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XBox (Games)

Submission + - UFC Threatens to ban EA MMA fighters? (gamingahead.com)

Submitted by
Andy Anderson
Andy Anderson writes: "This disheartening bit of news first came from Golden Boy at the UG. "I hear that all mma managers were informed that if any of their clients not currently under contract with the UFC..... sign to be a part of the EA game.......the will forever be banned for fighting in the UFC." Sounds like a simple rumor right? Albeit from a pretty reputable source, these things should be taken with a grain of salt. But wait. Later in the forum post, MMA Uber agent Ken Pavia of MMAAGENT.com says this. "It's true. And they told me they want the word out." In any case, if 100% true, this just plain blows. So let me get this straight, if I am an up and coming fighter fighting for an MMA organization not named UFC, I have to turn down money that I could feed my family with just for the very slim chance that one day the UFC may sign me to a contract. What happens to current UFC fighters that still own their image rights like Randy Couture and Lyoto Machida? This is just mind blowing to me if true."
Biotech

Submission + - "Schitzophrenia gene" linked to creativity

Submitted by
mcgrew
mcgrew writes: "New Scientist is reporting that creativity is linked to a gene that has also been linked to schitzophrenia. Szabolcs Kéri, a researcher at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary, carried a study of creative people.

Kéri examined a gene involved in brain development called neuregulin 1, which previous studies have linked to a slightly increased risk of schizophrenia. Moreover, a single DNA letter mutation that affects how much of the neuregulin 1 protein is made in the brain has been linked to psychosis, poor memory and sensitivity to criticism. About 50 per cent of healthy Europeans have one copy of this mutation, while 15 per cent possess two copies

People with two copies of the neuregulin 1 mutation — about 12 per cent of the study participants — tended to score notably higher on these measures of creativity, compared with other volunteers with one or no copy of the mutation. Those with one copy were also judged to be more creative, on average, than volunteers without the mutation.

They hypothesize that people with this gene with high IQs are creative, while those with lower IQs are simply prone to the hallucinations that characterize the disease."

Government

Submission + - India to issue over a billion biometric id cards (timesonline.co.uk)

Submitted by
angrytuna
angrytuna writes: "The Unique Identification Authority is a new state department in India charged with assigning every living Indian an exclusive number and biometric ID card. The program is designed to alleviate problems with the 20 current types of proof of identity currently available. These problems range from difficulties for the very poor in obtaining state handouts, corruption, illegal immigration, and terrorism issues.

Issuing the cards may be difficult, however, as less than 7% of the population is registered for income tax, and voter lists are thought to be inaccurate, partly due to corruption. The government has said the first cards will be issued in 18 months."

Comment $37.50 or $10 (Score 1) 13

by theuhstuf (#28628263) Attached to: Overdraft Fees On Checking Accounts
My bank has a $37.50 charge for overdrafts, and u can get overdraft protection that will take money from your savings and charge only $10...if the money is in the account. I've noticed the way they do it is to hold transactions so that the little ones will be withdrawn after the big ones that make your account go neg so they can get more fees out of you...its fun I've spent $1000s at my bank in the past 2-3 years. It is only my fault though, I rely on them for up to date data and forget what I actually spent...should have listed to my 9th grade business teacher about that keeping track of it on paper >.
Transportation

Submission + - World's First Cargo Ship Propelled by Solar Panels (inhabitat.com)

Submitted by
Mike
Mike writes: "The M/V Auriga Leader cargo ship recently unveiled an impressive array of 328 solar panels that feed solar energy directly into its main electrical grid, making it the world's first ocean liner to be directly propelled by the sun's rays. The panels will provide for 10% of the ship's total power, reducing its dependence on dirty diesel fuels and setting a bright example for the shipping industry."
Sci-Fi

Submission + - SPAM: Physical reality of string theory demonstrated

Submitted by
FiReaNGeL
FiReaNGeL writes: "String theory has come under fire in recent years. Promises have been made that have not been lived up to. Leiden theoretical physicists have now for the first time used string theory to describe a physical phenomenon. Their discovery has been reported in Science Express. 'This is superb. I have never experienced such euphoria.' Jan Zaanen makes no attempt to hide his enthusiasm. Together with Mihailo Cubrovic and Koenraad Schalm, he has successfully managed to shed light on a previously unexplained natural phenomeon using the mathematics of string theory: the quantum-critical state of electrons. This special state occurs in a material just before it becomes super-conductive at high temperature. Zaanen describes the quantum-critical state as a 'quantum soup', whereby the electrons form a collective independent of distances, where the electrons exhibit the same behaviour at small quantum mechanical scale or at macroscopic human scale."
Link to Original Source
Image

Passenger Avoids Delay By Fixing Plane Himself 178

Posted by samzenpus from the flying-the-diy-skies dept.
It would be a shame if an engineer on a recent Thomas Cook Airlines flight doesn't get a complimentary first class upgrade every time he flies. The engineer was on flight TCX9641 when it was announced that the trip would be delayed eight hours, while a mechanic was flown in to fix a problem. Luckily for the other passengers, the engineer happened to work for Thomsonfly Airlines, which has a reciprocal maintenance agreement with Thomas Cook. After about 35 minutes the man fixed the problem and the flight was on its way. A spokeswoman for Thomas Cook said, "When they announced there was a technical problem he came forward and said who he was. We checked his licence and verified he was who he said he was, and he was able to fix the problem to avoid the delay. We are very grateful that he was on the flight that day."

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