Self-driving cars may end gasoline era

In 2014, in the USA alone, cars traveled an estimated 2,926 billion miles (4,740 billion kilometers) - not always safely. During that year, 32,675 people lost their lives in traffic accidents, and a much larger number were injured. This meant around $200 billion (175 billion euros) in insurance claims and another $670 billion of uncompensated losses in pain and suffering, lost work-time, damaged gear, emergency services costs...
Read more: http://snapzu.com/doodlegirl/self-driving-cars-may-end-gasoline-era

Scientists Looking To Fix The Many Problems With Forensic Evidence

Everything everyone saw in cop shows as evidence linking people to crimes -- the hair left on someone's clothing, the tire tracks leading out to the road, the shell casings at the scene, etc. -- is all proving to be about as factual as the shows...
Read more: http://snapzu.com/kxh/scientists-looking-to-fix-the-many-problems-with-forensic-evidence

US foreign intelligence court did not deny any surveillance requests last year

Justice Department document shows Fisa court continued trend by rejecting none of 1,457 requests made on behalf of NSA and FBI
Read more: http://snapzu.com/kxh/us-foreign-intelligence-court-did-not-deny-any-surveillance-requests-last-year

There will be pandemonium: The end of the old oil order has already begun

Sunday, April 17th was the designated moment. The world’s leading oil producers were expected to bring fresh discipline to the chaotic petroleum market and spark a return to high prices. Meeting in Doha, the glittering capital of petroleum-rich Qatar, the oil ministers of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), along with such key non-OPEC producers as Russia and Mexico, were scheduled to ratify a draft agreement obliging them to freeze their oil...
Read more: http://snapzu.com/aj0690/there-will-be-pandemonium-the-end-of-the-old-oil-order-has-already-begun

On Stalin’s Team by Sheila Fitzpatrick – Soviet bunglers and sadists

A superbly researched book details the incompetents and priapic murderers whom Stalin selected to carry out his atrocities. Reviewed by Donald Rayfield.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/on-stalins-team-by-sheila-fitzpatrick-soviet-bunglers-and-sadists

Tequila Bottle with Man's Ashes and a Request Washes up on Nova Scotia Beach

​Plans are underway to fulfil the wishes of the late Gary Robert Dupuis after the mystery man's ashes washed up on the shores of Cape Breton inside a tequila bottle — its apparent first stop on an attempted world tour.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/jcscher/tequila-bottle-with-mans-ashes-and-a-request-washes-up-on-nova-scotia-beach

The ugly history of cosmetic surgery

Surgical makeovers might seem a modern phenomenon but they have a long and disturbing history: from 16th century skin grafts done without anaesthesia to reductions of "primitive" large breasts.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/Dino55/friday-essay-the-ugly-history-of-cosmetic-surgery

Earth Doesn't Get Weirder Than The Bubbling Springs Of Ethiopia

It might look like a drug-induced vision of hell, but for astrobiologists, the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is heaven. With chlorine and sulfur vapor fogs hanging above its near-boiling, bubbling salty lakes, it is one of the least hospitable places in the world.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/kxh/earth-doesnt-get-weirder-than-the-bubbling-springs-of-ethiopia

U.S. Labels Switzerland an Internet Piracy Haven

Every year the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) publishes its Special 301 Report highlighting countries that aren’t doing enough to protect U.S. intellectual property rights. In 2016 the report sticks to a tried and tested format, with countries such as China, Russia, India and Ukraine all making the Priority List once again. However, just as the USTR wasn’t afraid to place Canada on the Watch List several years ago, this year it has added another ally.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/hxxp/us-labels-switzerland-an-internet-piracy-haven

What is the “vice” in “vice president”?

We often make fun of the second-place office, but the vice presidency is an important one: It’s a heartbeat away from the presidency, as candidates consider when vetting their running mates. The etymology of the title bears out the importance of the vice presidency: in Latin, vice means “in place of” or “in succession to.” The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) first cites vice-president in 1574, when “Sergius the Vice-president of Asia” must have really balanced out the ticket.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/what-is-the-vice-in-vice-president

Daytime cooking ban in India as heatwave claims 300 lives

Authorities try to prevent accidental fires amid scorching temperatures that have destroyed crops and killed livestock
Read more: http://snapzu.com/rti9/daytime-cooking-ban-in-india-as-heatwave-claims-300-lives

The Impact of Patent Trolls

You may or may not be familiar with the term patent troll. Rather than creating an exciting new product or generating inventive ideas, patent trolls are typically known to use patents as legal weapons.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/Appaloosa/the-impact-of-patent-trolls

People with albinism in Malawi face 'total extinction'

Malawi's estimated 10,000 albinos face "extinction" if they continue to be murdered for their body parts for use in witchcraft, a UN expert has warned. Ikponwosa Ero said that the situation "constitutes an emergency, a crisis disturbing in its proportions". Her call came after two men received a 17-year jail term for murdering a 21-year-old woman with albinism. Ms Ero said Malawi police have recorded 65 attacks, abductions and murders of albinos since the end of 2014.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/rawlings/people-with-albinism-in-malawi-face-total-extinction

Ted Cruz Announces His Losing Mate

If you thought Ted Cruz was out of this race, man oh man, you were right.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/rti9/ted-cruz-announces-his-losing-mate

Colombia legalizes same-sex marriage

Colombia's high court legalized same-sex marriage, giving couples the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. The ruling by the Colombian Constitutional Court on Thursday makes Colombia the fourth country in Latin America to extend rights to same-sex couples, joining Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Same-sex couples in Colombia were already allowed to form civil partnerships, but were required to prove they were in a long-term relationship to obtain legal benefits.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/geoleo/colombia-legalizes-same-sex-marriage

Avalanche fears over unauthorised Everest helicopter flights

Helicopter firms are carrying out unauthorised sightseeing flights over the upper reaches of Mount Everest, Nepalese officials say. Sherpas have expressed concerns that vibrations caused by the helicopters could trigger avalanches. Tourist flights are not allowed to places above Base Camp which is at an altitude of 5,364 metres (17,600ft). But helicopter companies say they only overfly sights like the Khumbu Icefall and their flights are allowed.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/8mm/avalanche-fears-over-unauthorised-everest-helicopter-flights

Camouflaged Anti-Nazi Pamphlets found inside a Dusty Box at the Library

The label attached to the box said "Do not open until war is over". It was the early 1980s and John Rathe, the librarian in the NYPL's Rare Book room, had no idea what he was about to uncover when he opened the dusty box he had found in a remote corner of the library.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/CatLady/camouflaged-anti-nazi-pamphlets-found-inside-a-dusty-box-at-the-library

Vikings never wore horned helmets. Here's why we think they did.

The horned Viking helmet is a classic image —but it only dates back to a 19th century opera costume.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/rti9/vikings-never-wore-horned-helmets-heres-why-we-think-they-did

How the World’s Oldest Printed Board Game Rolled Propaganda into Play

Long before the era of Candy Crush and Neko Atsume, the games that captured our attention were often the ones that required just a board, a dice or two, and a handful of tokens.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/CatLady/how-the-worlds-oldest-printed-board-game-rolled-propaganda-into-play

Here's why pharma giant AbbVie coughed up $10 billion to buy a startup you've never heard of

AbbVie, a major biopharmaceutical company, just picked up biotech startup Stemcentrx in a deal that’s worth up to $10.2 billion.That would make it the second-largest venture capital-backed acquisition in history. The startup, which had previously been valued at $5 billion, is developing drugs that target cancer stem cells, a specific type of cancer cell that some research suggests could play a key role in defeating the disease.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/drunkenninja/heres-why-pharma-giant-abbvie-coughed-up-10-billion-to-buy-a-startup-youve-never-heard-of

15 Cases of Real Life Art Theft That Sound Just Like Hollywood Movies

While White Collar might be fictional, but the world of art theft is not. Paintings by renowned artists have always been highly protected in museums but there have been cases where they were taken away in planned heists. Here are 15 of the most famous art thefts that will definitely remind you of White Collar.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/JazzofAllTrades/15-cases-of-real-life-art-theft-that-sound-just-like-hollywood-movies

What men and women wanted in a spouse in 1939 — and how different it is today

The evolution of what we look for in the perfect mate.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/JazzofAllTrades/what-men-and-women-wanted-in-a-spouse-in-1939-and-how-different-it-is-today

Video shows Syrian boy weeping over body of brother killed in bombing

“I wish it was me, not you” a young boy cried as he wept over his brother’s body after a wave of air strikes in Aleppo. Dozens of civilians have been killed in bombing raids on rebel-held areas of the city, including one that killed more than 50 people at a hospital.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/Mai/video-shows-syrian-boy-weeping-over-body-of-brother-killed-in-bombing

Here’s all the money in the world, in one chart

Ever wonder how much money there is in the world? The answer is complicated, which you might expect -- but it has nothing to do with tallying up all the numbers. Rather, it’s more about what parameters are used.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/Maternitus/heres-all-the-money-in-the-world-in-one-chart

The Mundari: The tribe dying for their cows

Ankole-Wartusi cows are among the most prized in the South Sudan, and could fetch $500. For some, this means protecting them at all costs.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/JazzofAllTrades/the-mundari-the-tribe-dying-for-their-cows

The Secrets of Medieval Fonts

One of the fundamental things in a medieval book is letters. Each one of us human beings writes differently, and considering that medieval books were made before the invention of print, it follows that the scripts they carry show a great variety in execution styles. This is perhaps the most amazing experience of spending a day going through a pile of medieval books in the library: the immense variation in the manner in which the text is written on the parchment pages.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/the-secrets-of-medieval-fonts

Secret Service Plans to Raise White House Fence by 5 Feet

The U.S. Secret Service plans to raise the height of the White House security fence by 5 feet and add a new concrete foundation to reduce the risk of fence-jumpers.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/Appaloosa/secret-service-plans-to-raise-white-house-fence-by-5-feet

Understanding the Tax Plans of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz

In which John compares the tax proposals of Republican presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, and also discusses the current U.S. federal income tax system and the size and scope of federal budget.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/rti9/understanding-the-tax-plans-of-donald-trump-and-ted-cruz

EU rejects Greek request for emergency summit

The head of the European Union has rejected Greece's request for an emergency meeting aimed at ending an impasse over the country's bailout. EU Council President Donald Tusk said the group's finance ministers needed to resume talks themselves within days. Greece agreed to a third rescue package worth €86bn (£60bn; $94bn) last year and faces a looming debt payment. However, it has been unable to unlock the next loan instalment after clashing with its creditors over more reforms.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/ubthejudge/eu-rejects-greek-request-for-emergency-summit

At a time of zealotry, Spinoza matters more than ever

At a time of religious zealotry, Spinoza’s fearless defence of intellectual freedom is more timely than ever
Read more: http://snapzu.com/Dino55/at-a-time-of-zealotry-spinoza-matters-more-than-ever

German nuclear plant infected with computer viruses, operator says

A nuclear power plant in Germany has been found to be infected with computer viruses, but they appear not to have posed a threat to the facility's operations because it is isolated from the Internet, the station's operator said on Tuesday. The Gundremmingen plant, located about 120 km (75 miles) northwest of Munich, is run by the German utility RWE. The viruses, which include "W32.Ramnit" and "Conficker", were discovered at Gundremmingen's...
Read more: http://snapzu.com/messi/german-nuclear-plant-infected-with-computer-viruses-operator-says

‘Teen’ basketball player says he didn’t know he was 29

A 29-year-old South Sudanese man told officials he wasn’t lying when he allegedly posed as a teenager to attend high school in Canada — he just didn’t know his real age. Wearing a loose orange jumpsuit, Jonathan Elia Nicola, who has been held by immigration since April 15, attended a brief detention hearing in Windsor on Tuesday and was ordered to remain in custody because he was considered a flight risk.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/zritic/teen-basketball-player-says-he-didnt-know-he-was-29

North Carolina lawmaker: 'we must fight to keep our state straight'

A Republican candidate running to become North Carolina's attorney general faced criticism on Tuesday after saying "we must fight to keep our state straight" while discussing a law that restricts transgender bathroom access and gay rights. The measure has positioned the state at the center of a debate over equality, privacy and religious freedom as states propose legislation seen as discriminatory against gay and transgender...
Read more: http://snapzu.com/baron778/north-carolina-lawmaker-we-must-fight-to-keep-our-state-straight

Traffic to Wikipedia terrorism entries plunged after Snowden revelations, study finds

Internet traffic to Wikipedia pages summarizing knowledge about terror groups and their tools plunged nearly 30 percent after revelations of widespread Web monitoring by the U.S. National Security Agency, suggesting that concerns about government snooping are hurting the ordinary pursuit of information.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/larylin/traffic-to-wikipedia-terrorism-entries-plunged-after-snowden-revelations-study-finds

The Urban Legend of the Government's Mind-Controlling Arcade Game

The twisted tale of Polybius, the world's most dangerous video game.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/JazzofAllTrades/the-urban-legend-of-the-governments-mind-controlling-arcade-game

North Korea Test-Fires Two Intermediate-Range Missiles, Both Fail: South Korea

North Korea test-fired what appeared to be two intermediate range ballistic missiles on Thursday but both failed, a South Korean official said, in a setback for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the run-up to next week's ruling party congress.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/jcscher/north-korea-test-fires-two-intermediate-range-missiles-both-fail-south-korea

The Forgotten Lessons of the American Eugenics Movement

It’s impossible to revisit the history of America’s quest for racial purity without sometimes being reminded of the current public discourse. Andrea DenHoed on Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck,” by Adam Cohen.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/the-forgotten-lessons-of-the-american-eugenics-movement

New York Man Punched in the Face on Subway Because He 'Looks Exactly Like Shia LaBeouf'

A New York man is tending to a black eye after he was allegedly punched on the subway because he looks like Shia LaBeouf, PEOPLE confirms. Mario Licato, 26, tells PEOPLE he was walking down the subway stairs at the corner of Essex and Delancey streets on Saturday while going to a friend's show when a man suddenly punched him. "I just saw a fist coming at my face," Licato says. "And the next thing I know I was, like...
Read more: http://snapzu.com/jedlicka/new-york-man-punched-in-the-face-on-subway-because-he-looks-exactly-like-shia-labeouf

Airstrike on MSF-backed Aleppo hospital kills patients and doctors

One of last paediatricians in rebel-held area of Syrian city among the dead, as UN envoy says ceasefire is now ‘barely alive’
Read more: http://snapzu.com/rti9/airstrike-on-msf-backed-aleppo-hospital-kills-patients-and-doctors

Suspect who won’t decrypt hard drives jailed indefinitely

He’s got the keys to his own prison, the court says.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/sjvn/suspect-who-wont-decrypt-hard-drives-jailed-indefinitely

Rio 2016 Olympics: 100 days to go

If Olympic opening ceremonies should capture the atmosphere in a host nation, then Rio 2016's curtain-raiser should be interesting. With 100 days until the Games begin, Brazil is unraveling fast -- largely overshadowing the impending arrival of sport's greatest showpiece. Who needs the staple pre-Olympic media diet of venue delays and security fears when you have a leader facing impeachment, a gigantic corruption scandal and a global public health emergency?
Read more: http://snapzu.com/ppp/rio-2016-olympics-100-days-to-go

Paleontologists Just Unearthed the Skull of a HUGE Newly Discovered Dinosaur

Can you imagine this thing walking the earth?!
Read more: http://snapzu.com/Zboiii/paleontologists-just-unearthed-the-skull-of-a-huge-newly-discovered-dinosaur

Authorities: 120 Arrested In Bronx Gang Takedown; Believed To Be Largest In NYC History

More than a hundred suspects have been charged in the Bronx in what is believed to be the largest gang takedown in New York City history, authorities said Wednesday. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and other law enforcement officials announced the charges against 120 alleged members and associates of two rival gangs.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/cone/authorities-120-arrested-in-bronx-gang-takedown-believed-to-be-largest-in-nyc-history

The Most Beautiful Tulip in History Cost as Much as a House

During the Netherlands' tulip bubble, the Semper Augustus was among the rarest and most valuable.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/the-most-beautiful-tulip-in-history-cost-as-much-as-a-house

John Boehner just confirmed everything liberals suspected about the Republican Party

Boehner is validating one of the most persistent and controversial critiques of the modern Republican Party. And he has the authority to do so.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/spaceghoti/john-boehner-just-confirmed-everything-liberals-suspected-about-the-republican-party

The ancient copper mines dug by children

Thousands of years before the Industrial Revolution, people were mining for metal on an industrial scale.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/JazzofAllTrades/the-ancient-copper-mines-dug-by-children

There will be a huge new 'Panama Papers' data dump

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists is about to unleash a huge data dump about how some of the world's wealthiest and most powerful people hide their cash. The group has already released a host of information regarding how major figures in politics and business store their wealth in tax havens. On Wednesday the ICIJ said in an email that on May 9 it would "publish what will likely be the largest-ever release...
Read more: http://snapzu.com/rawlings/there-will-be-a-huge-new-panama-papers-data-dump

SNOWDEN - Official Trailer

Academy Award®-winning director Oliver Stone, who brought Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, Wall Street and JFK to the big screen, tackles the most important and fascinating true story of the 21st century. Snowden, the politically-charged, pulse-pounding thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley, reveals the incredible untold personal story of Edward Snowden...
Read more: http://snapzu.com/darvinhg/snowden-official-trailer

Amazon illegally billed parents for kids' in-app purchases, judge rules

Amazon illegally billed parents around the US for allowing their children to make in-app purchases without their knowledge or permission, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. The judge decided in favor of the Federal Trade Commission, agreeing with its complaint that Amazon surprised consumers with charges because it failed to sufficiently inform them that games labeled "free" could later allow purchases to be made.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/hedman/amazon-illegally-billed-parents-for-kids-in-app-purchases-judge-rules

China: Obesity 'explosion' in rural youth, study warns

Obesity has rapidly increased in young rural Chinese, a study has warned, because of socioeconomic changes. Researchers found 17% of boys and 9% of girls under the age of 19 were obese in 2014, up from 1% for each in 1985. The 29-year study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, involved nearly 28,000 students in Shandong province. The study used a stricter cut-off of the Body Mass Index (BMI) than the World Health Organization standard.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/Nelson/china-obesity-explosion-in-rural-youth-study-warns