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HD Trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Inception

A contemporary science fiction tale set within the architecture of the human mind.

Sex study ruined by porn-loving men

Scientists had to give up on a study of pornography – because they couldn’t find any men who had not watched hardcore movies before.

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Doctors to operate on ‘Tortoise Woman’

A Chinese woman is to have surgery to remove a 25kg tumour from her back after doctors agreed to operate for free. Sun Fengqin, 47, from Inner Mongolia – dubbed ‘Tortoise Woman’ – could not afford to pay for the operation.

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Chimps Master First Step in Controlling Fire

Chimps remain cool under fire, possessing a near human ability to predict how wildfires spread and react accordingly.

This newfound capability of chimpanzees to understand flames might shed light on when and how our distant ancestors first learned to control fire, scientists now suggest.

Read more at LiveScience

Music Linked to Marijuana Use

Teens who listen to music that mentions marijuana are significantly more likely to use the drug, a new study finds.

The research was based on surveys with 959 ninth-graders.

“Students who listen to music with the most references to marijuana are almost twice as likely to have used the drug than their peers whose musical tastes favor songs less focused on substance use,” said University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researcher Dr. Brian Primack, who led the study.

Read more at Live Science

Is Platelet-Rich Plasma an Effective Healing Therapy?

Torn tendons, muscles and ligaments plague athletes in many types of sports. In attempts to help heal the wounded tissue, some athletes, both amateur and professional, have turned to platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.

Read more at Scientific American

How Santa Does It: Clones, Wormholes and Memory-Elimination Devices

Perhaps you—like me—are disappointed by the amateur calculations done every December that purport to show how Santa couldn’t possibly deliver presents to all the good boys and girls in the world.

Read more at Scientific American

Giant Carp, 100 pounds, Could Devastate Great Lakes

Michigan has taken its fight against invasive Asian carp to the U.S. Supreme Court, suing Illinois to force the closure of Chicago-area waterways that provide the fish a pathway to the Great Lakes.

The 100-pound fish have voracious appetites and rapid reproduction rates that could ravage native lake species.

Read more at Scientific American

Niteshift: December 22, 2009

Mike and Joe review Lovely BonesA Single Man and Avatar. Also featuring:  Soul Calls, Love Cups and Poppy Fields.

Dinosaur Packed Venom in Fangs

Using snake-like fangs, saber-toothed dinosaur relatives of velociraptors likely subdued their prey with venom, scientists now suggest.

Paleontologists analyzed the skulls of Sinornithosaurus, whose name means “Chinese bird lizard.”

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