What happens when you pinch a snail's embryo?

Apparently if you jab two metal rods into an 8 cell snail embryo you can not only change the direction it's shell curls, but also it's genes to reflect that curling direction. I wonder what would happen to a squished human embryo?

India officially recognizes transgender as a gender

India's electoral commission has now added an 'other' category to 'male' and 'female' to recognize members of the transgender community.

The formal recognition, confirmed by the election commission, answers a longstanding demand by the eunuch and transgender community, known as hijiras, who are believed to number up to six million.

"The inclusion of eunuchs and transgenders as 'others' gives us a separate identity which is what we have always wanted," said Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, a prominent eunuch activist and founder of campaign group Astitva.

Taste Test: natto, gooey fermented soy beans

Interesting article on Natto and whether soy is good or bad... Includes recipe for natto spaghetti.

Global gender gap rankings 2009

According to the latest global gender gap rankings by the world economic forum, Scandinavian countries are on top, Canada ranks 25th place behind Sri Lanka, Mongolia and the Phillipines.

The report’s Index assesses countries on how well they are dividing their resources and opportunities among their male and female populations, regardless of the overall levels of these resources and opportunities.

Invasive species of slugs run amok in Canada!

Apparently a European native slug is taking over Canadian soil.

Hermaphroditic in nature, some slugs can even knock themselves up, so it only takes a single invader to build an army. Once the population is established, the slugs become (and I quote) the "slow moving lions of the vegetable world."

Insurers using facebook to investigate claimants

Canadian insurance firm Manulife has reportedly cut a depressed woman’s benefits because photos showing her happy were posted on Facebook.

Meiwa Denki

Crazy Inventor

Birds Swarming

Starlings in beautiful flocking behaviour...

Capitalism flawed system, says majority

BBC reports that a large majority of people in a survey of 27 countries think that capitalism is not working.

Heavy duty steampunk mods

Awkward looking cellphones you could catch tetanus from...

clunky computers with typewriter keyboards...

what's not to love?

More at this link.

Giant cardboard-robot suit

Jason Lentz' carboard robot suit attempts!

SUPER-fixed gear bike

Forget about fixies, Grand Rapids, MI design company Jruiter has created a really cool prototype for a minimalistic inner city bike. The design is so simplified to the point that it doesn’t even have a chain, instead the pedals directly drive the back wheel. Of course the next logical step would be to remove the brakes.

Shanghai banning pyjamas in public

Shanghai will host the World Expo next year, and city officials are preparing for the influx of foreigners with a campaign to ban citizens from wearing their pajamas out in the streets.

Paper folding documentary

The trailer above is for Between The Folds, a new feature documentary film presented by PBS's Independent Lens. You can view the whole film on PBS on December 8 or at one of Independent Television Service's free Community Cinema screenings upcoming around the country.

Anti-whaling pirate speedboat unveiled

The Sea Shepard Society has unveiled their newest speedboat, which looks pretty stealth... and advanced tech for an activist organization...