In a paper published today in Scientific Reports, researchers from the Spanish National Research Council claim that pop music has become increasingly homogenized over the last 50 years, as well as "intrinsically louder."

Five people were shot at Rucker Park in Harlem Wednesday night, after a dispute over a call during a basketball game for the Entertainers Basketball Classic.

Twitter is currenly experiencing "site issues," and is totally down. Come, take shelter in the Gawker Social Networking Blackout Bunker™. Talk about stupid things and share links to your favorite pop culture Tumblrs. Warm yourself by our fire of bullshit. What else are you going to do. Work?

Three bear cubs had to be rescued by a New Mexico couple and their ladder after getting stuck inside a dumpster in Ruidoso.

Muggers, drunk street harassers, and violent sociopaths of all stripes are applauding the new trend of women being taught "fun" self-defense classes, rather than those downer "how to potentially save yourself from a life-threatening attack" self-defense classes that women used to take. "I firmly believe that women's self-defense classes should always be taught in a 'fun' lighthearted manner that emphasizes fellowship and hilarity over adrenaline and the ability to temporarily ignore pain," said John, a rapist. "When it comes to self-defense, why be so serious?" argued Adrian, a subway groper. "Smile, ladies—this is a party!" agreed Max, a purse snatcher.

Gary "Stretch" Turner of the Royal Family of Strange People claims to have the world's stretchiest skin.

After an extended soggy winter, it's finally beach needle season in New York. Four New Yorkers stepped on beach needles in the past few weeks. Where were most of them, I wonder? Specifically? "Three incidents happened within the last three weeks on Staten Island."

Following the success of Mister Rogers' "Garden of Your Mind," PBS has once again teamed up with Symphony of Science officer John "melodysheep" Boswell for another installment of its much-lauded "PBS Icon Remixed" web series.

If, after that previous twitpic of Arrested Development showrunner Mitch Hurwitz standing inside the writer's room, you still can't quite believe that the gone-too-soon cult TV show Arrested Development is truly making its way back to reality, perhaps this photo of producer/narrator Ron Howard's iPad displaying the script for episode 1 of season 4 might persuade you to finally give in to unbridled joy.

Three of the five Colorado hospitals currently treating those injured in the Aurora theater massacre have announced that they will either limit or erase altogether the medical expenses of uninsured victims.

Mostly forgotten comic strip Broom-Hilda made headlines yesterday after it appeared to be making light of the tragic Aurora movie theater shooting with a poorly timed joke.

Police and authorities from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for Monterey County found 113 dead kittens inside an apartment in Seaside, California. Another 57 sick cats were found in a house nearby, after officials received a tip that some cats were moved there prior to the inspection.

Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi (pictured right) found a way to make competing in the Olympics even more impressive: by doing so while eight months pregnant. Suryani will represent Malaysia in the 10-meter air rifle competition, which should, at the very least, move Shooting up in the rankings of Most Important Olympic Events.

When movie-related tragedy strikes, it's always good to consider the important things first: the money. Well, good news everyone: Kristen Stewart's devastating betrayal of Robert Pattinson probably won't affect the box office take of Breaking Dawn: Part 2, the final Twilight movie.

In a surprise finish almost no scientists predicted, Honolulu International finished third in the competition against all other U.S. airports to determine the airport most likely to spread the next outbreak of a SARS or swine flu-like epidemic. Perennial disease magnets JFK and LAX took first and second place, respectively.

Last night, Anaheim residents continued their protests over the the police shooting of two latino men, and seem poised to do so again tonight. Nearly 1,000 people took part in last night's demonstration, which began when 200 residents attended a city council meeting earlier that evening. A larger crower crowd was denied entrance, and some began throwing rocks and bottles at nearby police cars. The protest then spread through downtown Anaheim, where some demonstrators set fires and smashed windows, damaging City Hall, police headquarters and twenty businesses. 300 police officers in riot gear responded, using pepper balls, rubber pellets and batons to subdue the crowd. In total, 24 arrests were made, including one for assault with a deadly weapon.

Well, we now know who the sexy mystery woman Kim Jong-un was spotted with at the big Disney concert this month was: His wife, Ri Sol Ju. North Korean media confirmed Kim Jong-un was married and identified his wife for the first time today. Now the real question: Is she hot?

If you're going to be racist at the Olympics, you have to do it quietly, like everyone else.

It's weird how dying makes people gay.

Details are scarce, but TV Guide is reporting that Community creator Dan Harmon is "close" to putting his John Hancock on a deal to write a pilot for Fox.