And other stories from the stranger side of life
Space tourists hoping to “have sex in zero gravity” will face a “barrage of bureaucracy” because of potential dangers, reported The Times. “It is unrealistic to assume that all space tourism participants will abstain from sexual activities while exposed to microgravity and increased levels of ionising radiation”, according to a new report. Professor David Cullen, the lead author, said space tourists will be forced to sign a barrage of legal waivers before lift-off, possibly including documents that forbid the conception of children.
Aliens ‘more likely to be machines than men’
Scientists have predicted that aliens are likely to be more like the Terminator than ET, reported the Daily Star. “Even though most movies about aliens depict biological creatures arriving on Earth this is unlikely to happen,” said former NASA astrobiologist Dirk Schulze-Makuc, because “crossing interstellar space would take them a very long time” which “makes little sense to send short-lived, perishable organic bodies”. Therefore, he said, “we should expect more planets in the Universe to be populated by AIs than by the Little Green Men of 1950s’ science fiction”.
Old windsurfer seeks world record
An 88-year-old windsurfer in Poland is seeking recognition as the oldest person to practice his favourite sport, reported UPI. Piotr Dudek, 88, who has been windsurfing since 1981, was encouraged by his friends to attempt a record for oldest windsurfer after he realised that the current record was set by an 86-year-old in 2000. Evidence from Dudek’s official attempt is now being submitted to Guinness World Records for official certification.
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