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A researcher inspired by a famous “Seinfeld” episode has concluded that double dipping is just plain gross.

food microbiologist’s undergraduate students examined the effects of double dipping using volunteers, wheat crackers and several sample dips

three to six double dips transferred about 10,000 bacteria from an eater’s mouth to the remaining dip sample.

team of Japanese boffins may have accidentally struck gold in the fight against global warming:

they have devised a way to neutralise the perilous belches of 1.5 billion cows

dramatically reduce the environmental damage caused by the world’s cattle herds

Assessing the Life Cycle of Wind Turbine Production

One of the major strengths to renewable energy generation -- whether wind, solar or other technologies -- is that after a project is completed, the systems produce power for decades with little or no additional investments.

Like any manufactured item, there is an environmental cost to the manufacture of renewable energy hardware

'Wii warm-up' good for surgeons

Playing computer games such as the Nintendo Wii can improve a surgeon's performance in the operating theatre, a US study shows.

Only certain games are effective - those requiring delicate movements.

States try to pull plug on 'robo-calls'

States are trying to disconnect computer-generated political calls that are flooding the nation's households at election time.

More than 5 million automated "robo-calls" have been made to potential voters in early primary states. The number of robo-calls could run into the hundreds of millions this election year as the political parties battle for control of the White House, Congress and state governments.

Somebody asked me the other day what the life cycle impacts of a wind turbine are and how long it would take to pay back the energy used to manufacture one of those tall majestic beasts. Considerable amounts of raw materials and energy are required to make these big windy wonders. I was stumped of course as that information is not something one can just come up with.

The life cycle assessment of a 3.0 MW wind turbine indicates that it would have to generate electricity for only 6.8 months , of their assumed 20 year useful life, before it produces as much energy as is used during the manufacturing phase.

“This, they say, means the turbine model earns its own worth more than 35 times during its energy production lifetime.”

new limits on how much time they can spend playing their favourite online game.

government in Beijing is reported to be introducing the controls to deter people from playing for longer than three consecutive hours.

designed to combat addiction to online role-playing games such as World of Warcraft and Lineage II.

Chewing too much sugar-free gum containing the artificial sweetener sorbitol can cause diarrhea leading to potentially dangerous weight loss,

21-year-old woman who suffered diarrhea that caused her to lose about 24 pounds and a 46-year-man who lost approximately 46 pounds

Both were found to be consuming a lot of sorbitol

The bus driver

refused to allow Mr Graves, 25, and his "pet" on to his bus in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

"It is definitely discrimination, almost like a hate crime," 19-year-old Miss Maltby said yesterday. The music technology student had this defence of her lifestyle. "I am a pet, I generally act animal like and I lead a really easy life," she said.

Tax Rebate Deal Reached To Stimulate Economy

Uncle Sam seems ready to give the U.S. economy a shot in the arm. Democrats and Republicans agreed on a tax rebate deal Thursday that will most likely be mailed to taxpayers this spring. Federal lawmakers hope sending out the rebate checks will send people into stores, thus jumpstarting the economy.  But some experts said that money's better in the bank.

ndividual taxpayers will receive up to $600; $1,200 for couples with an additional $300 allocated per child.

Satellite could plummet to Earth

A "large" US spy satellite has gone out of control and is expected to crash to Earth some time in late February or March, government sources say. Officials speaking on condition of anonymity said the satellite had lost power and propulsion, and could contain hazardous materials. The White House said it was monitoring the situation. A spokesman said "numerous" satellites had come out of orbit and fallen back to Earth harmlessly over the years.

Questioned by The Associated Press, he would not be drawn on whether the US would try to destroy the satellite, perhaps with a missile.

The Claim: Too Much Cola Can Cause Kidney Problems

It is well known that too much soda can increase the risk of diabetes and obesity. But when it comes to kidney problems, is there a difference between colas and other kinds of soda?

Colas contain high levels of phosphoric acid, which has been linked to kidney stones and other renal problems.

5 Douchebag Behaviors Explained by Science

#5. The Egocentric Douchebag

Histrionic Personality Disorder or HDP. The disorder is characterized as an overwhelming desire to be noticed and willingness to engage in any attention-seeking behavior.

Scientists Build First Man-Made Genome; Synthetic Life Comes Next

Scientists have built the first synthetic genome by stringing together 147 pages of letters representing the building blocks of DNA.

The researchers used yeast to stitch together four long strands of DNA into the genome of a bacterium called Mycoplasma genitalium.

tailpipe emissions standards by California and 16 other states could doom the auto industry

at the North American International Auto Show.

lead to conflicting federal and state standards, and would make automobile production "so expensive that people won't be able to buy, and the companies won't be able to produce anyhow."

Tom Hanks, all-round cinematic good guy

playfully refers to the hedonistic tableau of the opening sequence of his new movie,Charlie Wilson’s War

tells the remarkable true-life tale of how Wilson played a key role in the outcome of the Afghan war of 1979-89, pushing US funding for the Afghan resistance from $5 million to $1 billion a year and facilitating a morale-crushing defeat for the Soviet Union

most vocal Kremlin critic in Russia's presidential contest was barred from the ballot Sunday

election authorities who said tens of thousands of signatures on his nominating petitions were faked.

denial of registration to former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov will likely fuel criticism of the election

Montana governor Brian Schweitzer (D) declared independence Friday from federal identification rules and called on governors of 17 other states to join him in forcing a showdown with the federal government which says it will not accept the driver's licenses of rebel states' citizens starting May 11.

resident of a non-complying state could not use a driver's license to enter a federal courthouse or a Social Security Administration building

rules also standardize license formats, require states to interlink their DMV databases and require DMV employee to undergo background checks.

Lotus Engineering showed off its Aluminum Performance Crossover (APX) concept car at the Geneva show last year, most assumed it was a showcase for the company's new, lightweight architecture

Lotus will use that crossover SUV as the basis for a joint venture with ZAP, the company that came to prominence last year for federalizing Smart cars and selling them in the US,

all-electric model will challenge the Tesla all-electric sportster in performance, with the equivalent of 644 hp and a top speed of 155 mph -- and a range of 350 miles on a charge