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　　Spas Heating Up

　　The downturn in America’s economy has not stopped Americans from going to spas. The growth in spa use is due to the popularity of fitness, the knowledge that spas reduce stress, and the number of aging baby-boomers looking for relaxation.

　　New Report on Global Warming

　　A new report by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences warns of potentially disastrous climatic effects as a result of a sudden rise in the earth’s temperature. The researchers found evidence that, in the past, sudden changes of up to 10 degrees Celsius have occurred within as little as ten years. The report was based on data collected from historical observations and computer models.

　　Electric Street Scooter Unveiled

　　A secret invention that had kept the high tech world guessing for over a year was finally unveiled in New York last December. Inventor Dean Kamen displayed his Human Transporter, a two-wheeled, motorized scooter that costs less than US10 cents a day to run. The scooter, which Kamen believes could replace cars on crowded city streets, uses gyroscopes and computers to imitate the human sense of balance.

　　New Addition to Japanese Royal Family

　　Crown Princess Masako gave birth to the newest member of Japan’s royal family, a baby girl, on Saturday, December 1, 2001. The new princess, named Aiko, was taken back to the royal residence in the Imperial Palace after an eight-day stay in the hospital. The child could grow up to become Japan’s first female monarch since the eighteenth century.