A new study looking at global temperature changes and the birth of stars in our universe has come to suggest that climate change may be driven by cosmic ray intensities. Looking at historical data, researchers suggest that changes in the Sun’s magnetic field, combined with our solar system’s position as it travels around the galaxy, affect the amount of cosmic rays that reach Earth’s atmosphere, which in turn influences cloud formation (more rays equals more clouds), which in turn influences global temperatures.

A BBC news article that reports about James Cameron finding the tomb of Jesus ends with the following:

Local residents told the BBC News website they were pleased with the attention the tomb has drawn.

“It will mean our house prices will go up because Christians will want to live here,” one woman said.

I really wonder what the exact market value for Jesus is in terms of real estate prices. We have quite a bit of empty space in our garden, and a tomb or two would fit in pretty well.

Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam… Here cometh the Monty Python “Spamaloth” flash game. You cannot resist. Proceed here.

Warning: addictive, and the background song may damage your social status as you inevitably end up humming it for the next ten days.

First they demonstrated that (at least) a certain species of birds can plan for the future, and then that South American spider monkeys hug for a greeting. Both were sort of assumed to be uniquely human traits.

Today, news came that chimps use spears to hunt food (insert here a humorous picture of a chimp throwing Britney Spears on a bushbaby). Now, all those pointy things were really supposed to be what made us human, and thus different from the non-human.

So, what next? Robots that cry with you?

Really, what in the end is left of our claims of uniqueness other than the fact that we may well be the only species that has this passionate need to see ourselves as unique, and not just another part of a larger biological system?

A new Michael Jackson track has appeared online. Actually, it is a track by what I assume is a rapper by the name Tempamental, and features Michael Jackson and Pras (of The Fugees). The title is either “No Friend of Mine” or “Gangsta”, depending on who you want to believe. I like the former more.

Michael is said to be working on a new album to be released by the end of this year, so could this track give some idea about the direction that he is taking? I certainly hope not, as it sounds pretty much like something from his previous album Invincible, which I wasn’t too keen on.

The track has of course already leaked out on mp3, and can be downloaded from the usual places. You can apparently even catch it on some radio stations. Alternatively, you can go and see a fan-made video for the song at YouTube, or even head to Tempamental’s MySpace page, but I would rather you don’t as I truly hate MySpace for it is probably the ugliest and least navigable web community that there has ever been.

They say that “No Friend of Mine” was played over 100,000 times from Tempamental’s MySpace during the first five days that it was there. Clearly then, even when considering repeated listeners, Michael Jackson still generates quite some interest. Heck, even I am typing this now while what I should really be doing is watching Barcelona vs. Liverpool.

One of my favourite musicians, Tori Amos, has announced that her forthcoming album titled American Doll Posse will be out on the 1st of May, 2007.

The past year or so has seen a lot of speculation on various online forums regarding the direction Tori will be taking on this album. She has remained rather tight-lipped about details, but has noted that while it will be see a return of the “fighter woman” in her, in terms of music it will not be a return to anything that she has done before.

For some reason (partly based on some cryptic remarks that she has made, and partly based on the type of music she has mentioned to be currently listening and has requested on radio shows), I have this feeling that American Doll Posse will be a rockier album than anything that we have heard from Tori before. And if it is, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear a sound at least vaguely similar to Nine Inch Nails, whose front man Trent Reznor is (or at least used to be) a good friend of Tori’s.

This all is of course complete speculation, and I guess it won’t be until May 1st when we will know what she’s been up to these past months. Unless, of course, downloadable mp3 tracks leak out and the fans get to download American Doll Posse before its official release. Tori has, however, in the past been very careful not to let her babies to be stolen. So much so that she has apparently pissed off some music reviewers with her copy protection methods, which at one point included inventing a completely new type of glue. (Google, and thou shalt find.)

The full official American Doll Posse press release can be read at Tori Amos - Undented, the default source for (unofficial) Tori Amos news. Be sure the check out the picture as well, and preferably in high resolution. The woman is scary as hell.