Couple leap to their deaths carrying dead son

Image by Manav Gupta via Flickr

This is a very sad story…

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LONDON — A grieving couple appear to have plunged to their deaths from a cliff on the south coast of England, clutching a rucksack containing the body of their five-year-old boy after he died of meningitis.

Mr Neil Puttick and his wife Kazumi drove to the Beachy Head beauty spot in East Sussex, south of London, a day or two after their son, Samuel, died at home in Wiltshire in the west of England.

They are thought to have leapt together with two rucksacks, one holding the body of their son and the other filled with some of the child's favourite cuddly toys and a model tractor.

Samuel, who was left paralysed by a car accident four years ago, was taken ill on Tuesday last week.

On Friday he was sent home from hospital in Bristol, western England, when it became clear that he was not going to live.

The child was certified dead by a doctor at his home on Friday evening. It seems that, at the weekend, his parents drove 225km to Beachy Head.

Their bodies were spotted at the foot of the cliffs on Sunday evening and, because of the terrain, were only recovered the following day. The Guardian

From TODAY, World – Wednesday, 03-Jun-2009

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The gene that makes gambling run in the family

The way I see it, this 'discovery' is another way of 'having something to blame' rather than owning up to the vices you have. What is your say?

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LONDON — Gambling and risk taking habits really do run in the family, claim scientists who have found a gene that makes you more likely to be persuaded to have a flutter.

Researchers at the University College London (UCL) believe they have discovered a genetic link between whether people are cautious with their money or prepared to invest in a long shot.

The team found that varieties of a gene responsible for the transport of serotonin, the mood-control drug in the brain, are also key to decision making — especially when being tempted with a gamble.

They found that those with "short" versions of the gene were more susceptible to taking a risk than those with the "longer" variety. This was more profound an effect if the investment or gamble was "framed" in such a way that it seemed to be more attractive.

"We know that people across cultures are susceptible to biases in decision-making," said Dr Jonathan Roiser of UCL's Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. "This implies hardwired genetics influence how susceptible individuals are to the framing effect." THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

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From TODAY, World – Thursday, 07-May-2009