Today's Cool News

Weird Science ponders the inevitable stupidity of public transit - Ars Technica

Weird Science rounds up the week's odd science news, including a bird-dropped baguette that interfered with the Large Hadron Collider, man-eating lions, and the daily irritations of public transit modeled mathematically.

via arstechnica.com

Ambush of the Common Sort

Got a ping today about an attack on the road between Jalalabad and Kabul.  It's a dangerous road and I don't like to drive it.  The source has always been reliable, so I pinged Tim Lynch (who often is on that road), and Tim just sent these pics and a quick narrative.  (Unedited, and my post also coming via Blackberry.)  Tim writes:

via www.michaelyon-online.com

Hitler house sale alarms locals

The sale of Adolf Hitler's family home in the Austrian town of Braunau am Inn has triggered concern that it could become a shrine for Nazi sympathisers.

The unassuming house where Hitler was born in 1889 has been put on the market priced at 2.2m euros (£1.9m; $3.3m).

Residents and local politicians fear that the property could fall into the hands of far-right extremists.

Braunau's mayor Gerhard Skiba wants to prevent that happening, but the council does not have the funds to buy it.

The building is currently used by an organisation helping the disabled and has at various times in its history housed a library, bank and technical institute.

Some historians have suggested turning the building into a museum.

However Mr Skiba vigorously opposes the idea, saying it would encourage people from all over the world to visit the site.

For the time being, the only reminder of the building's infamous past is a small memorial dedicated to the victims of the Nazis.

via news.bbc.co.uk

BBC NEWS | Technology | China plans for humanoid Olympics

China is planning to hold a robot Olympics in 2010.

The international event will be held in the city of Harbin and will see robots take part in 16 different events.

Robots will be able to compete in familiar Olympic sports such as athletics as well as those more suited to machines such as cleaning.

Entry to the competition will be restricted to robots resembling humans. They must possess two arms and legs. Wheels are banned.

via news.bbc.co.uk

BBC NEWS | Americas | Brazil man appears at own funeral

A 59-year-old Brazilian man has surprised his family by turning up at his own funeral, local media report.

Relatives of Ademir Jorge Goncalves, a bricklayer, had identified him as the victim of a car crash in southern Parana state the previous day.

Police told O Globo newspaper that relatives had trouble identifying the corpse because it was badly disfigured.

It emerged that Mr Goncalves had spent the night drinking a rum-like liquor called "pinga" with his friends.

He did not get word of his funeral until it was already happening on Monday morning, his niece Rosa Sampaio said.

She said some family members - including herself and the man's mother - had doubts, but an aunt and four friends had positively identified the body.

"What were we to do? We went ahead with the funeral," she told O Globo.

A police spokesman welcomed the happy ending: "Before long, the walking dead appeared at the funeral. It was a relief," the unnamed officer told the paper.

The body was correctly identified later, he said, and buried in another state.

via news.bbc.co.uk

Baby Neutron Star Found Inside Supernova Remnant | Wired Science | Wired.com

Scientists have finally identified the mysterious source of X-ray emissions at the center of our galaxy’s youngest supernova: Inside the remains of Cassiopeia A sits a baby neutron star surrounded by a thin layer of carbon dioxide.

via www.wired.com

Illegal downloaders 'spend the most on music', says poll - Crime, UK - The Independent

People who illegally download music from the internet also spend more money on music than anyone else, according to a new study. The survey, published today, found that those who admit illegally downloading music spent an average of £77 a year on music – £33 more than those who claim that they never download music dishonestly.

via www.independent.co.uk