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Three major earthquakes struck in a single day on Monday, May 23. While one or two such quakes in a single day is not an unsual event, this level of seismic activity is relatively rare and certainly worth reporting.

However, the the USGS failed to record, or chose not to report, one of these quakes. It was recorded near Mindanao at 23:13:29 GMT.

We have confirmed with news media in the Philippines that the quake did occur, and have found a single record of it, at the University of Washington’s Earthquake Watch. To see this record, click here.

Is this merely an error, or censorship of event because it was unusual? In either case, USGS would appear to be obligated under its rules to correct this error and post this quake.
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The West has blockaded North Korea for a long time, trying to get them not to build nuclear weapons, so how have they survived? A North Korean official who defected in 1998 says they’ve been able to keep going by producing and selling heroin. The defector, who was hidden from view when he testified, told Congress the late North Korean leader Kim Il Sung ordered the effort to begin “in earnest” in the late 1980s. He says, “Kim Il Sung told the people to earn hard currency by selling heroin and selling opium because he needed cash.”
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Scientists have finally traced the animal host from which the SARS virus mutated and jumped to human beings: the civet cat. At first it was thought that SARS originated with birds, as most flu viruses have recently. Virus samples from civet cats are very similar to the virus that causes SARS in humans. “It is highly likely that the virus jumped across,” says microbiologist Kwok-Yung Yuen.

“If these findings are true, then this is a significant breakthrough,” says Peter Cordingley of the World Health Organization (WHO). “First of all, it confirms the theory that the virus has crossed the species barrier. Secondly, it will help scientists work on an effective diagnostic test.”
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A Japanese study shows that diabetics can process sugar better if they laugh during the meal. Laughter has also been shown to help high blood pressure, stimulate the nervous system, heighten the immune system, release natural painkillers and make the heart stronger.

During the study, Dr. Keiko Hayashi measured the blood glucose levels of 19 diabetics and five non-diabetics before and after they ate the same meal, on two separate days. On one day, participants listened to a 40-minute lecture, which was “monotonous” and “without humorous content.” On the second day, participants were part of an audience of 1,000 people who watched a Japanese comedy show. At the end of the show, “most” participants “considered that they laughed well,” according to Hayashi.
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