‘Brain Dead’ Might Not Actually Mean Brain Dead, Study Says

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Photo Credit: Opposing Views

Photo Credit: Opposing Views

A new study from the Universite de Montreal found that parts of the brain may still be active after flat lining on an electroencephalogram (EEG), leading experts to debate the criteria for declaring a patient “brain dead.”

Researchers put 26 cats under deep anesthesia and monitored brain activity in the cortical region of the brain and the hippocampus. They found that every single cat had a “ripple event” of brain activity in their hippocampus after the EEG flat lined, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“Flat line was the deepest known form of coma,” said study researcher Florin Amzica, according to Discovery.

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US Nearly Detonated Atomic Bomb over North Carolina – Secret Document

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Mushroom CloudA secret document, published in declassified form for the first time by the Guardian today, reveals that the US Air Force came dramatically close to detonating an atom bomb over North Carolina that would have been 260 times more powerful than the device that devastated Hiroshima.

The document, obtained by the investigative journalist Eric Schlosser under the Freedom of Information Act, gives the first conclusive evidence that the US was narrowly spared a disaster of monumental proportions when two Mark 39 hydrogen bombs were accidentally dropped over Goldsboro, North Carolina on 23 January 1961. The bombs fell to earth after a B-52 bomber broke up in mid-air, and one of the devices behaved precisely as a nuclear weapon was designed to behave in warfare: its parachute opened, its trigger mechanisms engaged, and only one low-voltage switch prevented untold carnage.

Each bomb carried a payload of 4 megatons – the equivalent of 4 million tons of TNT explosive. Had the device detonated, lethal fallout could have been deposited over Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and as far north as New York city – putting millions of lives at risk…

Writing eight years after the accident, Parker F Jones found that the bombs that dropped over North Carolina, just three days after John F Kennedy made his inaugural address as president, were inadequate in their safety controls and that the final switch that prevented disaster could easily have been shorted by an electrical jolt, leading to a nuclear burst. “It would have been bad news – in spades,” he wrote.

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WWII Soldier’s Letter Finally Makes It to Daughter

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picture - Purple Heart DaughterA World War II soldier’s heartfelt letter to his daughter has finally reached her, seven decades after it was written. Peggy Eddington-Smith received the letter penned by her father, Pfc. John Eddington, as well as his Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals, during an emotional ceremony Saturday in Dayton, Nev., about 40 miles southeast of Reno.

The father she never met wrote the three-page letter shortly after she was born and shortly before he died in Italy in June 1944. He sent it while stationed in Texas, just before he was sent overseas…

Donna Gregory of St. Louis found the soldier’s letter and other World War II memorabilia in a box 14 years ago while helping her then-husband clean out his grandparents’ home in Arnold, Mo., a St. Louis suburb.

Gregory’s voice cracked with emotion as she read the letter Saturday, bringing tears to Eddington-Smith and many in the crowd of about 150…the letter [closed], “I love you with all my heart and soul forever and forever. Your loving daddy.”

Eddington-Smith knew her father died in the war. She was unaware of the letter and other contents of the box, including 16 letters from Eddington to his mother, his draft card and military dog tags, his high school diploma and newspaper clips.

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Florida ‘Hiccup Girl’ Guilty of 1st Degree Murder

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Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

A Florida woman who became famous for her uncontrollable hiccupping was found guilty of first-degree murder Friday night and will serve life in prison without parole.

A Pinellas County jury deliberated for four hours before delivering the verdict against 22-year-old Jennifer Mee.

Mee wept in the Clearwater courtroom as the verdict was read. Minutes later, Judge Nancy Moate Ley explained that the only possible sentence for the charge was life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The verdict and five-day trial was a sad end to a chapter in Mee’s short and sad life. Her attorneys said she suffered from schizophrenia and Tourette’s Syndrome, and a court psychiatrist said Mee’s intelligence was “low normal.”

As a 15-year-old, Mee developed a case of the hiccups that wouldn’t go away. She appeared on several TV shows and while on the “Today” show, was hugged by fellow guest and country music star Keith Urban. She tried home remedies and consulted medical specialists, a hypnotist and an acupuncturist, until the hiccups finally stopped on their own, though not for good.

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First Lady: Obama Should Have Been an Architect

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Photo Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty

Photo Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty

During a White House event celebrating achievements in design Friday, Michelle Obama revealed her husband’s secret life-long ambition: He would have been an architect if he only had the skills.

Speaking at the Cooper-Hewitt Design Awards ceremony in the East Room, the first lady explained why “the president is so jealous right now” that she got to host the event.”And every year, when I’m going over my briefing, he’s like, ‘You’re doing that again?’ ” she said, prompting laughter from the crowd. “He’s like, ‘Well, who’s there?’ Because really, deep down, he would have been an architect had he been as talented and creative as all of you.”

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‘Mystery Priest’ and ‘Miracle’ Car Crash Survivor Katie Lentz Hold Emotional Reunion (+video)

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picture - priest car accidentKatie Lentz, a college student who nearly died in the mangled wreckage of a car crash last month, and the “mystery priest” who appeared out of nowhere to minister to her held an emotional reunion Friday at her Illinois home.

“I was just so thrilled he was there,” Katie told FoxNews.com about her meeting with Father Patrick Dowling on the same day she celebrated her 20th birthday.

“I thanked him for being there (at the crash scene) that day and he said he was very happy I could walk with my walker…”

“They were just very happy to see each other,” said Katie’s mother, Carla Lentz. “She said she was so grateful he’d been there and he offered a prayer….”

The priest’s appearance at the Missouri crash scene baffled police, who said he seemed to mysteriously appear from behind a police line to pray with Katie, then disappeared into the night…

Her family credits two occurrences for her survival: Katie’s plea for first responders and witnesses to “pray out loud” as she lay with her head on the pavement and the arrival of Dowling, who anointed her with oil and prayed at her side…

“The Bible tells us the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord,” said Katie’s mother.. “And I believe Father Dowling was at the right place at the right time.”

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E-ZPass Scanners Track Cars Far Away from Toll Plazas (+video)

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Photo Credit: Fox

Photo Credit: Fox

One man who wants to remain anonymous posted a video showing himself driving around Manhattan with a device on his dashboard that makes a cow mooing sound signaling that your privacy is being compromised by something sitting right in your own car: your E-ZPass tag.

In a blog, the driver says he rigged this “cow” so it would go off whenever E-ZPass technology was being used. You can see for yourself: it’s going off in the middle of New York City, nowhere near a toll plaza.

These contraptions, which reportedly went up citywide over the last few months on traffic lights, are what are reading your E-ZPass tag.

New York News

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Men Give Up on their Appearance at the Age of 46 – While Women Care About their Looks for 13 Years Longer

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Photo Credit: REX/Lions Gate/Everett

Photo Credit: REX/Lions Gate/Everett

Men lose interest in fashion trends and being ‘cool’ at the age of 46, a new survey has revealed.

But women put the effort in for a full 13 years longer – focusing on their appearance and general fitness until at least age 59.

The research also found women were nearly twice as likely to lack confidence in their image, with more than one third unable to claim they were at least content with their appearance.

It also emerged one third of the 2,000 men and women who took part in the study blamed a lack of happiness in contributing to their low confidence levels in the way they look.

More than half of those surveyed said they aren’t in great shape physically while a third admit they have never been the type to bother with doing exercise.

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Beanie Babies Creator Charged with Tax Evasion

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Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

The creator of some of the world’s most beloved stuffed animals is getting no love from the IRS.

Ty Warner, who made billions when demand exploded for his Beanie Babies in the 1990s, was charged Wednesday with federal tax evasion, accused of failing to report more than $3 million he earned in a secret offshore account.

Warner, 69, has agreed to plead guilty and will pay a civil penalty of $53.6 million, his lawyer, George Scandaglia, said in a statement.

“This is an unfortunate situation that Mr. Warner has been trying to resolve for several years now,” Scandaglia said. “Mr. Warner accepts full responsibility for his actions with this plea agreement.”

Warner, ranked 209th on Forbes Magazine’s list of richest Americans with an estimated worth of $2.6 billion, generally sold his Beanie Babies for less than $10. At the peak of their popularity in the 1990s, resale of some favored versions could draw several times their retail value.

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We’ll be Uploading our Entire MINDS to Computers by 2045, Google Expert Claims

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Photo Credit: Science Photo Library

Photo Credit: Science Photo Library

In just over 30 years, humans will be able to upload their entire minds to computers and become digitally immortal – an event called singularity – according to a futurist from Google.

Ray Kurzweil, director of engineering at Google, also claims that the biological parts of our body will be replaced with mechanical parts and this could happen as early as 2100.

Kurweil made the claims during his conference speech at the Global Futures 2045 International Congress in New York at the weekend.

The conference was created by Russian multimillionaire Dmitry Itskov and featured visonary talks about how the world will look by 2045.

Kurzweil said: ‘Based on conservative estimates of the amount of computation you need to functionally simulate a human brain, we’ll be able to expand the scope of our intelligence a billion-fold.’

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