Strange But True

Secured by safety ropes, the contestants tossed plastic-wrapped buns into bags on their backs as hundreds of spectators watched from below. The climbing sent some buns flying from the tower.

The buns - stuffed with lotus seed paste - were divided into three zones, with the higher buns worth more points. The competitor racking up the most points in three minutes was the winner.

The victor had climbing in his blood. Kwok Ka-ming, who scored 453 points - 30 more than his closest competitor - is a firefighter by trade.

"This win is unexpected," Kwok said. "When I got up there, I found it was very difficult. Up there you can't hear anything. I just focused on snatching."

The bun-snatching contest on the suburban island of Cheung Chau was canceled after a bun tower collapsed in 1978, injuring 100 people.

Officials revived the tradition, part of an annual "bun festival," this year after implementing improved safety measures. Workers built a sturdier tower and bun snatchers received mountaineering training. A preliminary competition reduced the pool of climbers to 12 finalists.

The festival originated hundreds of years ago when Cheung Chau residents dressed up as gods to ward off evil spirits they believed to be responsible for a plague, according to one account.

Intergalactic muffin

AMES, Iowa - Thinking of a muffin and cuppa joe on your way to Saturn?

Nutraffin, a spicy bite-sized muffin made from carrots, soy milk, peanut and wheat flour, is perfect for space travel.

A team of Oklahoma State University students designed the product to win a contest at the NASA Food Technology Commercial Space Center at Iowa State University.

"Nutraffin is an interesting product and has a great potential of future space flight," said Cheryll Reitmeier, the contest coordinator.

The muffin is high in fiber, protein and essential vitamins and minerals required by astronauts. It has a high calorie content that provides an energy boost and is low in sodium and iron.