Star Trek Cited by Texas Supreme Court [via Wired]
The Texas Supreme Court cited “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” in its opinion in Robinson v. Crown Cork and Seal, an asbestos-related case. “Appropriately weighty principles guide our course. First, we recognize that police power draws from the credo that ‘the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.’ Second, while this maxim rings utilitarian and Dickensian (not to mention Vulcan), it is cabined by something contrarian and Texan: distrust of intrusive government and a belief that police power is justified only by urgency, not expediency.” The reference included a footnote explaining a famous scene from the film involving the quote.
New species of snub-nosed monkey found in Myanmar [via the BBC]
Scientists surveying northeast Myanmar have announced the discovery of a new species of monkey, the Burmese snub-nosed monkey, so named because of its unusual upturned nostrils. The newly discovered species is separated from its nearest relatives, the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, by two rivers; that isolation, scientists say, is key to differentiating the Yunnan and Burmese species rather than indicating merely a different coloring. The population of Burmese snub-nosed monkeys is thought to be small, between 260 and 330 individuals. “It is absolutely exceptional to discover a new species of primate, and especially discovering a new species of snub-nosed monkey is very rare indeed,” Asia-Pacific Development Director for Fauna & Flora International Frank Momberg told the BBC.
Mohammed is now the most popular name for baby boys in Britain [via The Daily Mail]
Records indicate Mohammed topped the list of most popular baby boy names in Britain in 2009, toppling Jack from its 14-year stint at the top. 7,549 babies were named Mohammed or one of 11 variant spellings, including Muhammad and Mohammad. That number has increased by more than 50 percent since 1999, when 4,579 babies were named Mohammed. Oliver came in second at 7,364 babies. The most popular name for girls was Olivia.
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