Greg's View of Todays News - 01/29/2009

This is an automated post featuring local news, press releases and syndicated news stories that I felt compelled to comment upon. Comments are invited.

• Bushfires 'to burn up' climate efforts

  Australia is sitting on a time bomb when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions: bushfires.
  
  Researchers say bushfires can release as much carbon pollution as the whole of industry combined.

  • While bushfires are not officially counted towards Australia's emissions, researchers say they will be in the future and it could cost billions.
    • Will the government be charged for these emissions or will they, somehow, bick pass it on to landholders? - post by gnaylor
    
    

• Scientists Not So Sure Collider Won't Destroy The Planet

  • Three physicists have reexamined the math surrounding the creation of microscopic black holes in the Switzerland-based LHC, the world's largest particle collider, and determined that they won't simply evaporate in a millisecond as had previously been predicted.
    • A year ago, we were assured there could be no deleterious effects of creating a black hole in this piece of scientific apparatus. Now, they are not to sure.
      Well, if they stuff it up, we won't have a need for a new world order after all. - post by gnaylor
    
    

• Radio-controlled live flying beetle demonstrated by US researchers

  Creepy but true: researchers at the University of California, Berkley, have managed to create a live remote-control beetle. Using six electrodes hooked up to the beetle’s brain and muscles, and a 1.3g radio module carried on the bug’s back, the flying rhinoceros beetle can be remotely-controlled from a nearby laptop. While the researchers have managed to electrically-control insects before, this is the first time it has been done wirelessly.
  COMMENT:
  I wonder what the military application for this weapon!

  • 

• Woman's 'erotic dream state' means sex assault an accident: judge

  A woman who was in an "erotic dream state" when she removed some of her clothing and wrapped her near-naked torso around a man sitting beside her on the couch may have given the impression she was directing a "prolonged and provocative act" toward the man, a Saskatoon court has found.

  • At issue was whether this was a rare kind of sexual assault--the accidental kind--Mills said.

    Mills found that, while the woman did not consent and the act of sexual assault was proven, the accused lacked the necessary intention to commit the crime because he had a mistaken, but honest belief she was consenting

    • This is totally weird. If this woman volunteers a bullsh*t story about removing her own knickers, wrapping her legs around the old bloke and saying she was having a horny dream, why on earth did she have the guy charged instead of just apologising?
      
      Methinks she came on to the old bloke and got sprung by her husband when he went for a pee and she has thrown a curley to get out of an awkward situation. What do you think? - post by gnaylor

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