Charles Darwin might be wrong about a major theory — just not evolution.

The famous researcher theorized that coral atolls, like one he saw near Tahiti, were created as they stretched toward sunlight while islands below the sank into the sea. This view was controversial at the time and went against the established theory that atolls were actually a thin veneer of coral, not thousands of feet thick as Darwin claimed.

Though drilling would eventually prove Charles Darwin right about the thickness of coral atolls, his ideas about their origins are now being questioned. The May 9 issue of the journal Geology found that cycles in sea level connected to glacial cycles are the main force causing the coral patterns.

“Darwin actually got it mostly right, which is pretty amazing,” said Taylor Perron, the study’s co-author and a geologist at MIT.

Perron added that where Charles Darwin got it wrong was in thinking that the sun and sinking islands were responsible for atolls rather than sea-level cycles.

Researchers already found that Darwin may have been wrong about the means of evolution. They found in 2009 that he likely miscalculated exactly how species evolved over time.

Darwin described evolution as a “tree of life” in which species change like branches on the imaginary tree. Modern genetics show that the tree may not be the best analogy, that it was not nearly as linear or as simple as Darwin made it appear.

Instead, the origins of species looks like an “impenetrable thicket,” with much more crossbreeding between different species than Darwin originally thought. This means a more tangled “web of life” than Darwin sketched out with his tree analogy.

Charles Darwin May Be Wrong On Major Theory is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Oklahoma City Thunder were officially eliminated from the playoffs Wednesday night after losing in Game 5 to the Memphis Grizzlies.

But unofficially, the Thunder’s hopes came to an end much earlier, when the team’s second-best player went down in the first round.

The top seed in the Western Conference was never quite the same after Russel Westbrook was injured against the Houston Rockets in the first round. Despite a 3-0 series lead, they let the Rockets get back in the series with two wins before closing out the series in Game 6.

Then came the Memphis Grizzlies, who looked too physical for the Thunder. Memphis won 88-84 on Wednesday night behind 28 points and 14 rebounds from Zach Randolph.

After eliminating the Thunder, the Grizzlies are off to the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history. Before this season the Grizzlies had just one postseason win.

“This is the first time, so it definitely means a lot. I’m happy, but we’ve still got work to do,” Randolph said. “I want to win a ring.”

The Grizzlies suddenly look like a team that can contend for the title, and now wait for the winner of the San Antonio Spurs-Golden State Warriors series to find out their next opponent.

“We’re trying to do something really special. We want to go as far as we can go,” coach Lionel Hollins said. “To get there, we had to get through Oklahoma City. And now, we have to get through either Golden State or San Antonio to get further.”

The Thunder didn’t got down in Game 5 without a fight. They were down 12 points with three minutes left in Wednesday’s contest, but had a chance to tie it as time wound down. Kevin Durant missed a 16-foot jumper from the wing with 6 seconds remaining, a fitting end to a night in which he made only five of the 21 shots he attempted.

“I gave it all I had for my team. I left it all out there on the floor,” Durant said. “I missed 16 shots, but I kept fighting, I kept being aggressive. That’s all I can ask for.”

After reaching the NBA finals last season, the Thunder will now have to wait another year for a chance at a title.

Thunder Knocked Off By Grizzlies, Eliminated From Playoffs is a post from: The Inquisitr

A tornado in North Texas has killed at least six people, injured close to 100, and destroyed dozens of homes on Wednesday.

The tornado devastated parts of North Texas, cutting through the city of Granbury at close to 8 pm. Officials said the tornado cut a path of destruction through two neighborhoods in the town of 8,000 people, leaving recovery officials to sift through the wreckage and try to determine a death toll.

“Some were found in houses. Some were found around houses,” Sheriff Roger Deeds said at a midnight press conference. He added that the death toll from the Texas tornado could still rise.

Residents in the area described a scene of total destruction, with trees split and power lines toppled.

“The house across from mine looked like it was destroyed,” said 22-year-old Allacia Jenny, who saw the Texas tornado cut through her neighborhood.

Darrin Vasquez, another witness, said the Texas tornado was “very loud and violent,” and described the storm as a vacuum that seemed to be lifting everything up.

“Thank God we’re all right. We all said our prayers,” Vasquez said, adding that he used a mattress to shield his family from debris in a bathroom of their home.

The tornado caused injuries to even more people, with 50 taken to a hospital in Granbury, 14 of whom were admitted. Another 14 people remained unaccounted for.

The total number of injured from the Texas tornado could top 100, noted Matt Zavadsky, spokesman for MedStar Mobile Healthcare.

A video taken by a local resident showed the moment the Texas tornado began to form. The video showed dark clouds spinning slowly as a funnel began to take shape.

The Texas tornado also struck the town of Cleburn, where downed power lines made it difficult for evacuated residents to return to their homes.

Texas Tornado Leaves At Least 6 Dead, 100 Injured is a post from: The Inquisitr

Shakira has confirmed that she will be leaving The Voice next season.

She will be replaced by Christina Aguilera, who coached the singing competition for the first three seasons, but left to promote her most recent album, Lotus. Cee Lo Green, who also coached the first three seasons, left for the same reason, and their old seats were filled by Shakira and Usher. Aguilera’s return was announced earlier this week, and Green is currently in advanced negotiations to join as well, reuniting the original coaching panel (Aguilera, Green, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton). 

Green and Shakira’s returns weren’t completely unexpected. Creator Mark Burnett told The Hollywood Reporter last summer that stars such as the coaches often have other commitments that may require them to leave the show for extended periods of time.

“These are current touring artists, so it’s a matter of balancing schedules,” Burnett said. “They’re all in demand, and we’re just balancing it all.”

Just a couple of days after news of Aguilera’s return broke, Shakira confirmed that she would not be returning for season 5.

“It was a hard decision for me to make, because I’m really fond of the coaches, the people in production and everybody around me,” the Colombian singer told E! News. “And I really enjoyed The Voice, but I also have a musical career and I’m also a mother now and my poor baby’s so tired flying such long distances. He already has more miles than any pilot. So I think I have to give him a little break, and we’ll see what happens in the future.”

Usher may be heading out the door as well. The “Confessions” singer was recently cast as Sugar Ray Leonard in the upcoming film Hands of Stone, a biopic about legendary boxer Roberto Duran. Usher will be starring opposite Robert De Niro, who will play Duran’s trainer, Ray Arcel.

The Voice will keep its two-hour timeslot on Monday, but Tuesday’s one-hour episode has been moved to 9 pm for the 2013-14 season.

Are you disappointed to see Shakira leave The Voice?

[Photo credit: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com]

Shakira Confirms She’s Leaving ‘The Voice,’ Usher Expected To Follow is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Florida airport shooting Wednesday has left two men in jail and at least one man on the run after a Hollywood-style car chase that involved possible shots near an elementary school and a possible attempt to steal a new car to continue the chase from the Jacksonville International Airport parking lot.

Jacksonville, FL Sheriff’s Chief Tom Hackney gave a detailed description of the dramatic car chase, saying that it all started when SWAT officers closed in on a stolen Ford Crown Victoria. Instead of surrendering peacefully, the car of young men sped off, apparently performing evasive maneuvers and eventually ending up in the busy airport’s rental car return area.

The officers tried to block the Ford with two of their own vehicles, but the driver began to slam both cars by backing up and then slamming back.

You’d think it would only work in a movie, but the powerful Crown Victoria — which is frequently also the choice of law enforcement — broke free.

Officers fired. However, even though they hit the fleeing car three times, the suspects got away.

The chase widened. A call came in that someone heard shots near an elementary school, and the school was briefly put on lockdown.

The police eventually tracked the car to a Jacksonville apartment complex, where they captured a 17-year old and a 27-year-old suspect. The older man was the car’s owner, and the younger man was shot in the ankle, putting him on the scene.

At least one other suspect, identified by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department as 20-year-old Rodney Lorenzo Addison, is still on the run.

Hackney wanted to emphasize that the three — or possibly four — suspects aren’t terrorists. They are wanted on possible auto theft and cocaine charges.

However, they should be considered armed and dangerous, willing to use deadly force, including charging at police officers with a vehicle that “weighs several thousand pounds.”

In a video provided by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department office, Chief Tom Hackney explains the detailed sequence of events, including why the officers decided that they had no choice but to use deadly force at JAX airport:

At the time of writing, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department plans to provide more details at an 11 AM press conference on Thursday about the Florida airport shooting.

[Rodney Addison photo via Jacksonville Sheriff's Office]

[photo by Remus Moise via Shutterstock]

Florida Airport Shooting, Shots Exchanged, One Suspect Still On The Run [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Two former death row inmates, Seth Penalver and Herman Lindsey, are protesting the progress of the “Timely Justice Act,” a bill that, if passed, would limit the appeals course for those convicted of capital crimes and expedite the process of state executions in Florida.

Based on the terms of the act, a death warrant would be signed within 30 days of a State Supreme Court review of the capital conviction, and thereafter the state would be required to execute the defendant within 180 days.

The exonerees are concern this action would cost lives, condemning innocent people to death as wrongful convictions do happen. Shortening the appellate process would have ended Penavler’s life, as his criminal sentence was absolved in 2012 after 18 years in prison for a triple murder from 1994 he did not commit. In Penavler’s case, evidence had been allegedly omitted by prosecutors, uncovered later by a private investigator.

Lindsey was sent to Florida’s death row in 2006 for the robbery and murder of a Ft. Lauderdale pawnshop owner back in 1994. His guilty verdict and death row sentence was vacated only after it was deemed the state had failed to properly process the evidence in the case.

Since 1973, 24 men on Florida’s death row have been cleared of their so-called crimes.

The two men held a press conference on Wednesday, asking Florida’s Republican Governor Rick Scott to veto the death penalty bill recently passed by the state legislature.

Lindsey argued the point that several attorneys handling death row cases are underpaid and don’t have the resources to conduct extensive investigations for new evidence.

Currently Florida has about 405 prisoners on death row. If the bill is signed into law, 13 people, who have exhausted their post-conviction appeals and gone through the clemency process, could be executed within the year.

Supporters for capital punishment and the bill feel inmates languish far too long on death row, as some post-conviction appeals can take decades, costing time and money, and making a mockery of the justice system. In Florida, it takes an average of 13 years for an inmate to transition from sentencing to execution. Some have sat for more than 30 years, leaving the victims’ families no choice but to wait for justice and closure.

Do you support capital punishment? Do you think the process from sentencing to execution should be shortened?

[Image via Shutterstock]

Exonerated Inmates Protest Florida Death Row Law is a post from: The Inquisitr

The oldest water on Earth has been discovered by scientist in a Canadian mine well below the surface. The water was found in an isolated reservoir in Timmins, Ontario and it was announced on May 16th in the journal Nature.

After further testing, the scientist announced that the water has been trapped underneath the copper and zinc mine for 1.5 billion to 2.6 billion years. The researchers reported their historical find on Wednesday after finding the water over 2.4 kilometers, roughly 1 1/2 miles, under the mine.

The journal Nature reported that the find had no source of free flowing water that led to the pocket and that the water couldn’t have contacted the Earth’s atmosphere for at least one billion years and up to 2.64 billion years.

“We were expecting these fluids to be possibly tens, perhaps even hundreds of millions of years of age,” said Chris Ballentine, a geochemist at the University of Manchester in the UK that was on site when the water was trapped.

Ballentine went on to add in the report that the findings were “doubly interesting” due to the fact that the oldest water on Earth carries the ingredients that are necessary to support life. The researchers will now do their best to find life within the supply, as Ballentine believes it provides “secluded biomes, ecosystems, in which life, you can speculate, might have even originated.”

Why is this so important? Not only does the find raise questions about ancient life on Earth that has never been found, but also the possibility of water on Mars. Though it’s all speculation at this point, Ballentine noted that rocks on Mars have the same chemical make-up as rocks on Earth and he concluded that “there is no reason to think the same interconnected fluids systems do not exist there.”

The study was funded by local organizations, including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canada Research Chairs program.

The scientist are now studying to see if the oldest water on Earth has harbored life in anyway.

[Image via Roger McLassus]

Oldest Water On Earth Found Deep Below Canadian Mine is a post from: The Inquisitr

Nine Inch Nails bassist Eric Avery has decided to quit the band.

Frontman Trent Reznor announced in February that NIN would be returning for several shows this year. In order to make that happen, the singer brought in Adrian Belew, Josh Eustis, Alessandro Cortini, Ilan Rubin, and Eric Avery.

Unfortunately for Reznor and company, the search is now on for a new bassist. Avery explained his decision to leave the group on Wednesday. In his Facebook statement to fans, Avery wrote that he was quitting the group with “very mixed emotions.”

The bassist continued:

“It’s been a tough call and i don’t know if its the right one. But I really want to focus on my musical life here in [Los Angeles], on film work in particular. As the tour dates kept growing … I just got overwhelmed. I just got home from a year of heavy travel with Garbage, the idea of leaving town for another year and a half, and with all the intensity that [Nine Inch Nails] demands … fortunately my friend Trent understands all this and appreciated my pulling the plug now instead of deep into 2013 and 2014. Go get ‘em gentlemen.”

Trent Reznor announced the return of Nine Inch Nails last February. Although the band will reunite first in Japan, the group is expected to make its triumphant return in the US during Lollapalooza this August.

“I was working with Adrian Belew on some musical ideas, which led to some discussion on performing, which led to some beard-scratching, which (many steps later) led to the decision to re-think the idea of what Nine Inch Nails could be, and the idea of playing a show,” Reznor explained earlier this year.

He added, “Calls were made to some friends, lots of new ideas were discussed, and a show was booked — which led to another, which somehow led to a lot of shows.”

Are you disappointed that Nine Inch Nails bassist Eric Avery has quit the band?

[Trent Reznor Image via Ferenc Szelepcsenyi / Shutterstock.com]

Nine Inch Nails Bassist Quits Band, Issues Statement On Facebook is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kelly Rowland’s new single “Dirty Laundry” blasts the remaining vestiges of her ‘sidekick-to-Beyonce’ role firmly to the curb.

While years in Grammy award winning girl group Destiny’s Child had cemented that role, to some extent with Rowland’s help and tendency to constantly play public cheerleader to the woman she calls her ‘sister.’

But, behind the scenes things weren’t so Disney.

Jettisoning often generic R&B lyrics, Rowland gets down to the bone on The-Dream produced “Dirty Laundry.”  Now, on her fourth studio album, the 32-year-old opens up in a way she hasn’t before to deliver a confessional ballad soaked in honesty.

The song lyrics talk of Rowland’s feelings of jealousy for Beyonce, perhaps from past years when she was taken in by the Knowles family after her mother had to live-in as a domestic elsewhere, and certainly when Knowles’ solo career took flight after 2003′s Dangerously In Love.

Rowland reveals she and Knowles drew apart from each other for a time, before sharing that she was once in an abusive relationship with a male partner. Music industry pressures and self-doubt are also addressed.

Excerpt from “Dirty Laundry”:

“While my sister was on stage, killing it like a motherf—er
I was enraged, feeling it like a motherf—er
Bird in a cage, you would never know what I was dealing with
Went out separate ways, but I was happy she was killing it
Bittersweet, she was up, I was down
No lie, I feel good for her, but what do I do now?
Forget the records
Off the record, I was going through some bullshit
Post-survivor, she on fire, who wanna hear my bullshit?
Meanwhile, this n***a putting his hands on me
I swear y’all don’t know the half of this industry”

The hook:

“Let’s do this dirty laundry, this dirty laundry
Let’s do this dirty laundry, this dirty laundry
When you’re soaked in tears for years, it never airs out
When you make pain look this good it never wears out
This dirty laundry, this dirty laundry”

From the reviews “Dirty Laundry” has garnered so far MTV Buzzworthy writes:

“As hard as it must have been for Kelly to air her ‘Dirty Laundry’, we imagine it was equally therapeutic. We commend her courage!”

Stuff Fly People Like says:

“It gives you chills. It’s so vintage R.Kelly-ish that it’s eerie. I applaud Kelly for this contribution to the music world. It’s what we need in a sea of the ‘new normal’ of AutoTune and poppin’ mollies.”

Complex notes:

“Quoting the lyrics almost seems to take away from their power in the song, detached black print on your computer monitor.”

While Idolator opines:

“It’s one of those rare songs where the lyrics, and not the music, make the first impression.”

What’s impressive about Rowland’s searing reveals is that she has moved past the things she sings of. Any doubts that she and Beyonce remain ‘sisters’ are put to rest by the fact that they are still friends who sing, lunch and play together.

That’s a pretty amazing reflection on not just Rowland but also Beyonce.

“Dirty Laundry’s” deconstruction of the ‘smiley Miss Kelly’ image of old leaves a new perception of Rowland in its wake. More real and paradoxically — given that the song themes vulnerability — more powerful.

Talk a Good Game is slated for release on June 18.

Beyoncé Hung Out To Dry On Kelly Rowland’s ‘Dirty Laundry?’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kirstie Alley slammed Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries in an interview with Entertainment Tonight and on Twitter — and he’s not the only negative person she’s calling out either. As the plain-speaking 62-year-old actress tweeted a few hours ago, “[N]ow that I’ve stopped being controversial, I find myself longing for controversy.”

The frequent Tweeter recently said that she was going to take a break from controversial tweets for a couple of weeks, but Kirstie Alley just can’t resist. I know the feeling. How can you keep quiet when people keep being so ridiculous?

As The Inquisitr reported last night, Kirstie Alley slammed Jeffries in an ET interview:

“”He says…Abercrombie clothes are for people that are cool and who look a certain way and are beautiful and who are thin and blah, blah, blah. He goes on and on and on. That would make me never buy anything from Abercrombie even if I was cool and thin. I got two kids in that [age] bracket that will never walk in those doors because of his view of people.”

In response, Jeffries issued a statement to ET stating that they were an “aspirational” brand not intended for everybody but that they didn’t support hate or discrimination based on size:

“We are completely opposed to any discrimination, bullying, derogatory characterizations or other anti-social behavior based on race, gender, body type or other individual characteristics.”

Jeffries doesn’t use English as plain as Alley’s, but he seemed to be saying that he admitted that the brand only targeted the thin, beautiful “specialty…segment of customers.” They don’t hate fat people. They just don’t want ‘em shopping at Abercrombie & Fitch.

Eh, I think Alley already figured that much out. She stands by what she told Entertainment Tonight:

I don’t care if A&F sells above size 10. The point is their CEO took a stand against the “coolness” of “above size 10 kids” #standdownCEO

— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) May 15, 2013

and lastly Dear CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, arent you the same douche frog that ok’d THONGS for six y/o girls??

— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) May 14, 2013

and Dear Abercrombie & Fitch CEO, If I ever meet you at a party, don’t stand close to me. Your veneers are blinding & could take down a G6

— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) May 14, 2013

Jodi Arias makes a hissable villain, and Alley doesn’t hold back what she thinks, even in the face of Arias fan protests:

Dear Jodi Arias, I hope you get your death row wish. Dreams can come true.:)Love, Every other woman who has not stabbed her man 37 times

— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) May 15, 2013

omg I just realized there are Jodi Arias FANS out there…sorta takes the shine off the people who love MY work…

— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) May 15, 2013

now that I’ve stopped being controversial, I find myself yearning for controversy

— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) May 16, 2013

I have to admit it. I’m loving the Kirstie Alley slams. Do you?

[Kirstie Alley photo by lev radin / Shutterstock.com]

Kirstie Alley Slams Abercrombie & Fitch, Jodi Arias, And ‘Yearns For Controversy’ On Twitter is a post from: The Inquisitr

Poker Star Phil Ivey has been accused of cheating by a casino in the UK.

The American poker player stands accused of winning millions of dollars by dishonestly playing baccarat at Crockfords casino in London. The Genting Group, the Malaysian company who owns the resort, says the Ivey and an accomplice scammed the casino out of $11.9 million during a handful of games last August.

However, the poker star issued a statement about the allegations on Wednesday. Although he is accused of winning his baccarat millions illegally, Ivey claims this couldn’t be further from the truth.

“The fact that I have issued a lawsuit in the face of what they are alleging says everything about how comfortable I am with my conduct and the validity of my win. Any allegations of wrongdoing by Crockfords are denied by me in the very strongest of terms,” he explained.

According to The Associated Press, the lawsuit in question was filed last month in London’s High Court after the casino failed to pay Ivey his winnings. Crockfords’ response to lawsuit included claims that Ivey had cheated at baccarat during his visit to the resort last year. This is the reason why the company has refused to fork over the cash.

“There’s nothing in his past that would hint at his being a cheater or unethical in any way. People say he’s arguably the best poker player in the world; but, really, there’s no argument,” explained Bluff magazine’s Lance Bradley.

Ivey is accused of knowing which cards were being dealt while playing a baccarat at the casino. Although it’s being reported that the poker star cheated with the help of an accomplice, the specifics of how he managed to accomplish this task are few and far between.

While nothing official has been released by the casino in regards to how Ivey managed to cheat, the Daily Mail reports that a flaw in the manufacturing process may have allowed him to read the cards as they were being dealt.

The website also reports that Ivey’s was accompanied by a Chinese woman who has reportedly been banned from several casinos after being caught using similar tactics. It’s believed that she may have helped the American poker star recognize the cards during play.

What do you think about poker star Phil Ivey being accused of cheating by the UK casino?

[Image via Shutterstock]

Poker Star Accused Of Cheating By UK Casino is a post from: The Inquisitr

The current Miss USA has a crush on Prince Harry. Nana Meriwether attended Prince Harry’s fundraiser reception on Tuesday at NYC’s Four Seasons Restaurant and she wasn’t afraid to admit that she has a thing for the Prince.

During the fundraiser, Meriwether spoke with Britain’s Telegraph and she made it known how excited she was to have the chance to meet Pricne Harry.

“”He is doing a wonderful job of representing your country here,” she told the Telegraph. “Miss USA is like royalty in the states, so I am really hoping to meet him.”

She even took her comments a step further, noting that she is single and that the pairing would be perfect.

“He is single, right?” She added. “Well so am I. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we married? And he is very tall and good-looking, I hear. Perfect. We are meant to be.”

Miss USA’s crush on Prince Harry may not go over too well with his girlfriend Cressida Bonas, though rumors have surfaced that the couple may be having troubles. According to Fashion & Style, Prince Harry and Bonas are struggling with their relationship, possibly because he still has feelings for his ex, Chelsy Davy.

Nevertheless, rumors are rumors and E!Online reported that the couple was seen enjoying a weekend date night in London back in March and that they’re still going strong.

Is this Nana Meriwether’s chance to swoop in and steal Prince Harry’s heart? Not exactly, as she never really had the chance to connect with him during the fundraiser while he was busy attending to a guest list of over 200 people.

According to US Weekly, the Maryland beauty may not have found love on Tuesday, but either way, she added that “it would make a great story… we should totally get married.”

Miss USA’s crush wasn’t the biggest news of the night, as Prince Harry announced during his speech that the fundraiser helped bring in over a half a million dollars that will help ”mentor and train our next generation of truly inspirational young sports coaches.”

[Image via © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com]

Miss USA Crush: Nana Meriwether Has A Thing For Prince Harry is a post from: The Inquisitr

Emperor Palpatine weighs in on the controversy.

Amy’s Baking Yelp Reviews Aren’t All Bad is a post from: The Inquisitr

It looks like a happy ending after all for the 17 abandoned puppies found near Indiana Dunes State Park, last Friday.  All 17 puppies have already found homes, with their applications in the final stages of adoption, according to the Lakeshore PAWS nonprofit organization.

The puppies were found by concerned local resident, Karen Reader, who saw the 17 puppies dumped along an Indiana Road last Friday night.  Reader saw the driver of a gold SUV dump the 17 puppies along with their mother on the side of the State Park Road in Porter Indiana and then speed off.

The Labrador mixed puppies appear to be from two separate litters and were originally sent to the Porter County Animal Shelter after being rescued.  The shelter then contacted the Lakeshore PAWS nonprofit, who quickly found homes for all of the pups-with over 70 applications sent to Lakeshore PAWS on their behalf.

The mother is currently being fostered and will be put up for adoption when the timing is correct.  She is currently underweight and frightened by new people but is expected to fully recover from the stressful ordeal.

Each of the 17 abandoned puppies has already been assigned to a family, and all puppies will be spayed or neutered before joining their forever homes this coming Tuesday.

While adoptions may be closed for the 17 abandoned puppies found near Indiana dunes, there are still numerous shelter cats and dogs which still need to find their loving, forever homes.

Approximately 3 to 4 million cats and dogs are euthanized every year across shelters nationwide in the US, according to the ASPCA . This means that 60% of dogs and 70% of cats which enter shelters nationwide do not find homes every year, and you can still make a difference in the lives of just one lucky dog or cat.

Numerous pet adoption sites online like Petfinder, Adopt A Pet and the ASPCA, can help you in your search to adopt a four legged forever friend. You can also pay a visit to your local animal shelter, see if your local animal shelter has a website, or a Facebook or Twitter page, if you’re looking to adopt a dog or cat.

Inquisitr Readers: What do you think about the 17 puppies dumped along the Indiana road, and what do you think should happen to the person who abandoned the 18 dogs? Have you ever adopted a dog or cat before?

[Image Via: Lakeshore PAWS]

17 Puppies Dumped Along Indiana Road Have All Found Homes is a post from: The Inquisitr

The new Pacific Rim trailer shows titans clashing over control of Earth.

In Pacific Rim, when monsters threaten to take over the planet, we create our own monsters.

Giant creatures called the Kaiju have crept out of the Pacific Ocean and started consuming our resources. In order to combat the threat, humanity works together using giant mechs called Jaegers, which are constantly being upgraded. These mechs are controlled by teams of people, much like the classic anime cartoons Voltron and Battletech. In the end, it all comes down to two unlikely heroes using a Jaeger widely considered obsolete.

Of course, being a Guillermo del Toro film, Ron Perlman is one of the major stars. It is yet unclear what his role is in Pacific Rim, but he can be clearly seen in a few clips in the trailer.

The trailer for Pacific Rim begins with the narrator saying, “We always thought alien life would come from the stars, but it came from deep beneath the Pacific. First Kaiju made land in San Francisco. The second attack hit Manila. And the third one hit Cabo, and we learned this was not gonna stop. In order to fight monsters, we created monsters of our own. We needed a new weapon. The Jaeger program was born.”

During this speech we see the alien invasion full-on with flying rubble, and people approaching a rail to stare out beyond it, one with binoculars. One of the Kaiju starts tearing through traffic, people hold hands side by side as they witness the coming disaster, and a jet fighter gets torn out of the sky by a massive claw. Then we see men suiting up in high-tech armor and mounting control points of massive robots. Several scenes pass of the mech facility.

Idris Elba, who plays rather outspoken soldier Stacker Pentecost in Pacific Rim, narrates, “Today, at the end of our hope, the end of our time, we’ve chosen to believe in each other. Today we face the monsters that are at our door. Today we are canceling the apocalypse!”

In general, the trailer looks impressive and action packed. The rest is above. Pacific Rim is slated to hit theaters July 12.

What do you think of the trailer for Pacific Rim?

‘Pacific Rim’ Titans Clash In New Trailer [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Marijuana helps self esteem says a study which focused on the negative psychological effects of social exclusion.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, studies not only show marijuana helps self esteem, it makes you skinnier and helps your blood sugar regulation (I wonder if there’s many pot head diabetics?). Researchers found that participants who smoke pot have significantly smaller waist circumference than participants who have never smoked marijuana.

Tommy Chang argues legalizing marijuana could help the self esteem of the entire United States by creating a cash flow to the Federal government:

“Look at the situation we’re in now. Sequesters. Cuts. Everything cut across the board. Now, the government is tapped into the biggest cash crop in the world … There’s little manufacturing cost. You don’t have to do anything except watch it grow and get a couple of hippies to cut it and then put it in a bag.”

Timothy Deckman of the University of Kentucky says marijuana helps self esteem in his study:

“Prior work has shown that the analgesic acetaminophen [found in Tylenol], which acts indirectly through CB1 receptors [in the brain], reduces the pain of social exclusion. The current research provides the first evidence that marijuana also dampens the negative emotional consequences of social exclusion on negative emotional outcomes.”

Out of the 7,040 participants, marijuana users reported higher levels of self worth compared to non-marijuana users. The marijuana study worked in four phases to study different results based upon life circumstances. In general, marijuana users suffered from less instances of depression even when lonely.

Since marijuana helps self esteem, the researchers used this conclusion to explain the stereotypical pot head:

“Marijuana has been used to treat physical pain, and the current findings suggest that it may also reduce emotional pain. This may reflect a poor way of coping with social pain, but it may also explain some of the widespread appeal of marijuana.”

What do you think about this study claiming marijuana helps self esteem?

Marijuana Helps Self Esteem For The Lonely Skinny People, Says Study is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Kepler space observatory suffered a major failure on Wednesday, putting into questions the future of NASA’s planet-hunting space observatory.

Kepler’s controllers found on Tuesday that the observatory had gone into a “safe mode.” They also found that one of the reaction wheels needed to orient the spacecraft wasn’t spinning.

Associate NASA Administrator John Grunsfeld added that NASA engineers are trying to figure out if they can get the part back into service or regain control another way. Grunsfeld added:

“We’re not ready to call the mission over. Kepler is not in a place where I can go up and rescue it.”

The Kepler mission’s spacecraft orbits the sun rather than the Earth. Because of this, the craft is currently about 40 million miles from us. So far, the mission has identified 132 planets out of our solar system since it launched in 2009. Because of this, scientists believe most stars in our galaxy have planets circling them.

The Kepler probe was built with four reaction wheels, though three of them are needed to aim its telescope precisely at a far away star. Deputy project manager Charlie Sobeck added that the probe has already had one reaction wheel fail in July 2012. That means that the spacecraft is left with two reaction wheels.

Kepler shut itself down after it was pointing in the wrong direction. Its solar panels are facing back at the sun, giving controllers intermittent communication with Kepler as it spins far above the Earth. Sobeck stated it was “reasonable to suspect” the shutdown was from the reaction wheel’s failure, though scientists have not yet confirmed it.

Kepler was designed to operate for between three and a half to six years. Even if controllers are unable to fix the craft’s issues, NASA stated that the mission has provided enough data to keep mission scientists busy for the next two years.

The $600 million Kepler spacecraft has spotted exoplanets by searching for brightness dips caused when they pass between us and their parent stars. The main goal for the mission has been to learn how common Earth-like alien planets are throughout our galaxy. Before its failure, Kepler’s reaction wheel showed signs of elevated friction for five months.

[Image via NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech]

Kepler Spacecraft Suffers Major Failure, Mission’s Future In Jeopardy is a post from: The Inquisitr

Farrah Abraham and Jenelle Evans could be getting a Teen Mom spinoff.

MTV is reportedly planning a one-time spinoff episode that would feature Abrahams, Evans, and their estranged mothers living under one roof.

A source said, “Network executives are exploring having the Teen Mom stars live in a house with their mothers for a week, or more, all while cameras roll, kind of like Big Brother.”

The focus of the spinoff would be on trying to mend the relationships between the 21-year-old single mothers and their own mothers.

“The special would focus on dissecting and repairing the relationships between the reality stars and their mothers,” the source added. “The Teen Moms’ children would be on the premises during filming, but they wouldn’t be featured on the special.”

Abraham revealed earlier this week that she was considering moving to Los Angeles for her own spinoff series. Only this one would feature her 4-year-old daughter, Sophia.

“Sophia will of course be in it,” she said. My daughter is part of my life; she is going to be involved.”

If the special does get the green light, it will be interesting to see the dynamic between Abraham and Evans, who have been very vocal about their dislike for each other. Evans said Abraham annoyed her, and mocked her in a Keek video. Abraham responded by saying that Evans was jealous of her, and then went on to say that she “seems to continuously not care about her son or herself.”

Since their respective runs on Teen Mom, Farrah Abraham and Jenelle Evans have consistently made headlines for their outlandish behavior. Evans not only got pregnant for a second time and practically live-tweeted her miscarriage, but she was also arrested for heroin possession and assault. Abraham was arrested on suspicion of DUI and released a “sex tape” with porn star James Deen.

Do you think Farrah Abraham and Jenelle Evans should get a spinoff?

Farrah Abraham And Jenelle Evans To Star In ‘Teen Mom’ Spinoff [Report] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The IRS is in the news quite a lot lately, inspiring a new poll into how Americans perceive the tax agency. Surprise, surprise, most Americans aren’t terribly in favor of the organization.

According to a HuffPost/YouGov poll, most Americans have a negative opinion of the IRS, with about 59 percent viewing the organization unfavorably compared to 21 percent who have a favorable view of the IRS (or possibly, simply don’t understand what the IRS does).

The remaining 20 percent didn’t want to be audited said they weren’t sure.

The same poll also found that most Americans have heard at least a little bit about the latest IRS scandal, which involved the unfair targeting of conservative groups during tax season. However, only 36 percent said that they had heard a lot about the story while 41 percent hadn’t really been following the news. The remaining 23 percent said they hadn’t heard anything.

Then, 43 percent of of those surveyed said that they were concerned about the IRS targeting the government’s political enemies, while 25 percent said that they were only sort of concerned. The remaining 15 percent said that weren’t very concerned and the bottom 5 said that they weren’t concerned at all.

General regard for the IRS was pretty partisan, overall. Republicans and Independents had the most distaste for the IRS, while Democrats were somewhat divided.

Most interesting was the percentage of people who are calling for the IRS to be eliminated entirely after the organization’s latest bit of corruption. Though more Republicans and Independents favored the organization’s dissolution than Democrats by a modest margin, 35 percent overall want to see the IRS eliminated while 42 percent want it to continue on.

What do you think of the IRS and their latest scandal? Do you favor the organization? Do you think that they could be used by the government to target political enemies of the current administration? Sound off!

[Image via: isak55, Shutterstock]

Surprise! Most Americans Don’t Like The IRS [Poll] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Former race car driver Richard “Dick” Trickle died this morning at the age of 71.

Lincoln County officials said that Trickle died of a gunshot wound. Authorities believe that it was a suicide.

According to WCTI, authorities received a call this morning from a man who said that “there would be a dead body and it would be his” at the Forest Lawn Cemetery near Boger City, North Carolina. Rescue workers tried to return the call but didn’t get an answer.

Trickle’s body was later found near his pickup truck.

Trickle was a mainstay in the Sprint Cup series for over 20 years. He retired in 2002 after 303 Sprint Cup races. Yahoo Sports notes that Trickle’s best year came in 1989 when he scored six top five finishes.

Several NASCAR drivers have taken to social media to express their grief over Trickle’s passing.

Kenny Wallace wrote: Dick Trickle taught me to be me, He taught me to Justify things my way and said “Kenny keep laughing loud cause that’s who you are”

NASCAR wrote: Dick Trickle will always be remembered – as a NASCAR legend, a great character, and a true wheelman. He will be missed.

J.J. Yeley added: I just read about Dick Trickle, met him during my season doing IROC series. He was a true Racer and will be missed.

Dick Trickle Dies In Apparent Suicide At Age 71 is a post from: The Inquisitr