In five to ten years medical researchers believe that a $650 test which measures the length of your telomeres will be available to the public.  What are telomeres?  They are “structures” located at the tips of your chromosomes and by measuring the length of them you can figure out how long you have left to live!

Via: The Independent

When your telomeres get contrasted to the normal length of a telomere found in the human body, scientists are able to deduce whether you are more susceptible to desises, such as heart disease and pulmonary fibrosis, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer; as well as if your just inherently going to die early.

While this crystal ball process is still in the works, it brings up ethical and personal issues.  Should man ever really know how long he has to live?  Would you change your financial and sexual habits? Would you actually stop smoking? My personal fear: what if my life insurance company gets a hold of the results…

Via: independent.co.uk

No safe level. Photo: Jon Åslund/Flickr CC

Once again, it appears we need a “conspiracist” — in this case, the indefatigable Alan Watt — to remind us that the National Academy of Sciences long ago stated the obvious: That there is no safe level for radiation exposure.

Listen to the archive of Alan’s April 8 radio program (you’ll find it via the link, below), and re-remember your basic biophysics.

Alan always writes a wee poem to accompany his archive posts. Here’s a portion:

Power-Elite and Scientific Combination, Guaranteeing Life’s Ruination:

There’s Radiation Swirling Around Each Head

It Will Add Many to the Great Book of the Dead

Over Many Years Propagandists Will Shout, Blustering, Denying the Effects of Fallout

Whilst Elitists, Comfortable in City-Size Bunker

And the Common Fearful in Cellars Hunker…

via Cutting Through the Matrix with Alan Watt – Clearing the rubbish from the road to reality.

Wesley points out the change of law enforcement training sponsors.
Before they were supported by the “local community” but now Big Brother ( represented here by the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Transportation Security Agency) dominates the training sessions and is concerned with profiling potential terrorists.

According to Wesley this list contains traits and characteristics that Big Brother believes make you a potential terrorist:

1. Holding Second Amendment-oriented views. (NRA or gun club membership, holding a CCW permit)
2. Reading survivalist literature. (fictional books such as “Patriots” and “One Second After” are mentioned by name)
3. Being self-sufficient (stockpiling food, ammo, hand tools, medical supplies)
4. Fearing economic collapse (buying gold and barter items)
5. Holding religious views concerning the book of Revelation (apocalypse, anti-Christ)
6. Expressing fears of Big Brother or big government (Oops)
7. Being homeschooled
8. Declaring Constitutional rights and civil liberties
9. Believing in a New World Order conspiracy

Wesley observes how easy it can be to target someone as a potential terrorist. Here he remembers a lecture that uses a plumber as an example:

The officers were told how to use his employment as a plumber as further evidence of terrorism.  The suspect’s employment would be described as an elaborate scheme to justify possessing pipes and chemicals so as to have bomb making materials readily available

To drive the point home Wesley puts it in laymen’s turns:

It is easy to frame anyone for possessing bomb making materials (or other crimes) if the officer knows what items to list in the report and how to link these items to terrorism.

Wesley goes on to provide multiple ways to calm polices’ phobia of anything without a badge. But after reading this article, meant to enlighten us on how to avoid an ignorant fascist militant dictatorship, my fear of Big Brother’s constant oppressive presence has only been reinforced.

Via: Survival Blog

Flickr: MShades

Just when you thought that mankind couldn’t abuse the Bos taurus in any other way, apparently Chinese scientists got bored and decided to insert 300 human genes into a cow to make it produce what they call ’human milk’.

What was surely a drunken bet between two scientists has developed into a highly controversial issue.

 The Royal Society for the Protection of Animals as well as Helen Wallace, the director of GeneWatch, join natural breast milk stock holders in thier concern about the genetic alteration of cows.

The leader into the frontier of ‘human-like-milk’, Professor Li, claims

Human milk contains the ‘just right’ proportions of protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins for an infant’s optimal growth and development.

And not only is it good for your children, but Li’s got plans:

We aim to commercialize some research in this area in coming three years. For the “human-like milk”, 10 years or maybe more time will be required to finally pour this enhanced milk into the consumer’s cup.

Photo: uned.es

Got that? In tens years mothers’ breasts across the world will be liberated from their children! The scientific drive to eradicate any maternal connection among man perseveres!

Scott, “The Human Do.ing,” will live at Mall of America from March 18 – April 16 to model daily physical activity and healthy eating and show how community support is a key factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. He will encourage others to join him in getting fit and eating right, thereby involving all of Minnesota in his quest and inspiring others to start their own healthy lifestyle journeys.

via PR Newswire.

CC: NASA

“At such temperatures we expect the brown dwarf to have properties that are different from previously known brown dwarfs and much closer to those of giant exoplanets — it could even have water clouds in its atmosphere,”

said Michael Liu of the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy. 

 CFBDSIR J1458+1013B is the coldest (100C) and furthest (75 million light years ) brown dwarf to date.

Essentially brown dwarfs are unable to create a nuclear reaction, setting them apart from being stars.

And though CFBDSIR J1458+1013B is 75 million light years away, the idea of water clouds and bearable surface temperatures existing elsewhere only motivates telescopic gazing scientists to continue their search into parts unknown.

For More: MSNBC

Docs in Argentina have found that the electromagnetic radiation from cell phones reduce bone density in the parts of the body on which they are carried.

And given the ubiquity of the devices, that “could have a substantial effect on the osteoporosis rate in the population,” according to the authors of the report.

From a recent announcement:

Although small, the new study raises the possibility that long-term exposure to electromagnetic radiation from cell phones could adversely affect bone mineralization. Larger follow-up studies will be needed to confirm or disprove this hypothesis, according to Dr Sravi. He suggests that studies may be warranted in women, who have higher rates of osteoporosis; and children, who would have longer expected lifetime exposure to cell phones.

via Newswire.

CC: capn madd matt; Flickr

Murch notes how Ouija boards, and their knock-offs, have captured the imagination of Americans for over 100 years. Begining with the late 1890s’ Egyptian style, Ouija boards have changed their symbols and appearances in accordance to the time periods’ interests: in the 1940′s they were filled with Swamis, the 1960′s introduced horoscope designs, and as Binnall joked, the modern versions are covered with Barbies.

During the interview, Binnall inquired as to how Murch, currently the owner of over 300 Ouija boards, became infatuated with them in the first place.

Murch claimed the birth of his obsession occurred during his college years. Murch’s friends were all getting bids and rushing, but Burch did not join a frat in fear of not graduating. Yet he did help out his friends for certain pledging tasks, such as a scavenger hunt, on which, of course, was an Ouija board. By the time he had graduated he had 10 different versions of Ouija boards and so began the collection.

Murch also explains how these boards have continued to sell, generation after generation:

In Victorian times a man and a women were not to be left alone, well all of a sudden you have this game that allows you to be in candle light,  you’re sitting together, your knees are touching, you hands are touching—I mean this is the total date game!

CC: encyclopediaoftheexquisite.com

This Norman Rockwell painting is the perfect critique on the subtle sexuality of the game, specifically the man staring at the girl’s chest, as Murch points out.

The game now, Murch observes, has taken on a superstitious role, in that people consider it an avenue to demonic possession. People who research paranormal activity use technology, such as K2 meters, in order to “stay safe” from any negative encounters.  Murch’s response to this:

So a spirit can make your K2 meter blink…but it can’t reach out and smack you—like who made that rule?

Murch continues to defend Ouija boards and the authentic genuine thrill they give users, as opposed to using technology:

[Technology] makes you feel like you’re not part of it, you’re kinda an audience to it. When you use the Ouija board you feel it move, and there isn’t a creepier, more bizarre feeling.

Considering Murch’s involvement with major names in the paranormal business, Paranormal State for example, Ouija boards don’t seem to be going away any time soon.

What separates Murch from other Ouija board enthusiast is his role in the Fuld family. William Fuld, the original major producer of Ouija boards, worked by himself, until he brought in his brother: Isaac Fuld. The two ended up in court fighting for Ouija boards’ production rights; Isaac eventually lost and was sentenced to making knock-offs that he named Oriole boards, being that he was based in Baltimore.

The argument between brothers had been passed down for years until Murch, by chance, came into contact with both sides of the torn family. He ended up sharing the contact information of one side to the other which lead to a peaceful resolution of the almost 100 year old argument, as well as Burch being invited to the first Fuld family reunion in 96 years.

The interview between Murch and Binnall continues, including how Ouija boards got their name, how Murch was led by a spirit to the spirit’s family and the tombstone that became of it, as well as callers giving their 2 cents.  And all of it, along with other interesting and wild interviews, can be found at http://binnallofamerica.com/

Within the southern swamps of Spain lurked two 2,800 years old figurines, displayed here by Freund.

CC: Hartford.edu

These two figurines, believed to represent Atlantean warriors, are arguably the most viable proof of the lost city’s existence; allowing Freund to claim

 ”I found the makings of one the largest and most ancient cities.”

 National Geographic already has a documentary following Freund and his findings entitled “Finding Atlantis”, which aired last Sunday.

While it may just be another flight back home from space for the Discovery spacecraft, 39 visits to space total, it’s the first for R2. R2 is a state of the art humanoid robot designed to help the ISS crew and was a subject of conversation during an interview between the crew and President Obama.

When they admitted that R2 remained in packing foam Obama joked:

“C’mon, unpack the guy! He flew all that way and you guys aren’t unpacking him?”

CC: NASA.gov

A sentimental point that both the crew of the ISS and President Obama brought up was the literally “out-of-this-world” harmony between nations.

 Able to connect and collaborate without starting another cold war, the United States, Russia, European Space Agency, and Japan were able to build and maintain life on the I.S.S.

President Obama during the interview called the harmony a testimony to the way we need to

 ”live and work together productively in space, and maybe back here on earth.”

Colonel Steven Lindsey concurred, commenting on how

 ”All of these countries put together probably the most complex thing ever built, and built it in space.”  

Not only did they put it all together in space, but as Col. Lindsey observed

 ”everything fit the first time we tried it.”

which makes it just poetic.