Atonement
April 26th, 2010, 06:09 PM
Feel free to skim through this, read the bolded red parts for the main points. :D
(CBS) A senior Iranian cleric's controversial theory that immodestly-dressed women can cause earthquakes is being put to the test, thanks to an Indiana student and 80,000 accomplices.
Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi was quoted in Iranian media last week as saying that "Many women who do not dress modestly ... lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which (consequently) increases earthquakes."
Jennifer McCreight, a Purdue University senior majoring in genetics and evolution, told CBS Affiliate WLFI correspondent Niccole Caan she wanted to take a light-hearted approach to field testing the cleric's scientific theory.
She's asking women to dress immodestly on Monday, April 26, so that any discernable effects upon the Earth's tectonic plates can be traced.
"I want to do good science to counter the bad science this cleric had performed," she told WLFI. "I'm going to compare the frequency and severity of the earthquakes on the 26th to earthquakes previous to that, and see if there is a statistical difference."
She admitted her experiment, dubbed Boobquake, was "light-hearted mockery," but had no idea it would take off the way it has.
Thinking the Boobquake guest list would be limited to a small circle of friends, McCreight soon found news of the event, posted on a Facebook page devoted to Boobquake, had gone viral, with many willing to participate in the experiment.
(WLFI)By Friday, more than 80,000 women had signed up, adding even more heft to the scientific calculus.
McCreight did not dictate what to wear - only that women should dress as immodestly as they feel comfortable doing.
"I'm not forcing people to dress differently than they would be," McCreight told WLFI. "Even showing an ankle to some people would be immodest, so you can interpret that however you wish."
For the record, on Monday she wore a tank top.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/26/ap/strange/main6433641.shtml
6.5 magnitude earthquake hits off coast of Taiwan
Monday, April 26, 2010
A 6.5 magnitude earthquake has struck off the southeastcoast of Taiwan earlier today, the US Geological Survey reports.
The quake's depth was at ten kilometres (6.2 miles), which is considered relatively shallow. The epicentre was 269 kilometres (167 miles) east of T'ai-tung, Taiwan. It struck at 10:59:50 local time, or 02:59:50 UTC.
The Taiwanese Central Weather Bureau said no tsunami warning was issued over the temblor; the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also said there is no threat of a Pacific-wide tsunami. According to the Associated Press, some buildings in the capital Taipei swayed for about twenty seconds, although there were no any immediate reports of damage, injuries, or deaths.
Earthquakes occur frequently in Taiwan as the area lies on a seismically active area, although they generally do not cause much damage because they are small.
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/6.5_magnitude_earthquake_hits_off_coast_of_Taiwan?dpl_id=177189
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The irony here is tremendous.
(CBS) A senior Iranian cleric's controversial theory that immodestly-dressed women can cause earthquakes is being put to the test, thanks to an Indiana student and 80,000 accomplices.
Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi was quoted in Iranian media last week as saying that "Many women who do not dress modestly ... lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which (consequently) increases earthquakes."
Jennifer McCreight, a Purdue University senior majoring in genetics and evolution, told CBS Affiliate WLFI correspondent Niccole Caan she wanted to take a light-hearted approach to field testing the cleric's scientific theory.
She's asking women to dress immodestly on Monday, April 26, so that any discernable effects upon the Earth's tectonic plates can be traced.
"I want to do good science to counter the bad science this cleric had performed," she told WLFI. "I'm going to compare the frequency and severity of the earthquakes on the 26th to earthquakes previous to that, and see if there is a statistical difference."
She admitted her experiment, dubbed Boobquake, was "light-hearted mockery," but had no idea it would take off the way it has.
Thinking the Boobquake guest list would be limited to a small circle of friends, McCreight soon found news of the event, posted on a Facebook page devoted to Boobquake, had gone viral, with many willing to participate in the experiment.
(WLFI)By Friday, more than 80,000 women had signed up, adding even more heft to the scientific calculus.
McCreight did not dictate what to wear - only that women should dress as immodestly as they feel comfortable doing.
"I'm not forcing people to dress differently than they would be," McCreight told WLFI. "Even showing an ankle to some people would be immodest, so you can interpret that however you wish."
For the record, on Monday she wore a tank top.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/26/ap/strange/main6433641.shtml
6.5 magnitude earthquake hits off coast of Taiwan
Monday, April 26, 2010
A 6.5 magnitude earthquake has struck off the southeastcoast of Taiwan earlier today, the US Geological Survey reports.
The quake's depth was at ten kilometres (6.2 miles), which is considered relatively shallow. The epicentre was 269 kilometres (167 miles) east of T'ai-tung, Taiwan. It struck at 10:59:50 local time, or 02:59:50 UTC.
The Taiwanese Central Weather Bureau said no tsunami warning was issued over the temblor; the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also said there is no threat of a Pacific-wide tsunami. According to the Associated Press, some buildings in the capital Taipei swayed for about twenty seconds, although there were no any immediate reports of damage, injuries, or deaths.
Earthquakes occur frequently in Taiwan as the area lies on a seismically active area, although they generally do not cause much damage because they are small.
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/6.5_magnitude_earthquake_hits_off_coast_of_Taiwan?dpl_id=177189
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The irony here is tremendous.