An Owl's Secret Past

July 11, 2008 7:48 PM

Athena’s secret past was one that even she didn’t know about.

Before arriving at the San Francisco Zoo three years ago, the Eurasian eagle owl with salt-and-pepper feathers began her journey disguised as an Easter egg that was smuggled into the country from Austria. A true survivor, she is one of only three hatched from a lot of 15 eggs.

"It’s really amazing," said agent Sean Hamm. "Besides crossing the Pacific in an Easter basket, the eggs were even blasted with radiation and put through the X-ray detection machine at the airport, which should have killed the eggs."

Eurasian eagle owls can be kept as pets in the United States, but a proper license is required. And since they can spread foreign diseases, there are strict laws that can prevent their importation. A live bird may fetch $5,000 and the smuggler, Jeffrey Diaz, seemed to have pulled off the scheme until informants turned him in to authorities.

But instead of being released to her natural habitat, Athena will likely spend the rest of her life at the zoo -- and much of it away from other birds. "She grew up with people from day one," bird curator Harrison Edell told ABCNews.com. "She doesn’t recognize she’s a different species than us."

The social norms among predatory birds like the owls are strict and they can be aggressive towards each other, says Edell. Introducing her to other owls, he says, would likely get her beat up. Also, if Athena ever came across a male who wanted to mate, she most likely would be "very confused."

And while Athena’s comfort in interacting with humans has made her an ideal candidate to be brought into the classroom as part of the zoo’s Animal Ambassador program, Edell finds that "there’s something kind of sad about her never being able to go back into the wild."

July 11, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

Chinese Company Makes ‘UFO’

June 17, 2008 10:48 AM

According to the AFP, a Chinese company has spent more than $4 million to develop a remotely controlled flying saucer that can hover up to about 1,000 yards and travel as fast as 50 mph.

The company says that saucer, which took more than 12 years to develop, could be used for aerial photography and geological surveys. But with satellites and remotely controlled drone planes with similar capabilities available already, perhaps the saucer is just a manifestation of that very human fascination with flying.

California-based company Moller has been in the personal flying vehicle game for years. In 1989, the company created the Moller Skycar M200X, which resembles this new flying saucer, but can hover only about 10 feet in the air. The newest version of the Skycar is expected to be available in the next three years, according to the company’s Web site.

Earlier this year, the world witnessed a Japanese man blast off in Italy in a homemade, one-man “flying chair” in a tribute to another great visionary: Leonardo da Vinci.

Click here to see a slideshow of the other creative ways humans have tried to take to the skies, without using a plane.

June 17, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Teen Builds ‘Green’ Motocycle

May 01, 2008 12:45 PM

A Canadian teenager made headlines this week when he showcased a “green” motorcycle resembling a unicycle at a motorcycle show in Toronto.

The all-electric Uno, which looks like a one-wheeled motorcycle, runs on two side-by-side wheels. Riders accelerate by leaning forward and brake by leaning back.

Ben Gulak, 18, told Motorcycle Mojo magazine that a trip to a smoggy China prompted his work on an electric motorcycle.

"The smog was so thick, we never saw the sun," Gulak told the magazine.

Americans don’t have it that bad, but we’ve still got our own problems. See a report of the most air-polluted cities that was released today.

(Thanks to Glenn Roberts from Mojo Magazine for the pic!)

--Ashley Phillips

May 1, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

Cash for Dino Droppings

April 29, 2008 2:56 PM

A pair of 140-million-to-150-million-year-old dino droppings are set to drop on the auction block of Bonhams New York Wednesday.

Bonhams fossil specialist Thomas Lindgren described the droppings as a "conversation piece," which are estimated to sell for $350 or more, placing them on the cheaper end of prehistoric collectibles.

"Dinosaur teeth, for example, are much more expensive," Lindgren said, "but it's just an interesting idea that this is what's left of a meal of a dinosaur 150 million years ago."

Though fossilized dinosaur dung (called coprolite, which in Greek means “dung stone”) is valued by paleontologists  who can use it to learn about dino diets, these droppings don't have scientific value because they no longer retain the original pieces of food ingested by the dinosaur, Lindgren explained.

"People are more interested in the curiosity side of it -- a sense of humor sort of thing. I've seen little jokes played between people," he said. "Someone will say, 'Would you like to smell my rock?' then the person will say it's dino dung, and the other person will quickly pull it away from his nose."

The pair of droppings are "very hard" and show "beautiful reds, greys, blacks, whites and a little ochre," Lindgren said, pointing out that the dung no longer smells.

Also to be auctioned tomorrow is the Fukang meteorite, the most expensive meteorite in the world, which gram for gram is worth its weight in gold or ,more  literally, a "celestial gemstone," Lindgren said.

It is expected to fetch anywhere from $2.25 million to 2.75 million. A peculiar fossil of a piranha-like fish, which died in the middle of a feeding frenzy, will also go on sale. The fish died while trying to eat another fish, which was too big for its belly. It was fossilized with the other fish sticking out of its mouth. 

"It's the death of a two animals, who unfortunately met each other in a fateful moment of gluttony," Lindgren said.

--Jung Song

April 29, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Science Tackles the Zodiac

April 25, 2008 7:52 AM

Despite attempts to expose astrology as pseudoscience, belief in the zodiac still persists. Now scientists believe they have the evidence to show that horoscopes are just plain bunk.

In 1958, scientists in London began to track more than 2,000 people who were born roughly the same time. The study monitored characteristics, such as IQ, aggressiveness, sociability, abilities and other personality traits of these so-called “time twins.”

Ivan Kelly of the University of Saskatchewan in Canada and former astrologer Geoffrey Dean reviewed the data and found that, in general, the subjects weren’t very similar at all. The results were a blow to astrologers, because a cornerstone concept claims that people born at the same time share similar traits.

However, the astrology establishment remained defiant. Roy Gillett, president of the Astrological Association of Great Britain, decried the study’s conclusions and accused the researchers of trying to "discredit astrology."

Although under fire, astrologers shouldn’t worry too much. A recent U.S. government-funded study found that at least a quarter of the U.S. population still believes in astrology.

--Tuan Nguyen

April 25, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (22) | TrackBack (0)

Get Hitched in Space?

April 21, 2008 12:43 PM

If coverage of upscale society weddings in the New York Times’ Vows section isn’t enough to make you feel nuptially inferior, Virgin CEO Richard Branson could raise the matrimonial bar to new heights –- literally. The space-friendly Branson may officiate the first space wedding as early as next year, according to the Daily Mail.

“We have had two bookings involving marriage, one to get married in space and the other for the couple to have their honeymoon in space,” a spokeswoman told the Daily Mail.  “It is possible that Richard could obtain a license to conduct the marriage."

Virgin Galactic did not immediately return phone calls for comment.

The story comes as Russia announced it will cease its space tourism program. Filling the Russian void, Virgin Galactic expects to have flights up and running by 2009.

The average wedding costs nearly $30,000. How much would a space wedding set you back?  The deposit for a flight on Virgin Galactic is $200,000.

April 21, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Wednesday Time Waster

April 16, 2008 2:54 PM

The Web’s newest time waster launched today: Facebook Lexicon. Similar to Google Trends, Lexicon allows users to search words used in Wall posts; the feature spits out a little graph that shows the popularity of the term in wall posts according to month, week or day. Users can also compare the popularity of two terms.

(Facebook and ABCNEWS.com have collaborated on Facebook politics application.)

Since September, mentions of Barack Obama have far outpaced mentions of Hillary Clinton on members’ walls, peaking in the first week of February. Mentions of Mac spiked in November, just as the sexy-skinny MacBook Air was announced.

But what I’d really like to know is what are the most-used terms on walls today, this week and last month, which are easily accessible on Google Trends.

Then again, maybe I’m just a lazy reporter, a phrase that got no hits on either Lexicon or Google Trends. 

-- Ashley Phillips

April 16, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Mystery of Stonehenge Almost Solved?

April 11, 2008 3:05 PM

It’s been an exciting week at Stonehenge, one of the world’s most mysterious sites. Archaeologists, who have been digging away in the hopes of unearthing its secrets, now believe they are close to solving the biggest mystery of all: why it was erected in the first place.

The researchers say they’re close to reaching sockets that once held bluestones, smaller rocks that were believed to possess healing properties. They have a hunch that Stonehenge may have been the equivalent of an ancient hospital.

As scientists work to unravel this timeless puzzle, here’s a few other places I’d like to see them take a crack at figuring out:

The Carnac stones. In France, more than 3,000 standing stones were erected during the Neolithic period. It’s not known why anyone would go through the trouble of doing this. Legend has it that the stones were an army that the wizard Merlin turned into stone.

Glastonbury Tor. The 14th century church tower located atop a hill is rich in British folklore.  It is believed to be the “Avalon” of Arthurian legend, and some believe it was where the mythic "Holy Grail" was kept.

Cerne Abbas Giant. Often called the “Rude Man,” the giant depiction of a naked man carved on a hillside may offend some sensibilities, but is still a sight to see. But who is that guy? Some claim the drawing is of a god. Others say it’s a parody of Oliver Cromwell. Whoever it is, his likeness seems to be easily mistakable.

These are a few just off the top of my head. But can you think of any other enigmatic spots?

--Tuan Nguyen

April 11, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)

Are You Hot or Not? A Computer Knows

April 08, 2008 8:10 AM

The world’s most superficial computer may have just been created. Researchers at the University of Tel Aviv have programmed the computer to successfully determine just how beautiful (or not) a woman is.

Beauty, in many ways, is rooted in math. The Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras put forth the idea that the things typically deemed beautiful corresponded to a numerical "golden ratio." The idea had a tremendous influence on Greek and later on Renaissance artists.

Going on this logic, the researchers took photos of 100 women and mathematically mapped out the geometric shape of their facial features. The data was then matched to ratings of the photos submitted by people. The computer was then put to the test with a batch of new faces and did surprisingly well.

And what’s the application for this type of technology?

The answer: plastic surgery  --  which might not have been too hard to guess.

--Tuan Nguyen

April 8, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)

Lazy Husbands? Wives Do More Housework

April 05, 2008 9:14 AM

For the most part, getting hitched benefits both sexes. Studies show that married couples live longer, happier lives. Except there’s still that sticky issue of who’s doing the dishes.

Well, it turns out that it’s the woman who tends to be saddled with the chores, a new study suggests. All in all, women spend about an extra seven hours a week in the company of mops and feather dusters, while men do about an hour less.

If this sounds like another case of science confirming the obvious, the study’s researchers at the University of Michigan seem to acknowledge that.

"It's a well-known pattern," said Frank Stafford, an economist who directed the study. "There's still a significant reallocation of labor that occurs at marriage; men tend to work more outside the home, while women take on more of the household labor. Certainly there are all kinds of individual differences here, but in general, this is what happens after marriage. And the situation gets worse for women when they have children."

Still a pretty good deal for the hubbies, right? While one can’t really complain about getting a little extra leisure time with the TV remote, men may be better off sharing the "laundry" load. An earlier survey showed how wives were often the ones who won disagreements.

It's safe to say that not pitching in around the home makes it harder to get your way.

--Tuan Nguyen

April 5, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (243) | TrackBack (0)