Weird

A woman in southern Ontario is one of the first cases in Canada of a rare neurological syndrome in which a person starts speaking with a different accent, McMaster University researchers report in the July issue of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.
The puzzling medical phenomenon known as foreign-accent syndrome (FAS) arises from neurological damage, [...]

A propensity for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might be beneficial to a group of Kenyan nomads, according to new research published in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology. Scientists have shown that an ADHD-associated version of the gene DRD4 is associated with better health in nomadic tribesmen, and yet may cause malnourishment in [...]

As a unique online distribution strategy, Spinning Blue announces a partnership with OurStage allowing anyone to get a free iTunes compatible download of the 92-minute critically-acclaimed documentary 10 MPH. OurStage will also donate $1 to the filmmakers for their follow-up film, 10 Yards, for every person who signs up with OurStage to get the free [...]

Interested in oddities and unknowns like the Voynich Manuscript, crystal skulls, and Area 51? The Charles Fort Institute is taking votes for the 7 Fortean Wonders of The World, and the first round of candidates are in! Dino writes:
Below are the 38 candidates that made it to Round Two.
There are 2 more rounds of voting:
Round [...]

One of the unique characteristics of humans that distinguish us from the animal kingdom is the ability to represent others’ beliefs in our own minds. This sort of intuitive mind-reading, according to experts, lays the cognitive foundations of interpersonal understanding and communication.
Despite its importance, scientists have yet to reach a consensus on how this psychological [...]

Bees are needed to pollinate crops and keep the production of food going. In recent years, massive bee populations have been mysteriously disappearing, causing concern that world harvests could be disrupted. Some scientists are suggesting a correlation in this phenomenon, called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), and radiation given off by the newly ubiquitous mobile phone.
The [...]

I guess France has been keeping a watchful, wine-blearied eye on its borders for the last half century just in case Germany tries any more funny stuff and, in so doing, has made some pretty interesting observations. Today France is, shall we say, surrendering this information to public scrutiny. Maybe Agent Mulder was working for [...]

Todd Richmond of the Associated Press (via Yahoo! News) writes:
In a wooded ravine tucked away from the water parks, restaurants and mega-resorts that dominate this tourist town, a piece of history is quietly dying.
After more than half a century of wowing tourists (and causing probably more than a few cases of nausea), the Wonder Spot, [...]

A 500-year old mystery surrounding the centerpiece of the alchemists’ lab kit has been solved by UCL (University College London) and Cardiff University archaeologists.
Since the Middle Ages, mixing vessels - or crucibles - manufactured in the Hesse region of Germany have been world renowned because of their ability to withstand strong reagents and high temperatures.
Previous [...]

Australia’s scientific research agency, CSIRO, has ‘built’ a shirt which could fulfill the fantasy of anyone who has, in the privacy of their homes, jammed along with one of rock ‘n roll’s great lead guitarists.
Led by engineer Dr Richard Helmer a team of researchers at CSIRO Textiles and Fibre Technology in Geelong has created a [...]

LSDSmurf of DarkVision Hardware writes:
Here’s another weird finding on Google Earth. Somewhere in Alberta, Canada you can spot mountains or large hills that look like the face of an Indian.
It looks pretty real, even a lot more realistic than the face on Mars, IMO. It’s also pretty big; I used the measure tool in Google [...]

Computer scientists from Bath and Boston have developed electronic artwork that changes to match the mood of the person who is looking at it.
Using images collected through a Web cam, special software recognises eight key facial features that characterise the emotional state of the person viewing the artwork.
It then adapts the colours and brush strokes [...]

For all of you suffering out there, melting in your beds from the summer heat, the SoothSoft Chillow just might be the device for you. The Chillow is slipped into your pillow case (or, for the super hot, you can just lay right on top of it) after preparation, and keeps your head cool for [...]

Michael Santo of RealTechNews writes:
U.S. and Mexican police cooperated to halt the alleged sale of a four-month-old baby over the Internet by a Mexican couple. The couple was arrested by Mexican police after trying to sell the baby for $50,000.
Mexican police arrested Ana Luisa Hidalgo Rivera and Alex Hernandez, both Mexican citizens, on Thursday on [...]

The world seems obsessed with good and evil, so it’s no surprise that the Web is not far behind in finding a way to measure good and evil on Web pages. (Stats are soooo Web 1.o). Anyway. since it’s Sunday night and tomorrow we return to our usual gadget and tech coverage, take a break [...]

Most people who visit this blog often know I travel a lot, and that means checking in and out of a lot of hotel rooms. Between the horror stories I could tell of sheets full of body hair, and non-smoking rooms with cigar smoke blasting through the bathroom vent, and on and on, it just [...]

This holiday season, for the tech junkie who has everything, you might consider something the SCOTTeVEST Milan - the stylish leather jacket that can hold just about any gadget thrown at it. The SCOTTeVEST Milan is a full-fledged, high-quality version of the 4.0 SCOTTeVEST system. That means that, while it has the appearance of a [...]

I have heard that for sometime now, Wikipedia has been developing into a stewing pot of misunderstanding and just plain scandal. With both the Adam Curry accusations and now the Kennedy assassinations being misrepresented there, I think tightening controls is the very least they can do to nip this in the bud.

Michael Santo of RealTechNews writes:
Personally, I use margarine, and specific brands, without trans fatty acids, mostly for health reasons. My mother-in-law swears by butter though. And one of her complaints is how hard the stuff is when she takes it out of the refrigerator. That complaint could be a thing of the past with the [...]

Next time you hear about someone creating a death threat from a PC printer, you might think back to the following article from the Washington Post.