Academy Decides on the World´s 50 Best Restaurants

A list compiled by The World´s 50 Best Restaurants Academy shows the best places to eat. Among others the list contains restaurants in Denmark, the US, Spain, Germany, France and Italy.

On top of the list ranks "Noma" in Copenhagen, Denmark, which only serves food that can be found in the Nordic region. "El Bulli" in Spain, which ranks in second place, was the winner in the last four years.

The United States is the most honored country this year with eight restaurants in the list. The best one in the US is supposed to be "Alinea" in Chicago, Illinois.

Guided Questions:
http://tutormichioquestionwall.blogspot.com/2010/06/academy-decides-on-worlds-50-best.html

Resources:
http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=83936

Sleeping Is Life’s Greatest Pleasure

British people have voted a good night's sleep as life's "greatest little pleasure". The Batchelors Cup-A-Soup company conducted a survey into what gave Britons most pleasure. Bed activities filled four of the top ten spots. Cuddling a loved one in bed came third, having a lie-in was fifth and sleeping in freshly-washed sheets sixth. Finding £10 ($16) in your pocket was life’s second greatest pleasure for Brits. Also in the top ten were crying with laughter, making someone smile and catching up with an old friend. There were plenty of things in the list that most people around the world would agree with. These include realizing that your queue in the supermarket is the one moving fastest, and at number 50, popping bubble wrap.

Bachelors spokesman Rob Stacey gave his thoughts on the findings of the survey, which 3,000 Britons did. He said: "It's often the little things that brighten up life, like getting into bed after a long day. You can't beat that feeling.” Mr. Stacey observed that almost all of the things in the top fifty didn’t need money. He stated: “Often the little gestures such as a quick cuddle or a compliment can really help to cheer someone up if they are having a bad day, and can even be more welcome than splashing out on expensive presents.” He added that it was “often the smaller things that can make a big difference”. Stacey may be happy that curling up on the sofa with a good book and a hot drink (or soup) came thirteenth in the poll.

http://breakingnewsenglish.com/1001/100102-lifes_greatest_pleasures.html

Internet Access Is A Human Right

Most of the world’s Internet users believe Internet access is a basic human right. This is according to a new poll conducted for the BBC. A survey of more than 27,000 adults in 26 different countries found four out of five people believed access to the World Wide Web was a right everyone in the world needs and should have. The chief of the International Telecommunication Union, Dr. Hamadoun Toure, told the BBC World Service: "The right to communicate cannot be ignored. The Internet is the most powerful potential source of enlightenment ever created." Dr. Toure believes online access should be available everywhere, just like roads and water. In some countries, this has already happened. Finland and Estonia have laws saying access is a human right.

The survey also showed how the Internet is quickly becoming a vital part of our life, all across the world. Over 75 per cent of Japanese, Mexican and Russian people said they could not live without it. It is easy to see why. Almost everything we do in our life today, from communication, study, work and leisure, needs the Internet. Without access to the Web, many people would feel helpless and powerless. Almost 80 per cent of those who took the survey believe the Web had a positive impact, with nearly four fifths saying they have greater freedom. Other people were worried about the dangers of using the Internet. One big surprise was that the majority of Germans felt it was not safe for them to express their opinions online.

http://breakingnewsenglish.com/1003/100309-internet_access.html

Researcher Shows Time Can Fly

Does time fly or does it go slowly? We’ve all had experiences of wanting time to pass quicker, slow down or even stop. The BBC has reported on research on the speed time travels at. Its reporter Tom Colls discusses a study conducted by researchers at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, USA. Lead researcher Professor Aaron Sackett found he could make people feel that time was going more slowly and more quickly than it really was. Professor Sacket said there was a strong link between the feeling of time passing and levels of enjoyment. He said he showed that time really does fly when you’re having fun. “We could manipulate people's feelings of time quite easily," he said.

The BBC’s article provides an analysis of how scientists have looked at time throughout history. The most famous scientist they include is Albert Einstein. He said time is simply something in our minds. Professor John Wearden, a time psychologist at Britain’s Keele University said it was difficult to analyze how time goes by. He said most people think time goes fast and slowly. As an example he quotes his own mother, who says days seem to last forever, but months fly by. Professor Wearden told the BBC: "Time doesn't really go fast or slowly, it can't do….It just goes at the speed it goes." He added that time can only be measured by a clock. Most language students might agree that time flies by when they are studying English.

http://breakingnewsenglish.com/1002/100213-time.html

Giant Lizard From Philippines is a New Species, Scientists Conclude

A 6.5-foot-long monitor lizard discovered in 2004 in the mountains of the Philippines is a previously unidentified species, researchers have concluded. After capturing an adult last year, they were able to determine the monitor is new to science.

Called the Northern Sierra Madre Forest Monitor Lizard, or Varanus bitatawa, the lizard eats fruit and snails, unlike many other monitors, including Komodo dragons, which are scavengers. The new species spends much of its time in trees.

The chief of the Philippines environment department said the discovery of "such a large, charismatic, and strikingly distinct new species of vertebrate" shows how little is yet known about the region´s biodiversity.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=83691

New Alcohol Will Not Give You a Hangover

South Korean researchers have developed an alcohol that will not give you a hangover. The secret is elevated levels of oxygen in the liquid.

Researchers from Chungnam National University´s College of Pharmacy, In-hwan Baek, Byung-yo Lee and Kwang-il Kwon, found that the elevated oxygen levels increased metabolism of the alcohol, thus shortening the hangover.

Test subjects were given 40 proof drinks with varying levels of oxygen. The higher oxygen drinks gave less of a hangover. The only down side, according to the researchers, is that it also decreases the amount of time you are drunk.

Guided Questions:
http://tutormichioquestionwall.blogspot.com/2010/06/new-alcohol-will-not-give-you-hangover.html

Resources:
http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=83230

Study Shows US Students Suffer Internet Addiction

The University of Maryland has conducted a study into the possible effects of the Internet on students in the US, asking 200 students to give up all media for a 24-hour period. For many, the results were similar to drug or alcohol withdrawal.
The effects included anxiety and losing the ability to function well without their vice. The study found that the most torturous part of giving up media was the lack of emailing, IM-ing, text messaging and Facebook.

One student said: "Texting and IM-ing my friends gives me a constant feeling of comfort. When I did not have those two luxuries, I felt quite alone and secluded from my life." Only a small number of students watched TV or read newspapers.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=83907

Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens exist

Former NASA astronaut and moon-walker Dr Edgar Mitchell - a veteran of the Apollo 14 mission - believes in ET.

And he says extra-terrestrials have visited Earth on several occasions - but the alien contact has been repeatedly covered up by governments for six decades.

Dr Mitchell, 77, said during a radio interview that sources at the space agency who had had contact with aliens described the beings as 'little people who look strange to us.'

Chillingly, he claimed our technology is "not nearly as sophisticated" as theirs and "had they been hostile", he warned "we would be been gone by now".

Preductably, NASA officials were quick to play down the comments of Dr. Mitchell.

In a statement, a spokesman said: "NASA does not track UFOs. NASA is not involved in any sort of cover up about alien life on this planet or anywhere in the universe.

'Dr Mitchell is a great American, but we do not share his opinions on this issue.

http://caveviews.blogs.com/cave_news/2008/07/apollo-14-astro.html

Chocolate Is Good For Your Heart

A study carried out in Germany has found that chocolate may be good for your heart. This is fantastic news for all chocolate lovers. The extensive research was conducted over eight years. The research team followed the chocolate-eating habits and health of almost 20,000 people. They compared how much chocolate was in their diet to the number of heart attacks and strokes people had. Lead researcher Brian Buijsse said: "The good news is that chocolate is not as bad as we used to think, and may even lower the risk of heart disease and stroke." Mr Buijsse said his team found that dark chocolate was the healthiest kind to eat: "Dark chocolate exhibits the greatest effects, milk chocolate fewer, and white chocolate no effects," he said.

The German study showed that people who ate the most chocolate (at least one bar per week) reduced their risk of having a heart attack by 27 per cent. The risk of suffering a stroke was cut by as much as 48 per cent. Nutrition experts believe that natural compounds in chocolate called flavonols are good for our heart. Flavonols also help reduce blood pressure. They are found in cocoa beans so dark chocolate (which has more cocoa) contains more of them than milk chocolate (which has more fat). Buijsse warns people not to suddenly eat lots of chocolate: "Eating higher amounts will most likely result in weight gain. If people start eating small amounts of chocolate, it should replace something else, preferably other high-calorie sweets or snacks."

http://breakingnewsenglish.com/1004/100402-chocolate.html

iPad Faces University Bans

Some universities across America have placed a ban on students using their new Apple iPads to connect to university networks because, Princeton University says, of "malfunctions that can affect the entire school´s computer system."

Princeton said that the iPad causes DHCP malfunctions, which means the tablet PC is interfering with other devices on the network. Those 20% of iPads causing the problem have thus been banned from the university´s network.

George Washington University has a different problem that led to banning the iPad. "Our current authentication system isn´t supported by the iPhone or the iPad," which means the iPads aren´t banned, but can´t log on to the system at GWU.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=83837

About One-Third of Teens With Phones Send 100 Mesages a Day

As new research shows, about a third of young people with cell phones send more than 100 text messages a day.

Texting has become very popular for teenagers. Study authors say that could be because text messages can be sent without parents noticing. According to the research results, girls get about 80 messages per day, and boys 30.

87 percent of those sending text messages indicate that they even sleep with or next to their phone. Text messages, however, can lead to misunderstandings, the authors warn.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=83854

3D Television May be Hazardous

Samsung, one of several companies developing 3D television, has issued a warning to users that the new technology may have adverse effects on some viewers´ health.

The negative effects may include hallucinations, dizziness, decreased postural stability, eye strain and twitching, nausea, epileptic seizures, stroke, and disassociation from the real world. They also say people drinking alcohol should avoid 3D TV.

Some of the symptoms may be alleviated by simply taking a break from viewing the television, while others may require seeing a doctor. The warnings come as the technology is about to make the transition from testing to the consumer market.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=83875

Stroke Risk in Women Lowered by Walking?

A new study out of Texas has shown that women who regularly take a brisk walk are less likely to have a stroke compared with their less active counterparts. The study focused specifically on the kinds of exercise beneficial to women.

Lead author Jacob Sattelmair said: "This certainly speaks to walking for a certain amount of time and walking briskly as well." 39,000 women aged over the age of 45 were studied for the research.

Those women who did walk briskly had a 37% lower risk of having a stroke than their non-walking fellow women. It has been known for some time that exercise can help fight off stroke, but this is the first that focused on type of exercise and women.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=83694

Facebook Gave Me Syphilis

Cases of STDs are on the rise and social networking sites could be a major factor. The fourfold increase in cases has been found in some areas of Great Britain.

Sites like Facebook give people easier access to finding others interested in casual sex, and studies found that adults are more likely to partake in risky behavior with online hookups than normal.

The study found that the average male is between 25 and 34 and female is 20 and 24. Facebook is urging its users to take precautions when meeting people offline.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=83495

Painless Injections on the Way?

Japan: The pain of injections may one day become a thing of the past thanks to an invention by Kyoto Pharmaceutical University´s Professor Kanji Takada.

Professor Takada´s device uses micro-needles constructed out of a polymer that is water soluble. The needles go through the top layer of skin and dissolve, delivering medication or vaccinations without discomfort.

Takada expects that the hospitals in Japan will have the option of the painless delivery system within two years.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=83255

The Most Miserable City in the USA Is...

Cleveland, Ohio, was recently voted the number-one ´most miserable´ city in the USA by Forbes.com.

The reasons why Cleveland was voted as being so miserable are as follows: high unemployment, dismal weather, hefty taxes, corruption and mediocre sports teams.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=83200