Propeller.com Stories voted on by capn_caveman

Marriage Equality Bill Introduced in Minnesota

Neophile — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:28:44 EDT

The Marriage and Family Protection Act was introduced by Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, and Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, on Friday. The bill would make marriage a gender-neutral proposition in Minnesota, allowing same-sex couples to marry.

Channel: Gay & Lesbian Tags: minnesota marriage equality legislation

Rocketman flies over Alps with jet-pack strapped to his back

TheVisionary — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:16:06 EDT

Yves Rossy likes to jump out of a small plane with a pair of jet-powered wings on his back and loop the loop above the Swiss Alps. The self-built contraption took the former fighter pilot five years to build and perfect - and yesterday he gave it its maiden flight.

Channel: News Tags: cool iron man rocketman alps flying

Why quantum mechanics might be wrong

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 19:13:31 EDT

The question of whether quantum mechanics is correct could soon be settled by observing the sky - and there are already tantalizing hints that the theory could be wrong.

Channel: Science Tags: science quantum mechanics physics cosmology CMB cosmic microwave background

Are there nuclear reactors at Earth's core?

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 19:03:46 EDT

Fission reactors may have been burning for billions of years.

Channel: Science Tags: science geophysics fission Earth nuclear reactor

NASA Satellite Finds Interior of Mars Is Colder

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:56:28 EDT

New observations from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter indicate that the crust and upper mantle of Mars are stiffer and colder than previously thought. The findings suggest any liquid water that might exist below the planet's surface, and any possible organisms living in that water, would be located deeper than scientists had suspected.

Channel: Science Tags: science Mars solar system MRO

Astronomers baffled by weird, fast-spinning pulsar

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:50:23 EDT

Astronomers are baffled after finding an exotic type of star called a pulsar apparently locked in an elongated orbit around a star much like the sun -- an arrangement defying what had been known about such objects.

Channel: Science Tags: science astronomy pulsars astrophysics

New time-lapse analysis could spell trouble for chemistry theory

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:09:44 EDT

Chemists can now watch the structures of molecules as they change shape, much like shooting multiple frames of a galloping horse. The new view reveals that when certain molecules switch between different conformations, they do so less often than expected - a finding that could require chemists to revise their theories.

Channel: Science Tags: science chemistry molecules

Animal Prosthetics: A Leg Up on a Bad Break

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:53:58 EDT

Amputee animals have a hard life. In the last few years, more and more disabled creatures of different species are being helped by modern technology, and by the researchers and volunteers who go the extra mile.

Channel: Pets Tags: pets prosthetics animals science technology

Astronomers measure temperature of the early universe

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:46:28 EDT

We cannot go back in time and stick a thermometer in the early universe, but astronomers have done the next best thing, using an indirect technique to find out what the universe's temperature was 11 billion years ago.

Channel: Science Tags: science universe astronomy cosmology

MIT solves gravity-defying bird beak mystery

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:41:16 EDT

As Charles Darwin showed nearly 150 years ago, bird beaks are exquisitely adapted to the birds' feeding strategy. A team of MIT mathematicians and engineers has now explained exactly how some shorebirds use their long, thin beaks to defy gravity and transport food into their mouths.

Channel: Science Tags: science nature birds shorebirds

How to Secure Your Laptop Against U.S. Customs

Neophile — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:44:33 EDT

Last month a US court ruled that border agents can search your laptop, or any other electronic device, when you're entering the country. They can take your computer and download its entire contents, or keep it for several days. Customs and Border Patrol has not published any rules regarding this practice.

Channel: Gadgets & Tech Tags: united states customs laptop data encryption security privacy border

Memorial Day travel hit by high fuel costs: AAA

STONERS — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:11:04 EDT

Record-high fuel prices and a slowing economy will shrink travel in the United States over the coming Memorial Day holiday for the first time since 2002, auto and travel group AAA said Thursday.

Channel: Money Tags: Memorial Day High Fuel Costs Slowing Economy

Study: Cox, Comcast Internet subscribers blocked

Ousama — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:26:23 EDT

(AP) Cox Communications appears to be interfering with file-sharing by its Internet subscribers in the same manner that has landed Comcast Corp. in hot water with regulators, according to research obtained by The Associated Press.A study based on the participation of 8,175 Internet users around the world found conclusive signs of blocked file-shari

Channel: Gadgets & Tech Tags: Cox Comcast I nternet subscribers blocked

The Original Illustrated Catalog Of ACME Products

TweekerchickQC — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:34:22 EDT

For the first time ever, information and pictures of all ACME products, specialty divisions, and services featured in Warner Bros. cartoons (made by the original studio from 1935 to 1964) are gathered here, in one convenient catalog. For more information about any ACME product, simply click on the thumbnail picture.

Channel: Humor Tags: humor looney toons acme catalog

Physicists Demonstrate How Information Can Escape From Black Holes

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:16:56 EDT

Physicists at Penn State have provided a mechanism by which information can be recovered from black holes, those regions of space where gravity is so strong that, according to Einstein's theory of general relativity, not even light can escape.

Channel: Science Tags: science physics black holes information paradox

Bird flu pandemic seen needing multiple drugs

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:02:10 EDT

Governments need to stockpile different sorts of flu drugs -- not just Roche Holding AG's Tamiflu -- to counter the danger of resistance in a pandemic triggered by bird flu, British experts said on Wednesday.

Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: health bird flu pandemic H5N1 Tamiflu

What Works in Deconverting Christians?

Neophile — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:00:40 EDT

Why do Christians deconvert? How can we support or encourage them to do so? This has been the subject of some debate in the Atheist community. To answer these questions I've sat down and considered one of the largest archives of deconversion stories on the internet.

Channel: Religion Tags: christian deconversion christianity skepticism logic bible hypocrisy plurality science atheism jesus

Strength Training: More Than an Exercise in Vanity

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:35:36 EDT

Muscle researchers say it is important because muscle health is emerging as an important part of overall health. And, they say, when it comes to muscles, bulk does not matter.

Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: health fitness strength training muscles

Prehistoric Inca neurosurgery

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:29:23 EDT

A new study by two American anthropologists now provides evidence that the Incas performed trepanation to treat head injuries; that the procedure was far more common than was previously thought; and that the Incan practitioners of trepanation were highly skilled surgeons with a detailed knowledge of the anatomy of the skull.

Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: health science trepanation neurosurgery Incas

Huge hole in the cosmos disappears

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:16:59 EDT

NOW you see it, now you don't. A giant hole in the cosmos that shocked astrophysicists last year may not exist after all. A re-examination of the area has found that the 'void', which supposedly contained far fewer stars and galaxies than expected, could be a statistical artifact.

Channel: Science Tags: science cosmology universe astronomy

Studies Confirm Greenhouse Mechanisms Even Further Into Past

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:05:27 EDT

The newest analysis of trace gases trapped in Antarctic ice cores now provide a reasonable view of greenhouse gas concentrations as much as 800,000 years into the past, and are further confirming the link between greenhouse gas levels and global warming, scientists reported today in the journal Nature.

Channel: Science Tags: science greenhouse gases carbon dioxide methane global warming environment

Teens reach linguistic peak in online chat

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:56:27 EDT

LOL, OMG and TTYL: parents and teachers worry that teenagers' use of these and other forms of online shorthand is harming their language skills. Perhaps they will take comfort from a study suggesting that instant messaging (IM) actually represents "an expansive new linguistic renaissance".

Channel: Science Tags: science language linguistics IM

Tooth Loss Strongly Linked to Risk of Esophageal, Head and Neck, and Lung Cancer

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:49:43 EDT

Studying thousands of patients, Japanese researchers have found a strong link between tooth loss and increased risk of three cancers - esophageal, head and neck, and lung. They suggest that preservation of teeth may decrease risk of developing these diseases.

Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: health tooth loss cancer lung cancer

Wandering Poles Left Scars On Jupiter's Moon Europa

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:46:30 EDT

Curved features on Jupiter's moon Europa may indicate that its poles have wandered by almost 90Ã;Â°, report scientists.

Channel: Science Tags: science Europa Jupiter solar system geophysics

Edwards gives long-awaited endorsement to Obama

TechnologyExpert — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:39:02 EDT

Democrat John Edwards has given his long-awaited endorsement to Barack Obama. It's a major boost from a former presidential rival as Obama tries to shrug off Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is determined to press ahead.

Channel: Politics Tags: 2008 Presidential Race Barack Obama Hillary Clinton

Giant study pinpoints changes from climate warming

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:38:16 EDT

Human-generated climate change made flowers bloom sooner and autumn leaves fall later, turned some polar bears into cannibals and some birds into early breeders, a vast global study reported on Wednesday.

Channel: Science Tags: science global warming climate change environment

Interior Dept. Declares the Polar Bear a Threatened Species

TechnologyExpert — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:24:56 EDT

The Interior Department declared the polar bear a threatened species Wednesday because of the loss of Arctic sea ice but also cautioned the decision should not be viewed as a path to address global warming.

Channel: Science Tags: Polar Bears Global Warming propeller eco news

Discovery of Most Recent Supernova in Our Galaxy

Neticule — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:52:45 EDT

The supernova explosion occurred about 140 years ago, making it the most recent in the Milky Way. Previously, the last known supernova in our galaxy occurred around 1680, an estimate based on the expansion of its remnant, Cassiopeia A.

Channel: Science Tags: space nasa supernova science

Food Portion Size, 20 Years Ago vs. Today

Hustler101 — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:08:19 EDT

A visual representation of what sizes used to be (20 years ago) compared to what they are today.

Channel: Food Tags: visual food data

911 Operator: ' I Don't Give A S**t What Happens To You'

TimALoftis — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:46:22 EDT

As we first revealed, when Sheila Jones needed help, help never came. That despite repeated calls to Metro Nashville's 911 over a three-hour stretch about an ex-boyfriend who'd assaulted her and was threatening to come back. (via rawstory)

Channel: Do No Evil Tags: nashville 911 operator

Parents board flight, forget toddler at airport

pamcak3 — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:30:24 EDT

A family boarded a flight on Monday in westernmost Canada, and forgot their 23-month-old tot at the Vancouver international airport.

Channel: News Tags: canada forgotten child airport propeller weird news

Clinton poised for W.Va. win

SunnyDays — Tue, 13 May 2008 08:06:03 EDT

The Democratic presidential race runs on two tracks now, one snaking through the West Virginia primary Tuesday and the other mapped out by Barack Obama through battleground states in the fall.

Channel: Politics Tags: West Virginia Barack Obama race presidential Clinton

Racist Incidents Give Some Obama Campaigners Pause

Aidenag — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:28:00 EDT

For all the hope and excitement Obama's candidacy is generating, some of his field workers, phone-bank volunteers and campaign surrogates are encountering a raw racism and hostility that have gone largely unnoticed -- and unreported -- this election season.

Channel: Politics Tags: U.S. Politics Barack Obama Bigotry Racism America

Microsoft software gives free tours of space

STONERS — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:18:53 EDT

Any Star Trek fan knows that space travel is not always easy, but Microsoft Corp wants to make traveling the "final frontier" as simple as turning on your computer.

Channel: Science Tags: Microsoft Software Free Tours Space

Old gas pumps can't handle ever-rising prices

TechnologyExpert — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:40:24 EDT

Mom-and-pop service stations are running into a problem as gasoline marches toward $4 a gallon: Thousands of old-fashioned pumps can't register more than $3.99 on their spinning mechanical dials.

Channel: News Tags: Gasoline prices OPEC Oil

Hot climate could shut down plate tectonics

capn_caveman — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:00:35 EDT

A new study of possible links between climate and geophysics on Earth and similar planets finds that prolonged heating of the atmosphere can shut down plate tectonics and cause a planet's crust to become locked in place.

Channel: Science Tags: science geology plate tectonics geophysics climate

Mitt Regrets Omitting Atheists From Speech

Neophile — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:34:49 EDT

"Upon reflection," Romney said at the Metropolitan Club in New York City, "I realized that while I could defend their absence from my address, I had missed an opportunity - an opportunity to clearly assert the following: Nonbelievers have just as great a stake as believers in defending religious liberty."

Channel: Politics Tags: mitt romney faith speech regret atheism atheists

A Green Industrial Revolution?

Neophile — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:27:02 EDT

Does it matter if some staples run out, or will the same ingenuity that produced oil refining in the late 19th century and the "green revolution" in the late 20th century save us again in the future?

Channel: Money Tags: industrial revolution green environment

Gallery: How to Make Super-Strong, Super-Flexible Metals

jeremytoday — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:38:10 EDT

Researchers at Caltech are pioneering new ways to make superstrong metals that are twice as tough as titanium, and twice as elastic.

Channel: Gadgets & Tech Tags: Caltech metal glass metal strong flexible glass

World CO2 levels at record high, scientists warn

capn_caveman — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:18:45 EDT

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached a record high, according to new figures that renew fears that climate change could begin to slide out of control.

Channel: Science Tags: science carbon dioxide greenhouse gases climate change global warming propeller eco news