When babies receive shots against diseases like polio and measles, their vaccinations may in the future include protection against getting fat, according to researchers. Infection by certain pathogens triggers rapid increases in fatty tissue in animals, Nikhil Dhurnadha told the annual meeting of NAASO, the Obesity Society, in this western Canadian city.

At the same time, the discovery that many more obese people than normal-weight people have been exposed to a certain virus suggests a link between obesity and viral infection. "Not all obesity can be explained by infection," said Dhurandhar, of the Pennington Biomedial Research Center at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. "Infections can be one of the causes." Popular opinion has long held that most obesity is caused simply by overeating, underexercise and a lack of will power. But viruses are just one of many contributing factors that scientists have recently discovered.

Researchers are reporting at the conference on other fat triggers that include a genetic tendency to store fat among groups whose ancestors survived famines, medications such as treatments for psychotic mental disorders, toxins in the environment like organochlorines, and infectious agents like bacteria, viruses and prions.

"Obesity is multifactoral," Dhurandhar told scientists at the conference. In an interview with AFP, he said there is proof that at least 10 different pathogens cause obesity in animals. They include canine distemper virus, RAV7 and MAM1 avian viruses, the Borna virus in rats -- which is also linked with depression in humans, types of scrapie, three adeno viruses including AD5, AD36 and AD37 which cause fat gain in several species, and chlamydia pneumonae bacteria. Scientists have also found that when mice are infected by general bacteria from the guts of other mice, the recipients body fat increases.

*****

"In 10 years, people may be able to walk into a clinic and be told that their obesity is due to X cause, such as genes, the endocrine system, or pathogens. That may have a more productive outcome than a blanket treatment right now, (which) is not very successful," said Dhurandhar. And because viruses are hard or impossible to treat, he said, prevention through vaccines will be key.

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Jessica Turns to Self-Help Book

According to Gawker, Jessica Simpson got spotted by Us Weekly reading Dealing With People You Can't Stand. And according to Page Six, she's going to need all the self-help books she can get.

NICK Lachey and Jessica Simpson may have just had a "romantic" Italian vacation on OK! magazine owner Richard Desmond's dime, but they continue to lead separate lives. Upon their return last Friday, Lachey ditched Simpson to party in Las Vegas, and "Jackass" star Bam Margera — who had a fling with Simpson earlier this year — confirmed to Us Weekly that she had left Lachey. More evidence the two have split? Simpson, who now lives with her assistant Cacee Cobb, is spending her third wedding anniversary alone, in Africa. Sources tell PAGE SIX that Simpson, her dad, Joe, and Cobb will travel to Nairobi for Operation Smile — her pet charity that fixes cleft lips — for 10 days. The trio will have a safari elsewhere in Kenya — all without Lachey. A rep for Simpson says: "Operation Smile is an organization that is very special to Jessica, and she is looking forward to participating in more missions. Nick will be unable to join Jessica on the next trip because of work commitments in Los Angeles."

Jessica and Nick's reps continue to deny that the couple is headed for divorce. Sure, we believe that.

Posted on October 19, 2005
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Archeologists Find 4,000 Year Old Noodles

You know we're a sucker for a good noodle story, so this one about scientists digging up 4,000 year old noodles was bound to catch our eye.

It was a long time to wait for a portion of noodles. Scientists have uncovered the world's oldest known noodles, dating back 4,000 years, at an archaeological site, Lajia, along the upper reaches of the Yellow river in north-west China. They were preserved in an upturned bowl among the debris of a gigantic earthquake. Until now, the earliest evidence for noodles has been a Chinese written description of noodle preparation dating back 1,900 years. The Lajia settlement is thought to have been destroyed by earthquake and catastrophic floods. Houyuan Lu and his team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing were excavating this scene of ancient destruction when they came across a well preserved earthenware bowl, embedded upside-down in a layer of clay. In the bowl they were amazed to see the remains of somebody's dinner. "The prehistoric noodles were on top of the sediment cone that once filled the inside of the inverted bowl. Thin, delicate and yellow, they resembled the traditional La-Mian noodle that is made by repeatedly pulling and stretching the dough by hand," said Dr Lu.

An empty space between the sediment and the bottom of the bowl had prevented the soft noodles from being crushed and helped preserve them. "The empty space must have been tightly sealed and become anoxic, allowing excellent preservation of the noodles for 4,000 years," said Dr Lu. When the bowl was lifted the exposure to air quickly oxidised the noodles, turning them to dust, but Dr Lu and his colleagues still managed to analyse the remains.

By analysing phytoliths, the microscopic mineral particles that form within plants, and starch grains from the noodle powder, the scientists managed to narrow down what kind of flour the noodles were made from. Modern noodles tend to be made from wheat flour, but analysis of the ancient noodles revealed they were made from millet, used in making alcoholic drinks. "Our findings support the belief that early plant domestication and food production relied on millet in the semi-arid Loess plateau region of China," writes Dr Lu in Nature today.

Dr. Lu and his colleagues are hot on the trail of the 4,000 year-old recipe, and are analyzing some bone fragments and an oily substance found in the bowl. They hope to reverse engineer the recipe and tell us what they ate with their noodles 4,000 years ago. Awesome.

Posted on October 18, 2005
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Is the New Bond a Dud?

We were shaken and stirred to our very foundations by this horrifying report by The Daily Mail about the goings-on at the press conference to announce that blondie Daniel Craig is the new James Bond.

It was the sort of tricky situation that James Bond would have defused in a second. Daniel Craig, on the other hand, didn't have the benefit of a witty script. Or even a little wit. At a press conference to unveil him as the sixth 007 he made a less than suave impression when asked who he would prefer as a Bond Girl - Kate Moss or Sienna Miller. For a man said to have had both in his little black book, he might at least have ventured a reply. Instead he shifted in his seat uncomfortably before muttering: "I'm not going to get into that."

*****

Later there was not a hint of Bond's unruffled approach to pressure when a US TV reporter asked him again about Miss Miller. Craig turned the air blue with expletives.

All in all, it wasn't the most auspicious of starts for the 37-year-old actor, who beat off rivals including Orlando Bloom, Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell to play the spy on Her Majesty's secret service. Craig had obviously decided against playing up to the part as he arrived at the press conference on the HMS President at St Katharine's Dock in East London. The producers may have been hoping for a dashing entrance as he zipped up on a Royal Marines speedboat. But Craig's suit looked more banker than spy. Add to that his carefully-fitted lifejacket and the way he clung for dear life to the rail, and Bond he wasn't.

In fact, he admitted the experience had 'scared the s*** out of me'.

Riding in a motorboat "scared the sh**" out of James Bond? And what was with the attack of Tourette's Syndrome when reporters asked about his affairs with Sienna Miller and Kate Moss? Now, picture Pierce Brosnan sailing through the same interview with witty, Bondian rejoinders. Yes, it's all too clear, isn't it?

Posted on October 17, 2005
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War is Not Smurfy

A Belgian UN advertising campaign to illustrate the ravages of war shows the Smurf's village being bombed. Smurf homes are destroyed and Smurfette is killed. The BBC describes the attack on the Smurfs.

The 20-second clip opens with the Smurfs happily dancing and singing their theme song accompanied by birds and butterflies.

But then planes appear which drop bombs on the idyllic scene, setting fire to the blue-skinned characters' houses.

One character, Smurfette, is killed and others run for cover while a baby is left crying in the middle.

The ad finishes with the message: "Don't let war affect the lives of children."

Poor Smurfette -- she was the only female smurf as far as we can remember. It sounds like an effective ad campaign.

Posted on October 16, 2005
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How to Make a Dr. Octopus Costume

Rob, the author of the Incredible Stuff I Made website, is offering detailed instructions for making an amazing Dr. Octopus costume.

Unlike my costumes in previous years (fish head, paparazzi, silver wings, California and Jenga), I decided on a unoriginal design. I went as Doctor Octopus, the super-villain foe of Spider Man. I didn't like using an unoriginal costume idea, but damn! It would be so cool to be Dr. Octopus, I couldn't resist!

Dr. Octopus, if you haven't heard of him, is a mad scientist who wields four flexible super-strong metal arms with large, strong pincers.

And of course no Dr. Octopus costume would be complete without a defeated Spider-man hero above its head.

I also thought it would be great to construct a defeated spider-man figure for the arms to be carrying, above his head.

Rob also talks about his participation in a costume contest where he was somehow defeated by a couple dressed as Jose Cuervo and Margarita. He was totally robbed. Tentacled villians get no respect these days. (Via Boing Boing)

Posted on October 15, 2005
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Mary-Kate Takes a Break From College

Mary-Kate Olsen is taking a break from college.

Mary-Kate Olsen, who shared the role of Michelle Tanner with her twin sister, Ashley, on the '80s comedy Full House, has left college - at least for now - early in her sophomore year. "Mary-Kate Olsen has not dropped out, she has simply taken an approved leave of absence to devote more of her time and energy to her business," Olsen's publicist, Michael Pagnotta, told The Associated Press. The 19-year-old's decision was reported Friday by People magazine on its Web site.

Olsen wants "to focus on her increasing responsibilities as co-president of Dualstar Entertainment Group and to pursue personal interests," the magazine quoted Pagnotta as saying. Ashley, also co-president of Dualstar, remains at NYU. Mary-Kate Olsen spent six weeks at a treatment centre for an eating disorder in summer 2004.

Mary-Kate's rep denies that the star is dropping out of school because of her eating disorder. Mary-Kate is worth approximately $150 million. But she is the saddest-looking multi-millioniaire we've ever seen. Can't someone cheer this girl up?

Posted on October 14, 2005
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Katie's Dad Tells Tom He's No Good

Katie Holmes's parents are really unhappy with Tom Cruise. Apparently, Katie had promised her parents that they wouldn't have a baby out of wedlock unless they were married. Her parents are devout Catholics from the midwest and are none too pleased with the whole scientology thing. MSNBC reports:

"[Martin Holmes] was very upset and got into a real spat with Katie," the forthcoming issue of Life & Style Weekly quotes "a close friend" of Cruise as saying. "Tom had promised her parents that they would do the right thing and get married before any baby came along." After scolding his daughter, according to the mag, Martin Holmes berated Cruise by declaring "You're no good."

"He said he and his wife were very upset by the news," according to the source, "and demanded the pair get married quickly." Furthermore, a member of Christ the King Church, which the Holmes family belongs to, told L&S that Cruise and Holmes’ publicist, his sister Lee Anne DeVette, sent a letter to parishioners, asking them not to talk to reporters. Although a family friend told the mag that the Holmes family is thrilled by the news of a grandchild, they’re also concerned.

"It seemed like Katie was being controlled by Scientologists," the friend told L&S. "Now they wonder if it's a Rosemary's Baby situation, where Katie is being groomed to provide Tom with a child."

Martin Holmes yelled "You're no good!" at Tom Cruise? Way to go, Katie's dad!

Posted on October 13, 2005
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Blond, James Blond

It seems like the search for the new James Bond has been going on longer than the series itself. The lastest word is that a new James Bond has been chosen to replace Pierce Brosnan: Daniel Craig. And he's blond.

It's a little premature... but it seems that the new Bond has indeed been chosen. Although of course, until anything is revealed to us officially, we shall issue a pinch of salt with this news.

In a massive blow to all those who hoped beyond hope that Pierce Brosnan would in fact do just one more 007 film - the apparent chosen heir is all brand new. And he's blonde.... Step forward Mr Daniel Craig. Daniel Craig - the new Bond? The recent rumours that Daniel had a brief fling with Sienna Miller - his mate Jude's former fiance - will only enforce his appropriateness for the role. According to the Daily Mail, we will be officially informed of the new James Bond at the end of the week.

It seems it came down to a battle between Daniel and Henry Cavill. But after trying on a tux or two and several auditions it's apparently Daniel who's come out on top... but we'll keep you posted just in case Pierce is still in with a shout...

Of course, this is probably just another rumor. We won't believe that anyone has been cast until the martini's been shaken, stirred and drunk.

Posted on October 11, 2005
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Furious Dieters Suing Dr. Phil

Dr. Phil's in big trouble: his failed diet plan has prompted furious dieters to seek class-action certification in their lawsuit against him, alleging fraud on his part.

The man famous for dishing out advice on national television now needs the advice of legal counsel. TV psychologist "Dr. Phil" McGraw, whose Texas twang and folksy common sense catapulted him to stardom, is being taken to court over his discontinued "Shape Up!" diet plan.

*****

The suit alleges that the plan is useless. It called for dieters to take 22 herbal supplements and vitamin pills a day and cost about $120 a month. The plan also advised dieters to adopt a low-calorie diet and to exercise. The plaintiffs allege that while they lost plenty of money on the plan, they didn't lose any weight. Unhappy dieters told CNN Radio that after listening to McGraw they believed they could lose weight by taking the pills alone.

Dr. Phil discontinued the diet plan last year (perhaps because it wasn't working for anyone?)

Posted on October 10, 2005
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Ig Nobel Prizes Awarded

The winners of the 2005 Ig Nobel Prizes have been announced. A BBC news story about the Ig Nobels says these awards are spoofs of the Nobel Prizes that are awarded for "achievements that cannot or should not be reproduced." The BBC also says the four actual Nobel Prize winners gave this year's Ig Nobel awards. Here is a list of this year's winners.

Agricultural History: James Watson of Massey University, New Zealand, for his scholarly study, "The Significance of Mr. Richard Buckley's Exploding Trousers."

Physics: Awarded to the very patient John Mainstone and the late Thomas Parnell of the University of Queensland, Australia, for their experiment that began in the year 1927. In the experiment, a glob of congealed black tar has been very slowly dripping through a funnel at the rate of approximately one drop every nine years.

Medicine: Gregg A. Miller of Oak Grove, Missouri, for inventing Neuticles -- artificial replacement testicles for dogs.

Literature: Award to the Nigerian email writers for creating "a bold series of short stories, thus introducing millions of readers to a cast of rich characters -- General Sani Abacha, Mrs. Mariam Sanni Abacha, Barrister Jon A Mbeki Esq., and others -- each of whom requires just a small amount of expense money so as to obtain access to the great wealth to which they are entitled and which they would like to share with the kind person who assists them."

Peace: Claire Rind and Peter Simmons of Newcastle University for electrically monitoring the activity of a brain cell in a locust while the locust was watching selected scenes from Star Wars.

Economics: Gauri Nanda of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for inventing an alarm clock that "runs away and hides, repeatedly, thus ensuring that people DO get out of bed, and thus theoretically adding many productive hours to the workday."

Chemistry: Edward Cussler of the University of Minnesota and Brian Gettelfinger of the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin, for conducting an experiment to determine whether people swim faster in syrup or in water.

Biology: Awarded to a group of scientists for smelling and cataloging the odors produced by 131 different species of frogs when the frogs were feeling stressed.

Nutrition: Awarded to Dr. Yoshiro Nakamats of Tokyo, Japan, for analyzing every meal he has consumed during a period of 34 years (and counting).

Fluid Dynamics: Victor Benno Meyer-Rochow and Jozsef Gal for calculating the pressure that builds up inside a penguin. For more information see their report: "Pressures Produced When Penguins Pooh -- Calculations on Avian Defaecation." (PDF Link)

So, there you have it. This year's Ig Nobel winners. The phsyics experiment sure sounds exciting but we don't think we will try and replicate it anytime soon.

Posted on October 9, 2005
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The Lindsay Lohan Crash Investigation

The L.A. Times has an in-depth piece about the shocking Lindsay Lohan car crash. Was it caused by paparazzi? Was Lindsay doing 80 or doing 30? Which high-end antique store did she take shelter in? And, more importantly, what insurance company is ever going to insure her again?

Within seconds of Lohan broadsiding the van on its passenger side, at least two celebrity photographers were snapping images of the distressed actress, witnesses said.

But Swensson said authorities are considering whether the driver of the van, which was southbound on Robertson, made an illegal U-turn in front of Lohan's Mercedes, which was northbound. "The only person who is likely to be cited in this case is the van driver," said sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore. "Lindsay Lohan is an innocent victim in all of this."

*****

On Tuesday night, Lohan's publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnick, issued a statement calling the crash "another example of the paparazzi endangering citizens, both Ms. Lohan and the other driver involved in the collision." Sloane Zelnick did not return calls Wednesday seeking comment on sheriff's investigators' statements.

*****

In the aftermath, Lohan and her female passenger ran into a nearby antiques store. The van's driver stumbled into the street and was helped by Newsroom Cafe employees, witnesses said. In an interview Wednesday with television show "Access Hollywood," the driver, Raymundo Ortega, 40, said Lohan did not approach him to check on his condition after the crash. He said he hoped the actress would have a change of heart and call him about his condition.

Don't hold your breath, Raymundo.

Posted on October 7, 2005
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Eminem Sues Over Ringtones

MTV.com reports that rapper Eminem is really ticked off about companies selling his songs as ringtones without his permission. And who can blame him?

Eminem's lawyers sent a message on Tuesday to ring-tone companies who want Em's number: "Just Lose It." Attorneys representing the rapper's publishing companies, Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Detroit in an attempt to stop five companies from selling Eminem ring tones on the Internet, according to The Associated Press. Cellus USA, FanMobile, Nextones.com, MyPhoneFiles and MatrixM are named in the suit. The lawyers also plan to sue karaoke companies that sell Eminem songs for sing-along CDs without first obtaining the proper licenses.

"This is a big business," said attorney Howard Hertz, a representative for the plaintiffs. "We're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars a year." Ring-tone revenue has recently exploded, according to a Jupiter Research report published earlier this year, more than doubling to $217 million in 2004 with expectations that it will more than triple by 2009.

And for those of you who are wondering where exactly Slim Shady is these days, MTV says hes hasn't been seen since the beginning of August, after he canceled his European tour to check into rehab.

Posted on October 6, 2005
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Nick and Jessica Call it Quits

Gawker reports that Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson are really and truly getting a divorce this time, and that US Magazine will tell all -- later today.

We don’t see why you should wait for the news: Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, America’s Newlyweds, have called it quits. For those of you so self-loathing as to closely follow these things, you’ll recall that in May, E! online reported that the couple had filed for divorce, only to mysteriously retract the story an hour later. But you knew, right then, that this was coming, didn’t you?

The couple is waiting to make an official announcement later in the month (at the appropriate career opportunity, we’re sure), but according to Us Weekly’s scoop — kept so under wraps that employees were not allowed to receive their advance issues yesterday, presumably for fear that People might rape and pillage the story — the marriage has been dead for some time. Well, duh.

The article has a laundry list of contributions to the break-up (mostly blamed on Jessica), including creepy-dad Joe Simpson, Jessica’s "diva" behavior, and her fondness for whiskey on the rocks. One of those ubiquitous sources close to the couple says, "Jessica’s the problem. She’s not the girl America fell in love with anymore."

Will this story be retracted later, like the last one was? Who knows? In the meantime, let's pretend it's "Divorce On." And really, really hope that Johnny Knoxville wasn't the reason for it.

Posted on October 5, 2005
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Britney's Unusual Toy Bear

Britney Spears is auctioning off some of her clothes, shoes and furniture to raise money in a special ebay auction for Hurricane Katrina survivors. One of the items up for auctions is called Britney Spears' Huggable Teddy. Many media outlets, including MSNBC, London Free Press and CBS News, are calling this item a teddy bear or Britney's toy bear but it doesn't look like any teddy bear we have ever seen. Maybe that's why Britney is getting rid of it. But poor Huggable Teddy sure looks sad to be leaving Britney. Here are some of Teddy's many features.

Huggable

White head

Black body with red flowers and green stems

100-percent silk jersey

dry clean only

Measures approximately: 10 inches tall

We are surprised that Huggable Teddy's cool and wavy white hair was not mentioned as a feature. We hope Britney's odd teddy bear finds a new home soon.

Posted on October 4, 2005
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Nicolas Cage Names Baby After Superman

Nicolas Cage and his wife are the proud new parents of a baby boy. Not to be outdone in the "celebrities naming their offspring strange things" sweepstakes, Cage named the little tyle Kal-el. If that sounds familiar, it should. That's Superman's real name. Remember? And Superman's dad's name was Jor-el.

Cage's new superboy was born in New York City. None of his vital statistics were released...or word on any potential superpowers: The tyke's unusual moniker, Kal-el, is also the birth name of Superman.

(Sidenote: Cage was briefly slated to play Clark Kent in a Tim Burton remake before the project was scrapped to make way for a younger incarnation.)

Kal-el Coppola Cage. They better send that kid to a private school full of other celebrities' kids. Otherwise, he's going to have the roughest playground experience in kindergarden history.

Posted on October 3, 2005
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Giant Pink Bunny Placed on Italian Mountainside

A 200-ft long pink bunny rabbit has been placed on an Italian mountainside by its creators, a group of artists known as Gelatin. The Huffington Post says the humongous bunny will remain on the side of the side of Colletto Fava mountain in Northern Italy for twenty years. The Guardian says the creators want people to climb and sleep on the enormous pink rabbit.

"Behind a hill, as if knitted by giant grandmothers, lies this vast rabbit, to make you feel as small as a daisy," said group member Wolfgang Gantner. The artists want people to scale the rabbit's sides and fall asleep on its stomach...

Although the group is known for pushing the boundaries of modern art, the idea of giant art installations is not that new.

In June this year, artist Giancarlo Neri unveiled his giant writing desk and chair on Hampstead Heath. The sculpture, called The Writer, is 30ft high and has already become such a part of the London landscape that pranksters have been using it as a pizza delivery address.

One of the most famous outside installations is the Headington Shark. In 1986, Bill Heine put a 25ft shark through the roof of his house in Headington, Oxford.

Information about The Writer sculpture the Guardian is referring to can be found here. More information and photos of the enormous rabbit can be found here on the artist's website.

Posted on October 1, 2005
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