmmakers behind "Revelations of the Mayans 2012 and Beyond," who said that their film will reveal evidence of contact between the Mayans and extraterrestrials, have now released to media what they claim is photographic evidence of a pre-Mayan, alien civilization.
And they claim they’ve got Stephen Hawking on their side too.

Producer Raul Julia-Levy supplied a photo (left), which he says was taken in southern Guatemala in the 1930s, showing a head carved in the jungle.

The monument, according to an accompanying letter by archaeologist Hector E. Mejia, dates back to between 3500 and 5000 B.C. and is evidence of a superior civilization unlike any known to have lived on Earth.

Mejia described the photograph as being "of a bust which a first glance can be seen to have an elongated cranium and fine characteristics which are not consistent with pre-Hispanic races of America."

"I certify that this monument presents no characteristics of Maya, Nahuatl, Olmec or any other pre-Hispanic civilization," he wrote. "It was created by an extraordinary and superior civilization with awesome knowledge of which there is no record of existence on this planet."

Read More: http://www.ufo-blogger.com/2011/10/new-mayan-documentary-filmmaker-offers.html

The Real Men in Black: Government Agents or Visitors from Beyond?

The Real Men in Black: Government Agents or Visitors from Beyond? | New Dawn : The World's Most Unusual Magazine: "Who are the “Men in Black”? In the blockbuster Hollywood movie of the same name, they were fictional characters. In real life, they are fearsome individuals who attempt to silence the witnesses of UFO and other paranormal phenomena.



In his latest book, The Real Men in Black: Evidence, Famous Cases, and True Stories of These Mysterious Men and Their Connection to the UFO Phenomena, the popular, bestselling author Nick Redfern (pictured left) delves deep into the strange world of these mysterious operatives."

The Dark Side Of Halloween: The Kind Of Stuff That Real Life Nightmares Are Made Of

The Dark Side Of Halloween: The Kind Of Stuff That Real Life Nightmares Are Made Of: "On October 31st, tens of millions of Americans will celebrate Halloween by going trick-or-treating or by attending costume parties. For most people, Halloween is a fun evening of dressing up and eating too much candy, and it is a holiday that is becoming more popular than ever. According to a recent report from the National Retail Federation, seven out of every 10 Americans plan to celebrate Halloween this year. That is the highest level that the National Retail Federation has ever recorded. This year, it is being projected that Americans will spend $6.86 billion on Halloween. Every year Halloween just keeps getting bigger and bigger. But there is also a dark side to Halloween. It is not "politically correct" to talk about this, but the truth is that the way that many people choose to celebrate Halloween is the kind of stuff that real life nightmares are made of."

New World Order: Implantable RFID chips capable of remotely killing non-compliant 'slaves' are here

New World Order: Implantable RFID chips capable of remotely killing non-compliant 'slaves' are here: "(NaturalNews) Positioned as the solution to eliminating identify theft, lost wallets and purses, and a host of other information breaches, the all-inclusive implantable RFID tracking chip is gaining momentum for widespread implementation. Recent news reports indicate that an RFID tracking chip capable of killing humans (that presumably do not comply with rogue government demands) has already been invented."

Star Trek is Just Around the Corner

Star Trek is Just Around the Corner: "When Star Trek debuted in the 1960′s it exposed people all around the world to a bright future full of high tech gadgets. 45 Years, 6 different television series and 11 movies later, Star Trek has undoubtedly had a large impact on the world around us, inspiring scientist and inventors to develop the technology that shaped their childhood."

New 'Socialbot' threat steals private info from Facebook - are YOUR friends what they seem?

George, the virtual human or 'chatbot' - computer software designed to imitate people on chat networks. Could Facebook be vulnerable to attacks using 'virtual' friends?

Most of us have accepted one or two friend requests on Facebook thinking 'Do I know this person?'

But a demonstration of a new type of cyber attack shows that we could be putting our private details at risk every time we say 'Yes'.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada found a worrying way to evade Facebook's security measures entirely and harvest information from the site.

They created a team of 'fake' Facebook users who were able to harvest tens of thousands of email addresses and private information from unsuspecting users, without human input.

The 'fake' Facebook users, known as Socialbots, were software agents that can manipulate a Facebook account, pretending to be a human being.

They function almost like a social computer virus.

The 'Socialbots' created by the team began sending friend requests to random users.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2053825/Facebook-threat-Socialbot-steals-private-info.html

Artificial blood made from stem cells could be used in transfusions in just two years

Artificial blood made from stem cells could be used in transfusions in just two years | Mail Online: "Artificial blood created from stem cells could be tested on Britons within two years.

The scientists behind the research, which could provide industrial scale quantities of blood, believe it will transform transfusions by preventing hospital shortages, and save thousands of lives on battlefields and at the scene of car crashes.

Heart transplant, bypass and cancer patients would also benefit from having a guaranteed supply of blood on hand for their surgery."

iRobot becomes a reality as man gets smartphone built into his artificial arm

Glued to his phone: Trevor Prideaux is the proud owner of the world's first prosthetic arm with a smartphone dock

iRobot has become a reality after a British man became the world's first person to have a smartphone dock built into his prosthetic arm.

Trevor Prideaux, who was born without a left arm, can now call and text with ease using the Nokia C7 stuck in his fibreglass and laminate forearm.

His story sounds like it is straight out of the Will Smith sci-fi film, in which the actor plays a man with a high-tech mechanical limb.

Mr Prideaux, from Wedmore in Somerset, was fitted with his first prosthetic arm at three years old.

But the 50-year-old catering manager decided to enlist the help of medical experts and Nokia bosses to create an arm to suit his needs.

'I think this is the first time this has ever been done in the world - and it is brilliant,' said the father of one.

'I can now take calls and make texts just by using my one hand, while the phone sits inside my arm.

'The phone slots smoothly and securely within my limb and is easily removable, when required.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2053891/iRobot-reality-patient-gets-smartphone-built-artificial-arm.html

Huge 'waterworld' has boiling oceans hundreds of times as deep as Earth's

A planet where a year lasts just 18 hours is a waterworld with a radius around twice the size of Earth, a team of astronomers have discovered.

55 Cancri E is the innermost planet in orbit around a sun-like star known as 55 Cancri A that is around 40 light years from Earth.

Now a team from The University of Liege in Belgium have revealed further details about the planet after conducting a new study.

Out of this waterworld: Scientists have found that a planet known as 55 Cancri E is made up of around 20% water after finding its radius is twice the radius of Earth

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2053866/Planet-year-lasts-just-18-hours-waterworld-twice-size-Earth.html

Top Ten Horrors of Alien Planets

Top Ten Horrors of Alien Planets : Discovery News: "TOP TEN HORRORS OF ALIEN PLANETS"

Shark Attack Victim Gets 'Bionic' Leg

Shark Attack Victim Gets 'Bionic' Leg: "Thought-controlled bionic limbs are still a way off (though not far). In the meantime, a project at Vanderbilt University is building the next best thing: a “smart” prosthesis that gives amputees a more natural gait."

Mars Feels Sun's Wrath

Mars Feels Sun's Wrath : Discovery News: "The sun battered the Earth's magnetosphere with an "epic" geomagnetic storm over the last couple of days, generating beautiful auroral displays at low latitudes. Now it's Mars' turn.

Is Saturn's Enceladus Emerging as the Solar System's Habitable Hotspot?

Enceladus-flyby-browse Saturn's icy moon Enceladus is emerging as the most habitable spot beyond Earth in the Solar System for life as we know it, scientists said last week at a meeting of the Enceladus Focus Group at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California.
"It has liquid water, organic carbon, nitrogen [in the form of ammonia], and an energy source," says Chris McKay, an astrobiologist at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California. Besides Earth, he says, "there is no other environment in the Solar System where we can make all those claims."

Read More: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2011/10/is-saturns-enceladus-emerging-as-the-solar-systems-habitable-hotspot.html

Strange tales from the Royal Society

Strange tales from the Royal Society: "The world's oldest scientific academy, the Royal Society, has made its historical journal, which includes about 60,000 scientific papers, permanently free to access online."

Machine Man: a discomfiting novel about the antihuman side of transhumanism

Machine Man: a discomfiting novel about the antihuman side of transhumanism - Boing Boing: "Max Barry's Machine Man is a disarmingly funny and light-feeling novel about an antisocial engineer who decides to create his own prosthetic leg after he loses his own in an industrial accident. Charles Neumann is an antisocial, technology-dependent scientist at a top secret military contractor's skunkworks. Dissatisfied with the prosthesis he is fitted with after he accidentally crushes his leg in a materials-testing machine, he sets out to create a better leg -- a leg that's so good you'd chop your own off to get it (this is also the battle-cry of the real-world open-source prosthetics movement). Which is precisely what he does.



What unfolds is a superficially simple, absurdist tale about a misfit geek who pursues a relentless and seemingly logical program of amputation and replacement. Barry uses this narrative to smuggle in a sly and insightful critique of the anti-human edges of the transhumanist movement, the place where transcendence of nature meets mortification of the flesh."

Game Theory: The Dark Allure of Transhumanism

Maximum PC | Game Theory: The Dark Allure of Transhumanism: "Modification of the individual has been at the core of the gaming experience since the inception of the role-playing genre. It wasn’t until System Shock (1995), however, that designers started probing the deeper issues beneath these newfound powers. System Shock’s spiritual descendants—the BioShock and Deus Ex series—continue to explore this nexus point where issues of gameplay intersect with one of the developing moral and ethical issues of our time: what it means to be human."

The Real Story Behind Aliens, Ufos, Demons, Illuminati & Satanism

The Power Behind the New World Order

Replicators Have Arrived | The Once and Future Moon

Replicators Have Arrived | The Once and Future Moon: "Of all the wonders depicted in science fiction books and movies, one of the most intriguing is the machine that makes anything that you need or desire. Merely enter a detailed plan, or push the button for items programmed into the machine – dials twirl, the machine hums and out pops what you requested. Technology gives us Aladdin’s Lamp. A handy device that will find many uses."

UFOs flying over Stevenage, Hertfordshire, UK 7 October 2011 (Um…swamp gas? geese…? HA!)

What’s The Point of Darpa’s ‘Flying Humvee,’ Exactly?

Rotating ducted fans? Check. Four-wheel drive? Check. Wings that allow a truck to glide into the nighttime sky? Check. Military value? Um…

This is Lockheed Martin’s design for a bizarre mashup of plane, helicopter and Humvee called the Transformer. Dreamed up and funded by the Pentagon’s futurist researchers at Darpa, the Transformer is the answer to the long-standing dream of a flying car.

Read More: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/10/darpa-flying-humvee-designs/

Is she about to blow? Scientists investigate riddle of rapidly inflating volcano

A previously dormant South American volcano is inflating with astonishing speed, scientists have discovered.

Researchers from several U.S. universities say Uturuncu, which rises 6,000 meters in southwest Bolivia, is blowing up like a big balloon as its magma chamber grows around 10 times faster than normal.

'It's one of the fastest uplifting volcanic areas on Earth,' said Oregon State University professor, Shan de Silva.

Waking up: Uturuncu, which rises 6,000 meters in southwest Bolivia, is blowing up like a big balloon, according to scientists

'What we're trying to do is understand why there is this rapid inflation, and from there we'll try to understand what it's going to lead to,' said de Silva in an interview with MyAmazingPlanet.

Uturuncu is classed as a 'stratovolcano' - the most common type. But there is some concern that its rapid growth could indicate that a supervolcano is on its way.

A supervolcano erupts with such power that it can shoot out 1,000 times more material than a stratovolcano like Uturuncu or Mount St Helens in Washington. It can also have a devastating global effect.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2053265/Scientists-investigate-riddle-rapidly-inflating-volcano-Uturuncu.html

Freak solar activity creates incredible Northern Lights which are seen as far south as Alabama

It's one of the world's most famous and spectacular solar phenomena, but those hoping to experience the Northern Lights usually have to travel to remotest Norway to witness their beauty.

But freak solar activity yesterday saw the stunning auroral display stretch much further than usual, as it was spotted by stunned stargazers across half of northern America.

The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, are created by the Sun's atmosphere, which blasts particles into the protective magnetic field surrounding the Earth.

Spectacular: Photographer Brian Emfinger spotted the Northern Lights in Arkansas and managed to capture the rare solar activity on camera

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2053382/Northern-Lights-seen-far-south-Alabama-freak-solar-activity.html

The eyes have it: Hypnotic state DOES exist, say researchers

The eyes have it: Hypnotic state DOES exist, say researchers | Mail Online: "Debate has raged for years among psychologists about whether the hypnotic state really exists.

Doubters have argued that when a person is ‘hypnotised’, they are actually fully conscious, but are seeing certain mental imagery because the hypnotist has tricked their mind.

However, researchers from the Universities of Turku and Aalto in Finland and Sweden’s University of Skövde, have found evidence for the hypnotic state by studying a volunteer’s glazed staring eyes."

World's First Diamond-Dispensing ATM Launches In India

World's First Diamond-Dispensing ATM Launches In India: "Gold ATM vending machines have been popping up all over the world this year, so instead of following the trend, Mumbai became the first city in the world to launch a diamond-dispensing machine."

NASA Solves 2,000-Year Supernova Mystery

NASA Solves 2,000-Year Supernova Mystery : Discovery News: "In 185 A.D., Chinese astronomers noted a "guest star" that mysteriously appeared in the sky and stayed for about eight months. By the 1960s, scientists had determined that the mysterious object was the first documented supernova.



Later, they pinpointed the object, known as RCW 86, as a supernova remnant located about 8,000 light-years away but remained puzzled at how the star's spherical remains were larger than expected."

Mysterious Cipher Code Cracked

Finally! Mysterious Cipher Code Cracked : Discovery News: "The team has only translated the first 16 pages, but what the Copiale cipher revealed was a set of rules and initiation rites for a secret society. Such societies were more common in the 18th and 19th centuries, both as political and social organizations. (Yale’s Skull and Bones society was one of these)."

The Annihilation Was Not Just In the Seas

The Annihilation Was Not Just In the Seas : Discovery News: "Land-dwelling species were decimated during Earth’s most massive extinction event -- offering a cautionary tale."

From the X Files: "Giordano Bruno's Legacy" --Vatican New Views on Extraterrestrial Civilizations

The chief astronomer of the church that burned Giordano Bruno at the stake in 1600  says there is no conflict between believing in God and in the possibility of extraterrestrial civilizations perhaps more evolved than humans. "In my opinion this possibility exists," said the Reverend José Gabriel Funes, current director of the Vatican Observatory and a scientific adviser to Pope Benedict XVI, referring to life on other planets.

Read More: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2011/10/from-the-x-files-giordano-brunos-legacy-vatican-revises-views-on-extraterrestrial-civilizations.html

The Prepper Movement: Why Are Millions Of Preppers Preparing Feverishly For The End Of The World As We Know It?

The Prepper Movement: Why Are Millions Of Preppers Preparing Feverishly For The End Of The World As We Know It? "In America today, there are millions of “preppers” that are working feverishly to get prepared for what they fear is going to happen to America. There is a very good chance that some of your neighbors or co-workers may be preppers. You may even have noticed that some of your relatives and friends have been storing up food and have been trying to convince you that we are on the verge of “the end of the world as we know it”. A lot of preppers like to keep their preparations quiet, but everyone agrees that the prepper movement is growing. Some estimate that there are four million preppers in the United States today. Others claim that there are a lot more than that. In any event, there are certainly a lot of preppers out there. So exactly what are all these preppers so busy preparing for?"

Gigantic Loop of Black Holes and Neutron Stars

Arp 147 contains the remnant of a spiral galaxy (right) that collided with the elliptical galaxy on the left. This collision has produced an expanding wave of star formation that shows up as a blue ring containing in abundance of massive young stars. These stars race through their evolution in a few million years or less and explode as supernovas, leaving behind neutron stars and black holes.

Read More: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2011/10/exoanding-wave-of-star-formation-gigantic-loop-of-black-holes-and-neutron-stars.html

Get a sneak peek at the multiverse

Want to get a head start on a mind-bending TV miniseries about space, time and the multiverse? There's an app for that.

Eight years after PBS aired "The Elegant Universe," a series based on Columbia physicist Brian Greene's best-selling book about string theory, the public-TV network is gearing up for the sequel."The Fabric of the Cosmos," a four-parter from the "Nova" documentary team, focuses on the mysteries surrounding all the cosmic stuff that surrounds us.

The show premieres on Nov. 2, and it'll be streamed on PBS' video website — but if you have an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch and are of a mind to download the PBS app, you can watch the first hour right now.

Read More: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/24/8472901-get-a-sneak-peek-at-the-multiverse

Planes travelling five times speed of sound could carry passengers by end of century

Passenger planes of the future could be able to take people directly to their front door, a report suggests today.

Commercial jets could also be made that fly five times the speed of sound - meaning they could fly from London to New York in less than an hour.

Such aircraft could come into construction by the end of the century and would be part of efforts to place the UK at the forefront of future aerospace innovation, a report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers says.

The passenger drop-off idea would use what has been called 'a sort of Ark Royal for the skies'.

Scramjet planes like this one designed by NASA are among the speediest of aircraft

Looking towards 2075 and beyond, the report talked of advances that could be made in aircraft design.

It talks of passenger scramjet planes able to fly at around 4,000mph - five times the speed of sound - and commercial aircraft flying in a V-shaped formation that could to save power by making use of airflow generated by the plane in front, similar to the way migrating birds support one another in the air.

Scramjets - short for supersonic combustion ramjet - contain a 'air-breathing' jet engine, that allows them to combust fuel and decelerate the incoming air to produce speed and thrust.

The fastest current 'air-breathing aircraft' is a scramjet designed by NASA, which reached a velocity of Mach 9.8 - or 7,000mph.

So far, though, these hi-tech aircraft are unable to carry passengers. NASA's record-breaking X-43A aircraft looks more like a missile than a plane. Passenger jets would necessarily be a little hair-raising - and travel at a more 'moderate' speed of 4,000mph.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2053094/Planes-travelling-times-speed-sound-end-century.html

'Super skin' for robot limbs can feel - and survive the pressure of two elephants standing on it

The 'skin-like' sensor unveiled by Stanford University scientists can 'feel' pressure just like human skin - but is far, far tougher.

It could be used for advanced prosthetic limbs - or to create robots that can 'feel' a touch.

The 'super skin' sensor contains carbon nanotubes - tiny, hair-like filaments of carbon - that 'sense' pressure. The 'skin' can sense anything from a light pinch up to a huge, crushing pressure without sustaining damage

The 'super skin' can be stretched out to twice its length and snap back without any harm.

Inside are tiny 'springs' made of carbon nanotubes - minuscule hair-like filaments - that can 'sense' pressure from a slight pinch up to the equivalent of two elephants stepping on top of the sensor.

The highly conductive nanotubes can be stretched in any direction, but still send electrical information - which could be fed back to a robot brain or to a patient.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2053151/Super-skin-robot-limbs-feel--survive-pressure-elephants-standing-it.html

EPIC GEOMAGNETIC STORM ERUPTS

Right this moment, there's an epic magnetic battle raging above our heads.

On Monday, at around 2 p.m. ET, a coronal mass ejection (CME) slammed into the Earth's magnetosphere. According to NASA's Space Weather Laboratory, the conditions were just right for the CME's magnetic field to compress the Earth's magnetosphere so much that, for a short time (between 3:06 p.m and 3:11 p.m. ET), energetic solar wind particles penetrated as deep as geosynchronous orbit -- home to hundreds of communication satellites.

Read More: http://news.discovery.com/space/epic-geomagnetic-storm-erupts-111025.html

The Eerie Beauty of "The Black Widow" Pulsar

The pulsar, a.k.a. the "Black Widow," is moving through the galaxy at a speed of almost a million kilometers per hour. A bow shock wave due to this motion is visible to optical telescopes, shown in this image as the greenish crescent shape. The pressure behind the bow shock creates a second shock wave that sweeps the cloud of high-energy particles back from the pulsar to form the cocoon.
This composite X-ray (red/white) and optical (green/blue) image reveals an elongated cloud, or cocoon, of high-energy particles flowing behind the rapidly rotating pulsar, B1957+20 (white point-like source).

Read More: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2011/10/image-of-the-day-the-violent-beauty-of-the-black-widow-pulsar.html

Ghosts or Monsters?

People often ask me: why aren’t we ever able to secure hard, physical evidence of the presence and existence of such beasts as Bigfoot, lake-monsters, the Yeti etc? Well, it’s a very good question! Some might argue that given such creatures may be so few in number, this explains their overwhelming elusiveness. Fair enough. But what about those reports where people have seen Bigfoot vanish in a flash of light, or a werewolf-style beast do likewise? Like it or not, such cases most assuredly do exist. So, this suggests another possibility: maybe some of these “things” are not flesh-and-blood animals, after all. Perhaps, incredibly, they are the ghosts of long-dead creatures from equally long-gone eras.

Read More: http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2011/10/ghosts-or-monsters/

The State Is the 1 Percent

The State Is the 1 Percent - Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. - Mises Daily: "But there is another 1 percent out there, those who do live parasitically off the population and exploit the 99 percent. Moreover, there is a long intellectual tradition, dating back to the late Middle Ages, that draws attention to the strange reality that a tiny minority lives off the productive labor of the overwhelming majority.

I'm speaking of the state, which even today is made up of a tiny sliver of the population but is the direct cause of all the impoverishing wars, inflation, taxes, regimentation, and social conflict. This 1 percent is the direct cause of the violence, the censorship, the unemployment, and vast amounts of poverty, too."

CAESAR Cometh -- Obama says he’ll be taking ‘executive actions’ without Congress on ‘regular basis’ to ‘heal the economy’

Executive Actions | Barack Obama | Dysfunctional Congress | The Daily Caller: "President Barack Obama told an audience in Nevada on Monday that he will be regularly announcing “executive actions” his administration will take to “heal the economy” without the “dysfunctional” Congress."

Local UFO sighting prompts questions

Local UFO sighting prompts questions - WMBFNews.com: "MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – Myrtle Beach business owner Gary Travis doesn't know what he saw off shore one night. But as an experienced pilot, he knew he wasn't looking at an airplane. "I'd never seen anything like it," says Travis, "Not in my experience.""

Thousands of dead birds wash up on Ontario shores, botulism blamed

Thousands of dead birds wash up on Ontario shores, botulism blamed - The Globe and Mail: "As many as 6,000 dead birds have washed up on the shores of Georgian Bay in Ontario, say authorities, who believe botulism may be to blame. Ontario Provincial Police Constable Peter Leon said Saturday the number of dead waterfowl is estimated to be between 5,000 and 6,000."

GM pigs could provide human organs 'by 2013'

GM pigs could provide human organs 'by 2013' - Telegraph: "A persistent shortage of human organs has led experts to investigate methods of using pigs created with human genes, so that body parts grown in them can be harvested for use in patients without their immune systems rejecting them."

From the 'X-Files' Dept: Could ET Artifacts Be Camouflaged as Natural Objects?

According to the British physicist Stephen Wolfram, intelligent life is inevitable. But there is a hitch. Although intelligent life is inevitable, we will never find it -at least not by looking out in the Milky Way. As evidence Wolfram points out In order to compress more and more information into our communication signals - be they mobile phone conversations or computer- we remove all redundancy or pattern. If anything in a signal repeats, then clearly it can be excised. But this process of removing any pattern from a signal make it look more and more random - in fact, pretty much like the random radio "noise" that rains down on Earth coming from stars and interstellar gas clouds.

Wolfram says that if someone beamed our own 21st-century communication signals at us from space we would be hard pressed determining whether they were artificial or natural. So what chance do we have of distinguishing an ET communication from the general background radio static of the cosmos?

Read More: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2011/10/from-the-x-files-dept-could-et-artifacts-be-camouflaged-as-natural-objects.html

The Gates Foundation Uses Genetic Modification For Good...?

The Gates Foundation Uses Genetic Modification For Good | Fast Company: "The Gates Foundation is bringing stronger, hardier versions of staple crops to the developing world. Do the good motives outweigh the issues with GM food?"

Huge 'disc' of ice in space gives clue to origin of our oceans - and hints there may be other Earths

The Herschel Space Observatory has captured for the first time a huge 'disc' of icy vapour clustered round a young star as it develops into a solar system.

The water round the star stretches far out into the 'edge' of its system. The water is likely to form into icy comets, which would crash into young worlds, bringing oceans with them.

The find suggests that water-covered planets such as Earth may be common.

This artists impression shows a disc of cold water vapour stretching across the young solar system from the interior where the sun warms it to an outer region where icy comets form

‘Our observations of this cold vapor indicate enough water exists in the disk to fill thousands of Earth oceans,’ said astronomer Michiel Hogerheijde of Leiden Observatory in The Netherlands. Hogerheijde is the lead author of a paper in the journal Science.

Previous watery discs round stars were smaller and closer in - and don't stretch out to the regions where comets form.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2051929/Huge-disc-cold-water-space-gives-clue-origin-oceans--hints-Earths.html

Last Nuclear ‘Monster Weapon’ Gets Dismantled

Last Nuclear ‘Monster Weapon’ Gets Dismantled | Danger Room | Wired.com: "First brought into the U.S. nuclear stockpile in 1962, the B-53 was so big because it was so dumb. With poor precision mechanisms for finding a target — “Its accuracy was horrendous,” Kristensen says — what it lacked in smarts it made up in strength. The nukes that vaporized Hiroshima were a mere 12 kilotons; the B53 provided nine megatons — 9,000 kilotons — of destructive power."

Science fiction-style sabotage a fear in new hacks

Science fiction-style sabotage a fear in new hacks: "When a computer attack hobbled Iran's unfinished nuclear power plant last year, it was assumed to be a military-grade strike, the handiwork of elite hacking professionals with nation-state backing.

Yet for all its science-fiction sophistication, key elements have now been replicated in laboratory settings by security experts with little time, money or specialized skill.

It is an alarming development that shows how technical advances are eroding the barrier that has long prevented computer assaults from leaping from the digital to the physical world."

How the Komodo Dragon can kill a buffalo... with a bite less powerful than a pussycat

The Komodo Dragon has a fearsome reputation for being an adept killing machine, able to take down animals as large as buffalo with little trouble.

But, according to a new study, the world's largest lizard has a bite less powerful than an average house cat.

So how on earth does it manage it?

The Komodo Dragon may have a weak bite but deploys poison, brute strength, razor-sharp teeth and a 'can-opener' bite technique when attacking prey

At more than nine feet long and weighing up to 100kg the Dragon relies on its hulk and brute strength when out hunting.

It also injects a dose of poison into its victims before ripping them to pieces with razor-sharp teeth and a 'can-opener' bite technique.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2052758/How-Komodo-Dragon-kill-buffalo--bite-powerful-pussycat.html

Quantum Levitation

Tel-Aviv University demos quantum superconductors locked in a magnetic field (www.quantumlevitation.com). For an explanation of the physics behind this demonstration, visit:

http://www.quantumlevitation.com/levitation/The_physics.html

Hundreds Feared Dead in Turkey Quake

Hundreds Feared Dead in Turkey Quake : Discovery News: "A magnitude 7.2 earthquake has struck in the eastern part of the country near Iran."

Afghanistan to back Pakistan if wars with U.S.: Karzai

Afghanistan to back Pakistan if wars with U.S.: Karzai - World news - South and Central Asia - Afghanistan - msnbc.com: "ISLAMABAD — Afghanistan would support Pakistan in case of military conflict between Pakistan and the United States, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in an interview to a private Pakistani TV channel broadcast on Saturday."

Saria Law On the Way: Libya’s new leaders declare country liberated, but under pressure to investigate Gadhafi death

Libya’s new leaders declare country liberated, but under pressure to investigate Gadhafi death - The Washington Post: "Abdul-Jalil laid out a vision for a new Libya with an Islamist tint, saying Islamic Sharia law would be the “basic source” of legislation, and that existing laws that contradict the teachings of Islam would be nullified."

EU bank failures will crash Wall Street — again: MarketWatch

EU bank failures will crash Wall Street — again - Paul B. Farrell - MarketWatch: "SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (MarketWatch) — Worst-case scenario’s closing fast: Occupy Wall Street growing. But no political power or allies yet. Feared yes, attacked by GOP proxy tea party. Soon the Occupation will explode into a new American Revolution."

UFO fleet over Machu Picchu

Aliens And How They Control Earth

Aliens And How They Control Earth: " If you sit back and analyze how things are run, one thing is evident: That power on earth is in the hands of a nefarious few and they are not human. "

The real-life Blob: Is mysterious translucent jelly found in Cumbrian Fells from outer space?

The Lake District fells have been invaded by 'The Blob', a translucent jelly which is said in folklore to be from outer space.

Within the past week the mysterious translucent jelly has materialised in and around the fells of Patterdale, Cumbria.

While some put the mysterious goo down to meteor showers, others say the strange substance appears during rutting season.

Invasion of 'The Blob': A mysterious white substance, known as star jelly, has appeared around the fells of Patterdale, Cumbria

A similar incident inspired the film 'The Blob' when in 1950 four policemen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, came across a huge disk of quivering jelly which measured six feet in diameter.

But unlike the hit 1958 horror film starring Steve McQueen these blobs don't terrorise the community and there have been no reports of any other supernatural behaviour.

The substance is known as 'Star Jelly' and some say is left over from meteor showers but its sporadic appearance around the world has continually dumb-founded scientists.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2052189/The-real-life-Blob-Is-mysterious-translucent-jelly-Cambrian-fells-outer-space.html

Futurist Claims: 'I'll Help You Live Forever'

Futurist Claims: 'I'll Help You Live Forever': "Want to live forever? How about just an extra thousand years or so? Ian Pearson, a British futurist, says death will be a thing of the past within a few short decades. Pearson is one of many futurists, cybernetic experts, and artificial intelligence researchers whose thoughts are converging on the same basic idea: Why not upload everything that's in the brain—everything that makes a person who they are—into a computer and then download it again into a new body? Doing such a thing would make the individual theoretically immortal."

Giant 'Sea Serpent' Caught on Camera