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Physicists discovered the secret to flawlessly creamy cacio e pepe, and it earned them the Ig Nobel Prize. Shutterstock A team of physicists won the Ig Nobel Prize for cracking the code to perfect cacio e pepe. Their clever study revealed how starch and temperature control can transform a lumpy sauce into creamy perfection, proving that great science sometimes starts with dinner. The Struggle for the Perfect Cacio e Pepe Cacio e pepe ranks among Italy’s most beloved pasta dishes, yet even (Italian) scientists struggle to achieve the smooth, creamy sauce it’s famous for. Fabrizio Olmeda, a physicist at...

A woman carrying a baseball bat near the Capitol's West Front on Friday morning "became combative" and bit a Capitol Police officer, the department said. According to the Capitol Police, a woman identified as Olivia Romano, 25, "appeared agitated" and "started yelling at our officers" around 9:30 a.m. Romano allegedly then attacked the Capitol Police officers...

A career change probably would’ve been in store for Ray Romano’s “Everybody Loves Raymond” character if the show was set today, the actor said. Romano — who played Ray Barone, a sportswriter in New York, on the popular sitcom — doesn’t think it’s likely his character would have remained a writer in the current media climate. “I think I would've quit already,” Romano told the Daily News while promoting his new movie “Paddleton.” “I think Ray Barone would've started a podcast or something.” He continued, “I don't know. He was kind of not hard-hitting enough.” “Everybody Loves Raymond” aired for...

Sometimes the most extraordinary finds occur by sheer luck. At least that was the case of a fourth century B.C. chamber tomb that came to light five weeks ago during the construction of an aqueduct in a Rome suburb, when an earthmover accidentally opened a hole in the side of the chamber... The tomb contained the remains of four occupants -- three men and a woman -- and funerary wares. Archaeologists are calling it "the Tomb of the Athlete" because of the presence of two bronze strigils, the instrument used by ancient Greek and Roman athletes to scrape sweat from...

Rick Perry kicks off his campaign tomorrow, but is he electable? In an interview last fall, the Texas governor advocated dismantling Medicare and Social Security. For months, Republicans have complained about their choices in the 2012 presidential race. Mitt Romney seems unprincipled, they’ve said. Michele Bachmann is too flimsy. Tim Pawlenty looks fine on paper, but in person, not so much. And Newt Gingrich is just plain erratic. But now disaffected conservatives think they’ve found their man. His name? Rick Perry. This weekend, while most of the field focuses on the Ames, Iowa straw poll, the three-plus-term Texas governor will...

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A former diplomat, a past president, some actors and some rockers convene to raise money and awareness. Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong mingled with former diplomat Joseph C. Wilson IV and his wife, outed CIA operative Valerie Plame. Comedian George Lopez tried to rouse support for gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides. (Not an easy task these days among some members of the celebrity set.) And former president Bill Clinton came to town to raise money for the Democrats. There's been so much going on in Hollywood this week, you needed that cloning doctor from "Multiplicity" to keep up with it all...