h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is a little unsettling:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7559150.stm

This bit creeps me out a bit:

The brain cells have been taught how to control the robot's movements so it can steer round obstacles and the next step, say its creators, is to get it to recognise its surroundings.

Once the robot can do this the researchers plan to disrupt the memories in a bid to recreate the gradual loss of mental faculties seen in diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/aug/14/olympics20081

What an absolute disgrace. Wouldn't it be wonderful if/when Mr Phelps wins his eighth gold that he refused to accept it unless presented by Mark Spitz!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/sussex/7561166.stm

If this has been here already - sorry. Isn't it a comfort to see that the overworked and underpaid law-enforcement authorities and courts have got their priorities right for once.

Cluedo characters are being killed off. Now instead of typical crime story characters, they will be celebrity airheads.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7560631.stm

Why oh why oh why do they have to try to 'bring things up to date'. The great thing about Cluedo was that it was nicely set in the past. It's killed it now as no self-respecting person will want it.

I might wait a while and see if I can sell my original one on ebay for a profit.

Bit like the Anglican church!!!

hmmmm, not that this affects me in any way shape or form, still not sure what to make of it, is it all just a very big mistake?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/15/italy

"Cutrufo* launched his alternative vision of Roman rides, bouncy Colosseums and candyfloss at a tourism conference. Unlike the young single tourists events such as White Night attracted to Rome, Cutrufo said he wanted to attract more families to visit, to reverse a slight drop in visitor numbers, "because families contain more people"."

*deputy mayor of Rome.

Re: 4185, Cluedo updated...

To quote Marvin, sounds awful.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Nils-Olav-The-King-Penguin-At-Edinburgh-Zoo-To-Get-Norway-Knighthood/Article/200808215078756

norwegan pengwin kninghted

Teachers in one part of the US state of Texas are to be allowed to carry concealed firearms when the new school term opens this month.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7564654.stm

Flippin' eck, I thought Scottish teachers were strict

Re post 4180: There's no reason, other than squemishness not to eat rats... or for that matter various entrails and extras (like pigs' feet). It would at least ensure we weren't wasting the nutrion potential!

Russell Crowe may be playing Bill Hicks in a movie of his life.

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=23102

two more from the 'animals not as stupid as people think' file:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7570291.stm
self aware magpies

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7570097.stm
tail-walking wild dolphin - I loved the "We can't for the life of us work out why they do it," - cos it's fun, perhaps?

purely for the appallingly bad headline:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2008/aug/20/vorderman.channel4

oh, doesn't have it on that link. The headline on the front page link to the story reads 'Carol ringers'. There's nothing to the story so don;t both with the link above

I liked this , They are all over Japan onehttp://uk.yahoo.com/_ylt=ApmWk_vOUtkFyKz.oxTRXjaBVM8F;_ylv=9/SIG=12j0b63fe/**http%3A//uk.news.yahoo.com/itn/20080820/twl-monkey-madness-in-tokyo-41f21e0.html

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/20/petrol_can_mishap/

"A 12-year-old Tipton lad has demonstrated why it's a really bad idea to light your own farts in close proximity to a can of petrol, after he...ended up with 18 per cent burns to his thumb and the backs of his legs."

'In Rohullah Nikpai's war-torn country, fighting is a part of life. Living in tough conditions is a given. Training for the Olympics is a luxury few can afford, or even imagine.

But Nikpai has proven it can be done: On Wednesday, he won Afghanistan's first Olympic medal ever.

"I hope this will send a message of peace to my country after 30 years of war," Nikpai said after earning the bronze in the men's under 58-kilogram taekwondo event.'

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/taekwondo/story/2008/08/20/olympics-taekwondo-afghanistan.html

Something for post 4200 -

A scientist who bought a fossilised insect on the web auction site eBay for £20 has discovered that it belongs to a previously unknown species of aphid.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7572052.stm