Robot news

Noelle nativity

Hampered by South Korea's low birth rate, medical students in need of obstetric experience are turning to Noelle, a mannequin mother complete with robotic baby equipped with pink and blue lights to indicate its 'health'.

Faking it

Game wardens in New Hampshire made more than 50 arrests for illegal hunting in 2006, with the aid of motorized decoy deer featuring realistic head and tail movements.

Number crunch

5 Atlantic hurricanes occurred in the 2006 season.

79 was their combined ferocity on the Accumulated Cyclone Energy index.

81 was the energy of the single biggest 2006 Pacific storm, Super Typhoon Ioke.

On the record

“We are very excited about this game as it presents both sides of the creation–evolution argument, and so shows that the contemporary theory of evolution is perhaps the greatest hoax of modern times.”

Credit: M. RIETSCHEL/AP

Erstwhile actor and born-again Christian Kirk Cameron, creator of the board game Intelligent Design vs Evolution, clearly doesn't trust players to make up their own minds.

“Elephants around the country will enjoy a delicious lunch today consisting of about five Christmas trees each.”

Berlin Zoo spokesman Ragnar Kühne on a festive recycling solution.

Sources: Reuters, VAOnews.com, Wunderblog, Journal Chrétien