“This might be the strongest explosive ever discovered… An accidental explosion in a German physics lab has led to the identification of a superpowerful explosive. The substance – an exotic form of silicon – releases seven times as much energy as TNT, and explodes a million times faster.” New Scientist

“Teachers are more likely to die from an autoimune disease than other professionals, according to US research.” High exposure to large numbers of school children’s viral infections could be the explanation. New Scientist

Taking pictures with your PDA. PDAs and digital cameras were ‘made to be merged.’ The Nando Times

Storm experts make cloud vanish: “Storm experts in the US have made a cloud vanish from the sky for the first time.

They achieved the feat by sprinkling a water-absorbing powder over the cloud, making it disappear from sight and weather station radar screens. They hope the powder will one day dry up deadly hurricanes and tropical storms.” New Scientist

Survivors mark anniversary of Hiroshima bombing: ‘Sunday was just another day for most of the world. But for Fumiko Amano, the 56th anniversary of the day an atomic bomb destroyed her home in Hiroshima rekindled memories of “a kind of hell.” ‘

“The Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) are very concerned that the world is going to forget Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” Nando Times

Low Cholesterol Linked To High Death Rate In Elderly ?Our data accord with previous findings of increased mortality in elderly people with low serum cholesterol, and show, for the first time,that long-term persistence of low cholesterol concentration actually increases risk of death.

“These data cast doubt on the scientific justification for lowering cholesterol to very low concentrations (less than 4.65 mmol/L) in elderly people.? UniSci

Film is a veiled look at Scientology

It’s a movie about cults based on fictional characters, says the director. But it’s hard to miss the inspiration behind The Profit.

The main character is a science-fiction writer who founds a religion. Get it?

The leader starts the Church of Scientific Spiritualism. His name: L. Conrad Powers.

The full-length feature film was written and directed by Peter Alexander, a 20-year Scientologist who broke from the church in 1997 and now calls it an elaborate fraud. It was funded in part by Bob Minton, the Church of Scientology’s most vocal critic.

And in three weeks, it will be shown to the public for the first time at an independent theater in none other than Clearwater, the mecca for Scientologists who come there from around the world for church counseling. St. Petersburg Times

It’s OK to get angry. “Prank callers call someone up to bother them. But these people are calling me because they don’t know to dial a ‘1’ before they call outside of their own area code. These people are harassing me with their stupidity.” Profile of New York comedian Matt Besser, who “has built his show aound the idea of irrational anger in our society.” Several years ago, he began getting middle-of-the-night phone calls from people seeking customer support for software they’d been given for free Internet connections. He figured out they were all Manhattanites who had failed to dial a ‘1’ before the area code for the tech support line in Houston and refused to believe him when he told them they had gotten a wrong number. The Internet company refused to insert the ‘1’ in their printed material. “So Besser did what any self-respecting comedian would do: He began fucking with people” … and recording the results. Salon