Journal of the Bizarre

To the people of Australia, Edward "Ned" Kelly was either a cold-blooded killer or a folk hero, depending on one's point of view.  From the age of 14, Kelly pursued a life of crime as a small-time highwayman and robber, but it wasn't until Kelly and his gang killed three policemen that the infamy of Ned Kelly spread throughout the world.  Kelly's escape from authorities was a hot news story of the time, but it was his final standoff with police which turned him into a national symbol, elevating Kelly to the level of notoriety reserved for the likes of Bonnie and Clyde and Billy the Kid.

On June 27, 1880, the Kelly gang arrived in the tiny railroad outpost of Glenrowan, determined to sabotage the tracks in order to prevent pursuit by police train.  When the two police trains later arrived, Ned and his gang attempted to derail them, but to no avail.  The lawmen engaged in a shooting match with Kelly and his gang, who were dressed up in home-made metal armor and hel…

From 1917 to 1922, the Bolshevik-led Red Army battled the anti-Communist White Army during the Russian Civil War.  By the end of 1919 the Bolsheviks had taken the cities of Omsk and Kiev, and had successfully repelled the White Russian siege of Petrograd.  However, the Bolshevik's momentum would be short-lived as the White Army, after retreating across the Baikal, regrouped and joined forces with Gigory Semyonov's Transbaikal Cossacks.  As the Red Army's losses began to mount, especially in Poland, the Bolsheviks attempted to gain a competitive advantage by embracing new technologies, sometimes with disastrous results.  Such is the sad tale of young inventor Valerian Abakovsky and his Aerowagon.

Abakovsky was a Latvian-born inventor who earned his living as a chauffeur for Cheka, the state security organization created by Lenin.  His position granted him access to many high-ranking Soviets and, although details are scarce, Abakovsky most likely used his influence within t…

Paypal mogul Peter Theil made headlines earlier this week when he announced that he has offered a grant to a Missouri-based startup which plans on using a 3D bioprinting process in order to create edible meat.

Modern Meadow, the company who plans on producing these "man-made" steaks, claims that its technology can be used to precisely layer mixtures of cells in a specific structure.  This technology has been around for a few years, and was originally intended to create medical-grade tissue for patients.  Modern Meadow, however, plans on becoming the first company to apply 3D bioprinting technology to food production.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2189677/Paypal-founder-Peter-Thiel-backs-company-aiming-create-3D-printed-meat.html#ixzz242vLZ

Last month, Harvard University researchers published their findings in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, findings which suggest that fluoride significantly lowers the I.Q. of children.  The study, which was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives of the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences on July 20, implies that fluoridation of drinking water has an adverse effect on children’s neurodevelopment. 

Read Alex Newman's report for The New Americanhere.