How US students get a university degree for free in Germany - BBC News While the cost of college education in the US has reached record highs, Germany has abandoned tuition fees altogether for German and international students alike. An increasing number of Americans are taking advantage and saving tens of thousands of dollars to get their degrees. In a kitchen in rural South Carolina one night, Hunter Bliss told his mother he wanted to apply to university in Germany. Amy Hall chuckled, dismissed it, and told him he could go if he got in. "When he got accepted I burst into tears," says Amy, a single mother. Across the US parents are preparing for their children to leave the nest this summer, but not many send them 4,800 miles (7,700km) away - or to a continent that no family member has ever set foot in. Yet the appeal of a good education, and one that doesn't cost anything, was hard for Hunter and Amy to ignore. "For him to stay here in the US was going to be very costly," says Amy. "The healthcare gives her peace of mind," says Hunter. 'Mind blowing'
Skipping meals tied to increased belly fat, prediabetes The researchers suggest skipping meals to save calories could be counterproductive as it results in larger fluctuations of insulin and glucose that can lead to more fat gain instead of fat loss. Writing in the The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, the researchers, including members from Ohio State University in Columbus, describe how they compared mice allowed to nibble their food throughout the day with mice that ate their food in one session and then fasted for the rest of the time. They found that the mice that gorged all their day's food in one session and fasted in between developed insulin resistance in their livers - an indicator of prediabetes - and more fat in their abdomens. When the liver becomes less sensitive to insulin, it keeps producing glucose when it is not needed, so the blood ends up with too much sugar and the excess is stored as fat. For the experiment, the researchers initiated gorging behavior in the mice. Gorging and fasting also led to prediabetes
Make Your Own Microwave Popcorn | Do It Yourself Microwave Popcorn Recipe | Gourmet Popcorn Recipes Did you know you can Make your Own Microwave Popcorn in under 4 minutes? Store bought Microwave popcorn is convenient, but it happens to be loaded with fats/oils/sodium, etc. You can make your own healthier, dirt cheap microwave popcorn, complete with various flavors of seasoning in under 4 minutes. You'll Need: paper bag (lunch size) 1/4 cup popcorn kernels 2 to 3 tablespoons melted butter (optional) Popcorn salt or table salt, to taste (optional) 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese or other cheese sprinkle (optional) Pour the (unpopped kernels) of popcorn in the paper bag. Fold the top of the bag over twice to close. Put the bag in the microwave and cook on high power for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the pops are 5 seconds apart. Remove the bag from the oven and open it carefully, avoiding the steam. Voila, Healthy snack in under 4 minutes. Want something a little different? Here are a few to get you started: CanstockPhoto/Vankad
Alien | Typeset In The Future The opening credits for Alien are nothing short of a typographic masterpiece. You can watch them in their entirety on the Art Of The Title web site, but here's the general gist: a slow, progressive disclosure of a disjointed, customized Futura reveals the movie's central theme over 90 seconds of beautifully-spaced angular lettering. UPDATE: Susan Bradley (and others) have pointed out that this is much more like Helvetica Black than Futura. I'd based my original claim on Art Of The Title's interview with the creators, despite a mismatch when I checked it against Futura myself. However, after a detailed comparison with Helvetica Black, I tend to agree with Susan. (Before I show you how it looks, I should provide a sizable caveat: I got a lot of grief following my Moon article for spoiling that movie's central twist. Here we go. Can you tell what it is yet? It's looking pretty angular. And beautifully mirrored, at least along the y-axis. Well, that was unexpected. WAIT A MINUTE. – @daveaddey
RealDoll silicone sex dolls become dirty-talking robots Sexed up ... RealDoll is making chatty robot heads to fit onto its lifelike dolls. Picture: YouTube/New York Times Source: Supplied BEING startlingly life-like is no longer enough for sex dolls. They also need to be able to have a good old yak. At least that’s the thinking driving RealDoll founder Matt McMullen as he incorporates emerging technologies into his silicone ‘love dolls’ which are sculpted to be anatomically-correct, head-to-toe. Their physiques can be fully customised, from their skin to their bust size and eye colour. And they are now being given tailored personalities. Famous toys ... McMullen told The New York Timeshe was using artificial intelligence and robotics to create the impression of sentience to form a genuine emotional bond between man and machine. The outcome is that owners will be able to talk dirty with their sexbots before getting some action — and ‘she’ will like it. McMullen demonstrated one his prototypes which can blink, move its mouth and converse.
'Star Trek': The Story of the Most Daring Cliffhanger in 'Next Generation' History In June 1990, many Trekkies considered the crew of the Enterprise-D pretenders to the throne. Star Trek: The Next Generation was closing out its third season, and it was still struggling to step out of the shadow of Kirk's (William Shatner) Enterprise. That was about to change thanks to a daring cliffhanger pulled off in an era of television in which shocking deaths and major plot twists weren't par for the course. When "Best of Both Worlds: Part I" aired 25 years ago this week, it was truly jarring to fans. Written by Michael Piller and directed by Cliff Bole, "Best of Both Worlds" is arguably the most influential arc in Next Generation history. Ronald D. Jonathan Frakes, Commander William T. See more 15 Key 'Star Trek' Moments Moore: It was the only show that year that we didn't actually sit in the room as a writing staff and break together. Frakes: The episode was key to Riker's character. Michael Westmore, makeup artist: Patrick Stewart loved being in the makeup chair.
The big shot: online competition rules See below for the full terms and conditions of the Sunday Times photocompetition in partnership with Audley Travel 1. Open to United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland residents aged 18 or over only, except employees of the Promoter, News Corp UK & Ireland Limited, and their associated, affiliated or subsidiary companies, their families, agents or any other person(s) connected with the competition, including Audley Travel Group and any other third party promotional partners. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. These terms and conditions apply to all competitions (unless and to the extent that) the competition states otherwise. The winner is responsible for ensuring they are able to accept the prize as set out and in accordance with these terms and conditions, in the event they are unable to do so then the Promoter reserves the right to redraw the prize. By entering, all eligible entrants agree to abide by each and all these terms and conditions.
Scientists Used Virtual Reality to Teleport People into Different Bodies This article originally appeared on Motherboard While surgery bots like Da Vinci XI are already letting doctors perform surgery through machines, we could see humans teleoperating robots from greater distances in the future. Say, for example, a doctor in London operating on someone in Mumbai, or a human operating a robot on Mars. But what goes on in your brain when you’re under the illusion of embodying a robot? In a study published today, researchers at Sweden’s Karolinksa Institute set out to answer that question by creating an out-of-body illusion where volunteers were "teleported" into a foreign body with the help of virtual reality headsets. “This experiment is a brain imaging experiment. In the experiment, 15 volunteers were asked to lie on the bed inside a MRI scanner. According to lead author of the study, Arvid Guterstam, the brain merges the sensation of touch and visual input from the new perspective in a matter of seconds. Related: Is Virtual Reality The Future Of Journalism?
Queen stunned by inventory of historical Royal gifts The Queen was shown the illuminated manuscript during a tour of the Royal Library at Windsor Castle, at the launch of a digitised archive of royal papers. Looking at the poems, presented to the Prince Regent in 1812 by the Shah of Persia, the Queen remarked to guests: “You don’t get gifts like that any more.” The vast archive, totalling more than 350,000 pages, includes papers from the reigns of kings from George I to William IV, although most relate to George III. She said afterwards: “The Queen said she was stunned by the beauty of the gifts and letters, especially the Persian book of poetry that she was looking at earlier. “She talked a great deal about the letters. • What kind of monarch will Prince Charles be? It was the first time the Queen had seen the documents, which were previously kept under lock and key in the Royal Archives. • Duchess takes on the Duchy in the battle of the royal honeycombs Creating a digital archive is expected to take five years.
Looting after Hurricane Sandy: Disaster myths and disaster utopias explained. Photograph by Mehdi Taamallah/AFP/Getty Images. On Thursday, three days after Hurricane Sandy swept across the Eastern Seaboard, darkening power grids, flooding neighborhoods, and killing at least 74 people, former Star Trek actor and social-media dynamo George Takei posted a lovely photo to his Facebook timeline. It showed two power strips draped over the gratework of a fence, phone cords tendrilling from each one. A sign said, “We have power. Elsewhere on Facebook, a user from New York described what happened a few hours before the storm hit on Monday when a man attempted to steal a woman’s pocketbook: Immediately, people were at their windows yelling “Stop that guy!” And the roll call of small mitzvahs and impromptu cooperation surrounding Sandy keeps expanding. Which prompted us cynical souls to ask: What’s going on? Researchers in disaster science have again and again debunked the idea that catastrophe causes social breakdown and releases the ugliest parts of human nature.
VisaEase Officially Launches Its US Immigration Service VisaEase is marking the official launch of its immigration assistance service after completing a one-year beta. Customers can choose from a self-service option or an attorney-reviewed service. The startup worked directly with immigration attorneys to create its user flow. Currently, VisaEase specializes in green cards, individual visas and citizenship, but it’s considering expanding into business visas as well. During its beta phase, the company boasted a 100 percent approval rate for applications completed on its platform. ➤ VisaEase See also: 500 Startups-backed Bridge US launches a tool for helping businesses submit visa applications