VELSHI: OK, you know that pesky vine kudzu? Well it should be a lifesaver for some people. An extract of the kudzu vine is being developed by researchers at Gilliad Sciences to treat alcoholism. It may also help cocaine addiction. It apparently raises levels of a brain chemical that helps block the cocaine high. Now Kudzu was originally imported to the U.S. from Asia to control soil erosion. You can read more about this study in the Journal Nature Medicine. And in China, check this out, a traffic jam of epic proportions. You think you've got a long commute? Listen to this: so far drivers have spent nine days stuck in traffic. The jam stretches more than 62 miles and involves thousands of trucks between the Intermongolia autonomous region and the Chinese capital of Beijing. Traffic congestion is a common problem in China, but construction on a section of the Beijing-Tibet Expressway has forced more traffic onto National Highway 110 which runs roughly parallel. Drivers are complaining about area vendors gauging food prices. But a lot of them aren't taking detours because they actually want to avoid the toll costs. Construction is scheduled to continue until September the 13th. What a mess.
Nine Day Traffic Jam in China