Taxi driver agrees to be mummified, and more

Taxi driver agrees to be mummified

A British taxi driver has been mummified as part of a science experiment. Alan Billis, 61, volunteered for the project upon being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. After his death in January, scientists from York University removed Billis’s internal organs, slowly desiccated the body in a bath of salt, then wrapped it in linen—the same process used by Egyptians to mummify King Tut and other royalty 3,000 years ago. It will all be part of a TV documentary. “Shame I’m not going to be around to see it,” said Billis before his death. “Because I like documentaries.”

Paul McCartney, Jewish?

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The former Beatle has been studying Judaism and has promised his new wife, Nancy Shevell, that he’ll convert, says the National Enquirer. McCartney, who was baptized Roman Catholic, first considered converting to Judaism during his 29-year marriage to Linda Eastman. He and Shevell, 51, recently attended Yom Kippur services together. McCartney has told friends he would complete his studies and convert next year.

Twins give birth on the same day

A pair of identical twin sisters from Bloomington, Ind., have given birth to babies in the same hospital on the same day. Jennifer and Jessica Patterson, both 21, gave birth about eight hours apart. The two women, who are both unmarried, live together and conceived at about the same time, though they insist that was a coincidence. “I was like, ‘I’m pregnant,’” said Jessica. “I found out a week later,” her sister said. They said giving birth to babies on the same day was “kind of cool.”