Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor admits he was totally surprised. That's because the past few winners of the annual Templeton Prize, worth more than $1.5 million and awarded "for progress toward research or discoveries about spiritual realities," has been given to scientists, physicists and cosmologists mostly.. who have been willing to acknowledge that science alone can't necessarily explain the nature of the universe. It's clear that the foundation was consciously trying to counter the widespread impression that science and spirituality are inevitably at odds. /cnn.com/

We form and store huge numbers of experiences in the head every day, and sleep seems to be the way the brain copes with it all.Scientists say sleep strengthens the memory and helps the brain sort out the masses of information we soak up each day."Sleep helps us extract rules from our experiences. It's like knowing the difference between dogs and cats, even if it's hard to explain."Lead researcher Bob Stickgold, professor of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, said: "We're not just stabilising memories during sleep. We're extracting the meaning."/ananova.com/

Scientists say smokers lose the urge to smoke if the inch-long spot - called the insula - gets damaged.They have found the part of the brain that makes smokers addicted to nicotine, and announced that surgery could help smokers quit. This discovery came after a 38 year old man, who smoked 40 cigarettes a day, didn't feel the urge to smoke after his insula was damaged after a stroke.

An amazing panda, Xiang Xiang, was pampered from birth, and his every need was anticipated by a loyal band of caregivers at Sichuan's Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Center. But soon the bear received a shock, after his fourth birthday. He was driven into the middle of thick bamboo forest without warning, and abandoned. This was just the first attempt by scientists to return him to the wild. But Xiang Xiang found he was brought to a very rough neighborhood..He was bitten by a wild panda, fighting for territory. Scientists found him and brought back. The doctor first treated him a bit, and sent