Tokyo, Japan is testing out a new type of "space beer" where the barley is made from grains and seeds that traveled and were grown in outer space. It is the first generation of barley grown in a space laboratory. The laboratory students, professors and scientists from Okayama University in Japan have teamed with Sapporo Brewery, Ltd. to test the very first batch of "space beer." The first trial will be bottling 100 beers which will be ready in November of 2008. The space barley is being harvested this week from the seeds that grew in the International Space Station for five months back in 2006. A partial ounce of barley was also housed in the station during the trip and was planted at the Sapporo Brewery research farm when returned.

Japanese beer lovers are waiting in anticipation for the new "space beer." This biological study was conducted in order to determine how adaptable plants are when placed in a new environment. Environmental changes, especially something as stressful as going into space, will test the plants in a new situation. Once the 100 pounds of space barley are harvested this weekend the space beer will be in progress. Sapporo does not plan to put the special beer on the market for now, until more testing is done. No differences have been found by scientists between Earth and space barley so far. As for now, I’ll stick with good ol’ regular Sapporo because it’s delicious. I’m not too sure about drunk astronauts though.

Admittedly, when I first saw the words “Speedo LZR,” I thought it was an abbreviation for “speedo loser.” As it turns out, in the world of competitive swimming, this space-aged suit is the polar opposite. (And yes, I just used the term “space age” without a hint of irony. Boner).

According to the Science of Sport blog, on its first professional outing, the swimmer with the Speedo LZR broke the world record…by two entire body lengths. Then the Women’s Dutch 4 x 200m relay team, equipped with the Speedo LZR, beat the world record (set 6 years back by China) by 8 seconds. I don’t know jack about professional competitive swimming, but even I know that’s kind of a big deal.

This brings to mind the whole juicing in sports argument: these people train every day for their profession; to be the best athlete, using all the technology available to get every ounce of power…so why not use drugs to further this concept? The problem is that unless everyone is doing the same drugs and has access to the same equipment and training, the competition would be unfair. Plus, you can’t make athletes who are ethically opposed to juicing use the stuff. We’re not living in a Brave new World just yet.

So in the case of the Speedo LZR, it might give the athlete an unfair technological advantage….unless every athlete was using them.

But on the other side of the coin, maybe to make it REALLY fair, they all should just swim naked, original Roman-Greko Olympics style. That would sure make the Women’s backstroke more interesting for me.

This is a bit atypical of the bands that we generally choose for Synthesis Band of the Day. No horn-rimmed glasses, waifish broads with ugly indie-rock haircuts, ‘roid-bicep hardcore meatheads, striped sweater wussies or epic Dungeons & Dragons progressive metalheads. No, Phredley brings the funk-rock.

In my fledgling college days, back when tie-dye wasn’t as vomitous and my roommate’s constant Phish-Grateful Dead-Phish musical rotation didn’t drive me completely bonkers, I would have broken my left leg to check out a band like Phredley. Now bad photoshop effects kinda irk me, patchouli oil makes me want to hurl and hippie funk in general just pisses me off. But not Phredley. They’s alright.

Based around a brother-sister duo (Phred Brown on Vocals, Guitar & Horns; Alesha Brown on Keys & Vocals) and a rhythm section (Paul Loos, Drums & Vocals; Samuel Tobias Winn, Bass & Vocals) Phredley lays down funk that is far closer to the heart of nearby Detroit than that of longhair revivalists in Colorado or Vermont. And when they stray toward the pop side of the spectrum, it comes across more as radio-friendly than looking for a parking lot miracle. More importantly (for me at least), their lyrics hold water. With the aforementioned hippie-funk enthusiasts, it’s most often the lyrics that drive me to enraged hysterics; Phredley uses some clever (or nearly clever) turns of phrase. No, Phred’s not Leonard Cohen by any means, but in a sometimes poppy, sometimes rocky funk quartet, it works. Their track “The Truth About Capricorns” also has some pretty, Beatelesque, tonally complex passages. If you’re a big fan of Ben Harper/Jack Johnson/Maroon 5, or your ’70s R&B records don’t have much dust on them, do yourself a favor and look into Phredley.

I’m feeling the new Tunng video, it’s kinda like Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey meets The Muppets Take Manhattan, set to an early Bowie-esque ragtime-y shuffle.

Good to know there are still some bands that pack enough heat to blow up the sun. US Tour dates after the jump.
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Local indie-rock sex icons Bear Hunter are heading out tomorrow to spread the love up the west coast. If you live in OR, WA or Northern California, check them out. Rumor has it they bought a 30 foot fire breathing robot just for this tour’s stage show, but my sources are less than credible.

Sep 14 2007 9:00P
Diablo’s Downtown Lounge with Three Guys That Paint and Redox Eugene, Oregon

Sep 15 2007 9:00P
Boundary Bay Brewery with The Loyal Sinners Bellingham, Washington

Sep 16 2007 9:00P
The Comet with Gozer (members of Vindaloo), Knives in the Attic and Preons Seattle, Washington

Sep 18 2007 8:00P
15th Street Pub with Dos Sorella Vancouver, Washington

Sep 19 2007 8:00P
Grapedrink Portland, Oregon

Sep 20 2007 9:00P
Red White & Brew with Belda Beast & History (Invades) Redding, California

Sep 21 2007 8:00P
The Stork Club with Electric Jellyfish, USA 4 LSD, Kreamy Lectric Santa & Saything Oakland, California

Sep 22 2007 9:00P
Old Ironsides with Trainwreck Revival Sacramento, California

You can pick up the new disk, ‘You Will Be Heard’, right here.

Space Shuttle Endeavor had a successful launch last night and is currently somewhere between earth and sky on its mission to the International Space Station.

On board is Barbara Morgan, the teacher who was the backup for Christa McAuliffe, who was lost with the rest of the Challenger crew in 1986.

The Endeavor hasn’t flown since before the tragic Columbia disaster in 2003. Their mission is to install a gyroscope on the space station so that it doesn’t have to use fuel to fire rockets to maneuver itself correctly (or something like that). There will be three space walks, the use of a robot arm, and all other sorts of rad things that you used to want to do when you were in 4th grade.

Now all I want to do is sit around and celebrate by watching videos of The Final Countdown over and over. This version in particular: