Tech post for 14-July-2008

Gloomy weather may make it harder to lose weight - According to scientists, overweight people have approximately 10 percent less Vitamin D in their system so are more strongly affected when they can't get enough sunlight. Low levels of vitamin are associated with feeling hungry because the absence of the vitamin interfers with leptin's ability to tell the brain that he stomach is full. Found by lyanna_beth  .

Baptist church decides not to give away a gun at a youth conference - as they had done last year, because the pastor had injured his foot. They plan to do the giveaway at next year's youth conference. Found by ms_danson  .

Canada to begin monitoring Northwest Passage - Canadian scientists are developing a system, dubbed CANDISS for Canadian Arctic Night and Day Imaging Surveillance System, will monitor the 75 km-wide choke point of the Northwest Passage known as Gascoyne Point.. The system is designed to operate rain or shine 24/7 to detect and image marine traffic through the strait.

Mars is a tough nut to crack - The Mars lander is finding it difficult to dig samples out of the ice layer. They compare the job to scraping a sidewalk. They are now forced to drill into the ice in the hopes of acquiring enough sample for the oven.