1. It’s getting hot in herre …

    Climate scientists got hot and bothered last week when a group of burlesque dancers began a striptease at a government-sponsored conference in Australia. When the show started rubbing the researchers the wrong way, the seven performers were asked to pull out prematurely.

  2. Prius passes GO, collects more than $200

    Monopoly has introduced a modernized Here & Now version, nauseatingly complete with McDonald’s fries, a New Balance running shoe, Starbucks coffee, and a Motorola Razr cell phone as game pieces. Also making the cut: a Toyota Prius. Guess a Hummer wouldn’t fit in the box.

    Photo: goat_girl via Flickr

    Grist thanks its sponsors. Become one.

  3. Sounds like a job for Captain Planet

    In one Florida county, taking out the garbage just got interesting. At a soon-to-be-built landfill, superpower-wielding workers will vaporize trash with “lightning-like plasma arcs.” By their powers combined, the gaseous byproducts will run the facility and a nearby Tropicana plant, and the solids will be used to build roads. Talk about taking pollution down to zero …

    Photo: iStockphoto

    Grist thanks its sponsors. Become one.

  4. The poo is mightier

    Roses are red, violets are blue, you can now write your love letters on Welsh sheep poo.

    Photo: iStockphoto

  5. Steve’s last adventure

    Crikey! We too were saddened to hear of Croc Hunter Steve Irwin’s death (RIP, mate), but that’s no reason to go avenging his death by killing stingrays. It is, however, reason to go avenging his death by playing a video game. Croc bombs away!

    Photo: Avik Gilboa / WireImage.com