February 19, 2004

» Freud got everything wrong. Apparently

Freud is truly in a class of his own. Arguably no other notable figure in history was so fantastically wrong about nearly every important thing he had to say. But, luckily for him, academics have been - and still are - infinitely creative in their efforts to whitewash his errors, even as lay readers grow increasingly dumbfounded by the entire mess.

» "Near-beers" launched in Bangladesh and Japan

Bangladesh: It looks like beer, it tastes like beer, but in law at least it is a malt beverage.

A company in Bangladesh believes it has found a legal loophole to get around the Islamic country's ban on alcoholic drinks.

Japan: Coca-Cola's Japanese unit will introduce a beer-tasting drink next month, but one with almost no alcohol.

The carbonated beverage will be called Sky Malt and will be the first of two alcohol-flavored offerings on the way. In May, Coke Japan plans to sell a brand called Sokkahappo that will taste like a cocktail.

» Feral family discovered in South Africa

The four children - aged 26, 22, 18 and 14 - have never had contact with the outside world and their behaviour is so animalistic they can't even communicate in an understandable language. One of them walks on all fours, almost like a monkey.

» Shock horror: White House distorts science

The two documents accuse the administration of repeatedly censoring and suppressing reports by its own scientists, stacking advisory committees with unqualified political appointees, disbanding government panels that provide unwanted advice and refusing to seek any independent scientific expertise in some cases.