A woman decided to honor the more than 216,000 people who died in last year's tsunami by building a toothpick memorial. "I remember thinking these people are going to become statistics, and I just felt I needed to see something other than a number in a newspaper article," says Nancy Lawson, 56, of Lawrence, Kansas.

University of Missouri-Columbia mathematics professor Steve Hofmann is receiving significant recognition for completing a 40-year math problem. "It was one of the biggest open problems in my field and everybody thought it was too hard and wouldn't be solved. I had toyed with it for years and then put in three years of very serious work before hitting the key breakthrough. "

With many trends in the dating world such as speed-dating, clubbing, and on-line romances given a shot before getting the boot, a new trend has arrived to help cure the lonely hearts of London. 'Intellidating', or finding love in places such as debating societies, art classes, or poetry readings, have heated up the singles' scene in the English capital for those who seek love in all the right places.

With many trends in the dating world such as speed-dating, clubbing, and on-line romances given a shot before getting the boot, a new trend has arrived to help cure the lonely hearts of London. 'Intellidating', or finding love in places such as debating societies, art classes, or poetry readings, have heated up the singles' scene in the English capital for those who seek love in all the right places.

Australia - land of sun, sand and. . . a few surfing mice? Australian surfing enthusiast Shane Willmott is training three mice by the names of Harry, Chopsticks and Bunsen, to surf small waves on tiny mouse-size surf boards at beaches on Australia's Gold Coast. The mice are put through some tough training in a bathtub first and then have their fur dyed when it is time to hit the beach.