2 boys, woman, allegedly sacrificed

Two 10-year-old boys and a woman whose bodies were found in northern Mexico were sacrificed to Santa Muerte, the saint of death, investigators say.Figurine of Santa Muerte. (MCT image)The Sonora State Investigative Police announced Friday that eight people have been charged with the killings, CNN reported. Most of the suspects are members of a single family and one is only 15.The bodies were disco

April 1, 2012

New ‘cloaking device’ allows heat evasion

  French researchers have developed a technology to “cloak” objects from heat, BBC reported Tuesday.The idea of this “thermal cloak” is to re-direct heat so certain areas will be protected from heat, according to the study published on online optic journal Optic Express. The cloak will have 20 rings of material with the diffusivity to transmit or dissipate heat.The heat that entered the multi-layered structure of the cloak is diffused around the outer part, preventing the inner part from rising

March 28, 2012

20,000 await Dooms Day in French village

An estimated 20,000 cult believers made their way to the French village of Bugarach to await aliens they say will come from inside a mountain to rescue them when apocalypse strikes. (MCT image) The ‘pilgrims’ o

March 28, 2012

U.S. Gov't: Nuclear bomb in DC wouldn't destroy city

(MCT image)Hollywood has destroyed Washington -- or New York or Los Angeles -- lots of times with nuclear bombs detonated by terrorists. It turns out to be harder in real life than in the movies.Thinking about the unthinkable, a U.S. government study analyzed the likely effects from terrorists setti

March 27, 2012

Tiny puppy in California could be world's smallest

A female Dachshund mix "Beyonce" on top of an iPhone. (AP-Yonhap News)A puppy named after one of the world's biggest pop stars could set the world's record for tiniest dog.Animal rescuers in Northern California say the female Dachshund mix, named Beyonce, was so small at birth that she could fit int

March 27, 2012

Around the world on a taxi cab

A trio of Britons traveling the world in a black taxi cab said in New York they have driven more than 51,499 kilometers.Image from itsonthemeter.comPaul Archer, Leigh Purnell, and Johno Ellison left London in the cab in February 2011 and are currently passing through New York, the Sun reported Monda

March 27, 2012

Strauss-Kahn charged in prostitution vice ring

Disgraced former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was charged on Monday with involvement in an organised vice ring that procured prostitutes for top-class clients, lawyers said.Former International Monetary Fund head Dominique Strauss-Kahn (AP-Yonhap News)Prosecutors said the 62-year-old former Soci

March 27, 2012

Brain size determine popularity: study

A group of British scientists have discovered that a certain part of the brain is larger in people that have many friends, Science Daily reported Saturday.The size of the brain’s orbital prefrontal cortex -- placed just above the eyes -- is linked to people’s ability to understand what others are thinking, or to “mentalize,” according to a joint study by the Universities of Oxford, Liverpool University, Manchester University and Edinburgh University. It is thought that the ability to mentalize i

March 26, 2012

Tiger Woods a winner on tour again after 30 months

Two weeks after another injury scare, and two days before his former coach's book goes on sale, Tiger Woods looked dominant as ever in that red shirt on Sunday to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational.Tiger Woods holds up the championship trophy after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournam

March 26, 2012

Study shows potential for mind manipulation

A group of U.S. scientists have succeeded in artificially manipulating memories in mice brains, offering possibility for weakening harmful thoughts in mental patients, Science Daily reported Thursday.It has been known that stimulating certain parts of the brain can induce behaviors or memories, but the mechanism behind those memory functions has remained a mystery.Now a new study by the Scripps Research Institute suggests a clue to understanding the complexity of the human mind.Researchers genet

March 23, 2012

Teenager has the body of a 100-year-old

Reaching her 14th birthday is special for any child, but it was even more so for Hayley Okenes: It meant that she defied her own death sentence.Hayley suffers from a rare genetic condition called progeria, which makes her body age eight times faster than the average person. It means that this wide-eyed teenager has the body of a 100-year-old, making her vulnerable to age-related diseases like arthritis, and heart problems. The rare disease affects 1 in 8 million children.Doctors put her life exp

March 23, 2012

Scientists reveal secret of obesity

A group of U.S. scientists have discovered how a mutation in a particular gene can lead to uncontrolled eating, which can lead to obesity, Science Daily reported Sunday.Previous studies have revealed that the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene is linked to obesity, but no one could explain how it controls the impulse to eat.Georgetown university researchers discovered in a new study that a mutation in the BDNF gene in mice does not allow brain neurons to communicate to each other. It

March 20, 2012

Jilted fruit flies slurp alcohol to forget: study

Frustrated male fruit flies, whose sexual advances are rejected by females, turn to alcohol to drown their sorrows, a study published Thursday revealed.(MCT image)Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco discovered that rejected male flies have a tiny neuropeptide F molecule in thei

March 16, 2012