Chinese astronaut didn't see Great Wall

Chinese astronautdidn't see Great Wall
BEIJING -- China's first astronaut said he didn't see the Great Wall while in orbit, contradicting a Chinese belief that it is the only structure visible from space. "I did not see our Great Wall from space," Lt. Col. Yang Liwei said in an interview with China Central Television. The transcript was released Friday. The report said Yang's interviewer asked about the Great Wall after viewers left messages on the broadcaster's Internet site asking him to verify the popular belief that the Great Wall can be seen from space. The wall stretches thousands of miles across northern China but is only a few yards wide. The report didn't say whether Yang could see any other artificial structures like the pyramids of Egypt or U.S. Interstate 95.
Skin infection outbreak
ATLANTA -- Life behind bars -- with its close contact and sharing of soap and towels -- has contributed to several prison and jail outbreaks of a hard-to-treat skin infection that health officials fear could easily spread to the outside.
Staphylococcus aureus -- a strain of staph infection that resists drugs -- had previously only been found in hospitals. But now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is finding infections among military recruits, sports teams and particularly in prisons and jails.
The CDC said the concern about the further spread of outbreaks that begin behind bars is because of the fact that one in every 142 U.S. residents was in prison or jail last year. "If you look at especially jails, it is a dynamic equilibrium," said Dr. Dan Jernigan, a CDC epidemiologist. "Individuals are coming in and out all the time."
Study: Pot cuts fertility
SAN ANTONIO -- Men who want to be fathers should lay off the pot-smoking and french fries.
Two small studies presented to a fertility conference suggest that marijuana use and excessive body fat may make it harder for a man's sperm to complete their upstream swim to fertilize an egg.
A study of 22 college students who were heavy marijuana users suggested their sperm moved too fast too soon and lost oomph before they could reach their destination -- the egg.
"Sperm in semen are supposed to sit quietly and wait for their chance to get out of the semen," said Dr. Lani Burkman, a researcher at the University of Buffalo. "The sperm of marijuana smokers when sitting in the semen were very, very active."
The research also found that the marijuana smokers had only about half as many sperm per volume of semen as the control group of men who did not smoke marijuana.
Body fat, too, can be bad for making babies, according to another study presented to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine meeting this week. Researchers at a fertility clinic in Atlanta examined 30 sperm samples and found that excess weight can lead to a lower sperm count and a higher number of sperm with damaged DNA.
Child-porn indictments
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Three men indicted for trafficking child pornography on the Internet are the first to be arrested in an investigation that could lead to charges against hundreds of people across the country, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
The arrests resulted from the use of the latest techniques and technology to track down suspected child pornographers online, said U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott.
More than 300 video files depicting children -- babies to teenagers -- were stored on computers confiscated during the eight-month investigation by state law enforcement and the FBI, Scott said.
Betting on new slogan
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Apparently, "Slots 'R Us" wasn't broad enough. "Come, Spend Your Grandchildren's Inheritance"? Too long. "America's Favorite Playground"? Tried it already. "Always Turned On"? Hmmm. It's a little suggestive, a little electric. What better way to sell a casino capital that never goes to sleep? The city that gave birth to Miss America, invented saltwater taffy and mastered the art of the cheap buffet has a new slogan: "Atlantic City -- Always Turned On."
The catchphrase and an accompanying logo, unveiled Thursday, will be used by the Atlantic City Convention & amp; Visitors Authority in sales pitches, on literature and in appeals to meeting planners.
Binge drinking probed
BOSTON -- Harvard University will convene a panel to investigate alcohol abuse on campus after a sharp increase in students seeking medical help for alcohol poisoning.
The panel will examine the school's approach to alcohol and look for ways to lessen peer pressure. It will issue a report by the end of the school year, said Dean of Undergraduate Education Benedict H. Gross.
The number of undergraduates admitted to university health services for alcohol poisoning has increased steadily over the last five years -- from 18 during the 1997-98 school year to 123 in 2002-03.
Associated Press