Crazy World: Woman with no fear...

Mystery woman knows no fear

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Scientists have discovered a woman with a rare brain disease that makes her afraid of nothing.

She's not afraid of a huge snake lurking near her children, or a knife to her throat — and she's certainly not afraid of a horror movie.

The woman cannot experience fear because of a condition that has destroyed the part of her brain — the amygdala — where researchers say they believe the feeling of fear is made.

Over the past two decades US researchers have been analysing the woman, known as SM, for clues about her condition which they say could help them treat post-traumatic stress disorder, particularly in soldiers returning from war.

"It is quite remarkable that she is still alive," said lead author Justin Feinstein whose study appears in the journal Current Biology.

"The nature of fear is survival and the amygdala helps us stay alive by avoiding situations, people, or objects that put our life in danger," he said.

"Because SM is missing her amygdala, she is also missing the ability to detect and avoid danger in the world."

Instead of fear, SM, whose rare condition is known as Urbach-Wiethe disease, describes "an overwhelming feeling of curiosity".

To test her reaction, researchers led her into an exotic pet store filled with spiders and snakes, animals she repeatedly said she "hates" and tries to avoid.

"Upon entering the store, SM was spontaneously drawn to the snake terrariums and appeared visually captivated by the large collection of snakes," the study said.

Asked by a store employee if she would like to hold one, SM agreed and then played with one for about three minutes.

"She rubbed its leathery scales, touched its flicking tongue, and closely watched its movements as it slithered through her hands," it said.

"Her verbal behavior revealed a comparable degree of fascination and inquisitiveness: she repeatedly commented, 'This is so cool!'"

When she reached for a tarantula, however, she had to be stopped because there was a high risk she could be bitten.

"When asked why she would want to touch something that she knows is dangerous and that she claims to hate, SM replied that she was overcome with 'curiosity,'" the study said.

Mother, grandma try to sell girls

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The mother and grandmother of two girls were arrested on Friday for allegedly planning to sell them for Rs4 lakh in a village in India.

Police said the arrests were made after about 300 villagers rallied behind the girls and their physically-challenged father, gave them protection and informed the human trafficking wing police.

To save his daugthers -- Santha (12) and Lakshmi (9), Sakthivel had taken them to his friend's house where the villagers rallied behind them and informed Superintendent of Police.

In his complaint, Sakthivel said his wife Alamelu (35) planned to sell their daughters.

The prospective buyer and the girls' grandmother were arrested and produced before a local court which remanded them to judicial custody.

Porn movie shown on airport screen

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Bangladeshi authorities launched an investigation after a porn movie was aired on a large display screen at the country's main airport.
Hundreds of travellers and waiting friends and relatives at Shahjalal International Airport’s main terminal were shocked as the movie was aired for five minutes, magistrate Siddiqa Akhter said.

The display screen usually shows recorded documentaries about the culture and geography of Bangladesh, a conservative Muslim country.

"The operator has been jailed instantly for two months. We have also summoned the owners of the cable firm to investigate the incident. We have to find out whether any criminal intent was involved," Akhter said.

Woman stripped for having adulterous relationship

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A 30-year-old woman was allegedly stripped and beaten-up by locals who accused her of having an adulterous relationship at Mathkathpur village near here, police said today.
    
The incident took place on Tuesday, when some persons barged into the woman's home and dragged her out blaming her for having an extra-marital relationship with her co-worker, in the brick-kiln where she works as a labourer, they said.
    
The mother of three, who lodged the FIR yesterday, was admitted to Kharagpur hospital with injuries has named 11 villagers as accused in her complaint, they said, adding all of them are absconding since the incident.
    
The woman's husband is a migrant worker and she stays with her parents. Her co-worker had earlier been fined of Rs. 12,000 by the villagers for the alleged relationship, they added.

Girl dead due to black magic?

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The mysterious death of a three-year-old girl in India recently led to protests by local residents claiming that she died due to a suspected act of witchcraft, police said.
    
According to police, Priyanka the victim was yesterday taken by her neighbour Kamalaksha (72), a suspected black magic practitioner and his foster daughter to their house on the pretext of a religious ceremony.
    
When she did not return, her parents enquired about her but Kamalaksha told them that he sent the girl back in the evening itself, police said.
    
Suspecting Kamalaksha of practising black magic a crowd of locals ransacked his house, they said.

Police detained Kamalaksha and his foster daughter and are carrying out further investigations into the incident.
    
Meanwhile, a crowd pelted stones at the Kadri Police station here protesting the death of the girl, reacting to which the police lathicharged them.
    
The crowd had gathered in front of the police station shouting slogans against the two arrested, police said.

Bad Santa robs bank

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He may have been dressed all in fur from his head to his foot, but this Santa was no saint.

According to Metropolitan Nashville Police, a man wearing a Santa Claus suit - including hat, beard and mustache - and dark sunglasses robbed a SunTrust Bank today, demanding money from the teller at gunpoint.
The man demanded money from a teller at gunpoint and fled in a car.

The suspect is described as a 6 feet tall, male with brown hair. He wore the Santa suit, including the fake white beard, hat, mustache and dark sunglasses.

Witnesses said when two bank managers tried to get him to remove his sunglasses, that's when they said he pulled out the weapon and demanded money.

"It was a little unbelievable. He was actually jovial, which is scary. He explained that he was robbing the bank because Santa had to pay his elves," said witness Richlyn Jones.

"I was just wondering if he was going to be stupid enough to hurt somebody, but once he started getting what he wanted, I could see he was going to leave," said witness James Edwards.

The man left the bank in a gray car, possibly a Nissan Altima. It was unclear how much money was taken.

No one was hurt during the robbery. The FBI Task Force and Metro police are investigating the case.

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