Did You See That? April Reimer, Elisha Cuthbert's not-so-happy ending

Things are not always what they seem. After Leafs' defenceman Dion Phaneuf made a costly error in overtime, one that resulted in Toronto losing 4-3 to the Boston Bruins Wednesday night, the cameras panned to the team's family area in the stands.

Things are not always what they seem.

After Leafs defenceman Dion Phaneuf made a costly error in overtime, one that resulted in Toronto losing 4-3 to the Boston Bruins Wednesday night, the cameras panned to the team's family area.

That's when Leafs goalie James Reimer's wife, April, appeared to turn around and glare at actress Elisha Cuthbert, who is Phaneuf's fiancée.

It looked like April Reimer was placing the blame on Phaneuf. Cuthbert reacted with an apparent "whatever" eye roll. April then seemed to respond in kind.

But several minutes after the game ended, April Reimer tweeted that her intended glare was at a man sitting to Cuthbert's left.

"For those who were thinkin @happyelishas and I were rolling our eyes @ eachother. Was the jerk beside us #rudecomment pic.twitter.com/zcZ6bEgwdS"

Judge for yourself.

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Turning video gamers into the ultimate drone pilots

Video game players may be the ideal candidates to operate military drones, suggests a study. Problem is, they're so conditioned to non-stop action while playing games that they're prone to boredom in real-life scenarios, said associate professor Missy Cummings, who has studied how to improve drone pilots' performance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"When the workload is high the best drone operators are those that are video gamers because they know how to handle all of the multitasking," said Cummings, pointing to studies that have shown the adeptness of video gamers as drone operators.

"So you want people who really perform under a high workload, which are gamers — but 90 per cent of the time nothing is happening and you need a completely different skill set to (handle) that."

Distractions needed

Cummings said her research team found that in order to do their jobs, drone operators needed some distractions to manage boredom in down time, including playing with their smartphones, using laptops, reading magazines, eating or sleeping.

Drone use by the American military to strike against terrorists is controversial, particularly when there's collateral damage. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press)"When you distract yourself, you're basically revving up your brain," Cummings said. "We need to figure out is it possible to let people have some level of distraction but still keep them engaged enough so that when an alarm goes, for example, or when that plane does enter the sector they respond appropriately."

Cummings said she and her team are looking at whether technology can be used to control distractions, such as a small vibrating device that would "give you a little buzz."

"Can we actually take people who are very prone to boredom and actually improve their performance by using some technology to get them to re-engage?"

Personality makes a difference

Cummings said the only personality trait the studies found to help predict who will be better drone operators was conscientiousness. Those who scored high on conscientiousness did better when the environment became boring.

But she said it's difficult to say if a conscientious drone operator would be effective in a military setting and would have any unease about firing a missile.

"The U.S. military does not currently assign people to jobs based on personality traits. This is definitely an area that needs more research," she said.

Drone use by the American military to strike against terrorists is controversial, particularly when there's collateral damage.

Margaret Somerville, a professor at the McGill Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law in Montreal, said drone operators are not in danger of being killed and don't directly see their victims.

"To what extent are they becoming more like automatons and less like human beings making decisions," said Somerville, "and hopefully taking into the account the ethics of what they're doing."

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Python pulled from Winnipeg dumpster

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A five-foot python was pulled from a dumpster along one of Winnipeg's upscale streets on Tuesday night.

A person walking past the dumpster heard noise and looked inside to see the large snake moving in the garbage located behind a riverside condo on the 200 block of Wellington Crescent.

The passerby called police right away. Police, in turn, called the city's animal services department.

It isn't known if someone tried to throw the snake away or if it somehow made its way into the trash on its own.

Police expect to release more information later in the day.

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Canada's Jedi Knights not as much of a religious force

Strong, the Force is not. In Canada, at least.

Once numbering in the vicinity of 20,000, the ranks of those in this country who claim to be Jedi Knights inspired by Star Wars movies have dwindled to fewer than half that figure, according to Statistics Canada's first release of data from the 2011 National Household Survey.

"A lot less this time. I think there's about 9,000 reporting Jedi," said Jane Badets, a senior analyst at Statistics Canada.

"And that was true elsewhere in other countries. A lot less than in other countries, too, doing censuses. Very low reporting of things like Jedi."

What started as a gag among friends on a British Columbia ski hill ballooned into something of a phenomenon on the 2001 census when thousands of Canadians told Statistics Canada they followed the Jedi religion of Star Wars lore.

But real-life Jedis insist their religion is no joke.

"A Jedi is not someone who acts like the way they do in the movies," Maha Vajra, the self-described Grand Master of the Canadian Order of the Jedi, said in a recent interview in which he asked to be identified by his adopted Jedi name.

"We don't dress up funky, we don't carry light sabres, we don't combat the Empire."

Real-life Jedis readily acknowledge their movie counterparts are purely fictional. They see the films as inspirational and fantasy parables, in much the same way other religions use fantastic stories to glean morals.

Order of the Jedi more than just dressing up

Jediism is the study of the philosophies largely borrowed from Buddhism and Daoism in the Star Wars film series, Vajra said in an interview from St-Raymond, Que.

"What we do is what the masters of Jediism in the movies explain: self-mastery, responsibility, practising virtues like compassion, charity, [and] forgiveness, in everyday actions. This is what Jediism is."

Vajra acknowledged some newbies will dress up as Obi-Wan Kenobi and wield a plastic light sabre at gatherings, but those habits don't last long in the real Order of the Jedi.

"In the beginning, there's this fantasy escape mode where they try to live in another world," he said. "But our job is to bring them back here and allow them to see they can be happy in this world."

With Episode VII of Star Wars in the works, Vajra said he expects to see a surge in followers upon its release.

Interestingly, although their numbers have fallen off, Jedis still outnumber other religions.

Statistics Canada says 1,050 people declared themselves to be Satanists in the 2011 survey, while 1,745 were Scientologists and 6,130 were Zoroastrians.

There were also 1,055 Rastafarians scattered across the country.

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Ottawa man who paid off mom's mortgage reflects on going viral

_____________________________________________________

I'm not quite certain why people have taken such an interest into the finer details of my life after watching the video I made.

My religious beliefs, profession, motivation, age, name, ethnicity - to me all these details seem irrelevant. When I originally made the video I only intended for Facebook friends to see it, but then I decided to post it on Reddit on a whim - and from there things took on a life of their own.

The views began pouring in, the comments and messages didn't cease. I was in awe of the positive feedback I was getting, because I didn't expect or prepare for such a response.

I'm also in awe because I don't believe my gesture was so deserving of praise.

"[E]very time I'm asked about where I'm from or what religion I belong to, I am unable to answer for fear of distorting the message in the video."

-- Aba Atlas

Don't get me wrong: I'm very grateful because it brings me immense joy to see so much positive energy circulating. To see people take away such a joyous feeling and to know that they are sharing that emotion with their loved ones makes me happy beyond words.

That being said, every time I'm asked about where I'm from or what religion I belong to, I am unable to answer for fear of distorting the message in the video.

For me, this video isn't about who I am. It isn't even about my mother or the cheque I gave her. You know when you put religion, intention, money, age, ethnicity, and sex aside and you really look at what this video is about, I hope you come to realize that it's about one thing: Love, and showing your appreciation for that bond by helping someone you care about.

Whether that person is your sister, your father, your grandparents -- whoever it may be - I just hope that you do take the time to show your appreciation. I want to thank all the people who've taken the time to do just that, to help others find their smile.

The rest of the minor details are just that: minor, minuscule and irrelevant. The focus has always been and always will be, for me at least: Love.

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Redditors to marketers: Stop telling us how to be Canadian

CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Lauren O'Neil, Andrea Bellamare, John Bowman (Not shown: Andrea Lee-Greenberg, on leave)

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Gerbils strut their stuff at U.S. pageant

The American Gerbil Society's annual pageant brought dozens of rodents scurrying to Bedford, Mass., this weekend for a chance to win "top gerbil."

The competition called for agility demonstrations in which the gerbils must overcome obstacles and race to the end of a course. Breeders of the small animals vie for coveted ribbons based on body type and agility.

"A male gerbil should be a good, strong, hefty-looking gerbil," said Libby Hanna, president of the American Gerbil Society. "If you are going to think of it in human terms, you might think of a football player — somebody who's big, thick neck, nice, strong-looking male gerbil."

An ideal female gerbil will have a more streamlined appearance that even humans covet, she said.

"So she would be strong and athletic-looking — not really scrawny, but slim," said Hanna, who serves as a judge in the show. "I usually use a figure skater as my mental image or gymnasts — so obviously a gymnast is not necessarily a big, big woman, but she's gonna be strong, muscular and athletic."

The two-day show drew gerbil enthusiasts and breeders from around the country and culminates in the presentation of champion and breeder certificates.

Pet gerbils illegal in some states

Gerbils can be good pets for modern families as they don't require to be taken out for a walk, could easily fit in a small apartment and their tanks only need to be cleaned about once a week.

Still, some people freak out when they visit friends and see gerbils in the home.

"I've had a couple of people come to my house that actually didn't know that I had gerbils. They were sort of freaked out, but I just told them that it was OK, they stay in their tanks, there was nothing to worry about," said Diane Nott who travelled from Elyria, Ohio, to compete in the show.

Gerbils thrive in desert habitats and their growing popularity as pets led authorities in California and Hawaii to make it illegal to keep them since the weather there would make it possible for escaping animals to flourish in wild colonies that would damage crops and native plants.

At the Bedford show, each animal undergoes a health check. Inspectors look at the whiskers, teeth and mouths and check to ensure the rodents have no runny noses, bugs, loss of fur on their tails or other signs of health problems.

Donna Anastasi of Waltham got hooked on gerbils after buying them for her daughters when they were younger.

"Anyone can buy a $12 gerbil and get into the sport of gerbil showing or gerbil agility," said Anastasi, who is also vice president of the American Gerbil Society. "It's very fun ... easy and affordable and something you can do with your kids."

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Helen Mirren delivers royal tongue-lashing to noisy parade

A troupe of street drummers got a shock when Helen Mirren, dressed as Queen Elizabeth, emerged from a London theatre to berate them for disrupting her show.

Mirren is starring in The Audience, a drama by Peter Morgan about the weekly meetings between the Queen and Britain's prime ministers over her 60-year reign.

'Seeing Helen Mirren dressed as the Queen cussing and swearing and making you stop your parade — that's a new one.' —Mark McKenzie, parade organizer

Mirren told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that she used less-than-royal language in the rant during the intermission of Saturday's performance.

"I'm afraid there were a few 'thespian' words used," Mirren was quoted as saying Monday. "They got a very stern royal ticking off but I have to say they were very sweet and they stopped immediately.

"I felt rotten, but on the other hand they were destroying our performance so something had to be done."

The drummers were marching through London's West End to promote As One in the Park, a gay music festival being held later this month.

"Not much shocks you on the gay scene," parade organizer Mark McKenzie told the Telegraph. "But seeing Helen Mirren dressed as the Queen cussing and swearing and making you stop your parade — that's a new one."

Festival spokesman Mark Williams said organizers "are terribly upset if we caused her any distress. If she'd like to let her hair down and attend the festival she'd be more than welcome."

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Hundreds vie for chance to buy rare, $130 beer

NB Liquor is holding a lottery giving people the chance to buy 12 bottles of very rare — and very strong — beer from Boston brewery Samuel Adams.

The 54-proof Samuel Adams Utopias is among the strongest beers in the world. One 24-ounce bottle packs as much alcohol as a 12-pack of Bud Light.

Andrew Estabrooks, head brewer of New Brunswick-based beer company Picaroons, says there is a market in the province for this type of product. (CBC)

At about $130 per bottle, this is a beer designed for people on more of a champagne budget. The beer is non-carbonated, made from a blend of several types of beers and aged in bourbon and port casks.

Marcelle Saulnier, with NB Liquor, said hundreds are vying for the chance to buy the specialty brew.

"We've had a great uptake. As of [Friday] morning we're nearing 300 and we expect that to rise," she said.

Andrew Estabrooks, head brewer of New Brunswick-based beer company Picaroons, said Utopias — and craft beers in general — take a long time and effort to brew.

"They age it in barrels, usually for at least a year. So it's a lot of processing and they use very good ingredients in it," he said.

Utopias is not for the faint of heart. An average bottle of beer is five per cent alcohol. This specialty beer is 27 per cent alcohol by volume or 54-proof.

"There's so much booze that it would just take over everything. So the key, the art, to it is to make it taste good and still be drinkable," said Estabrooks.

Not everyone is willing to pay a triple-digit price tag for a single bottle of beer.

"130 bucks for one bottle of beer? I suppose it's a collector's item. So, well maybe. Some people have more money than brains and they might be interested," said Mike Price.

"We've got specialty made beer about two blocks from here, I'm happy with that," said Mike Hutchins.

Estabrooks said there is a market in the province for this type of product.

"I think as craft beer is gaining some credibility [like] the wine world or of that mentality. There's no harm in cellaring some beers and having some keepers that you open up, two, three four years down the road," he said.

The first ever beer lottery at NB Liquor closes May 25.

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Gerbils strut their stuff at U.S. pageant

The American Gerbil Society's annual pageant brought dozens of rodents scurrying to Bedford, Mass., this weekend for a chance to win "top gerbil."

The competition called for agility demonstrations in which the gerbils must overcome obstacles and race to the end of a course. Breeders of the small animals vie for coveted ribbons based on body type and agility.

"A male gerbil should be a good, strong, hefty-looking gerbil," said Libby Hanna, president of the American Gerbil Society. "If you are going to think of it in human terms, you might think of a football player — somebody who's big, thick neck, nice, strong-looking male gerbil."

An ideal female gerbil will have a more streamlined appearance that even humans covet, she said.

"So she would be strong and athletic-looking — not really scrawny, but slim," said Hanna, who serves as a judge in the show. "I usually use a figure skater as my mental image or gymnasts — so obviously a gymnast is not necessarily a big, big woman, but she's gonna be strong, muscular and athletic."

The two-day show drew gerbil enthusiasts and breeders from around the country and culminates in the presentation of champion and breeder certificates.

Pet gerbils illegal in some states

Gerbils are can be good pets for modern families as they don't require to be taken out for a walk, could easily fit in a small apartment and their tanks only need to be cleaned about once a week.

Still, some people freak out when they visit friends and see gerbils in the home.

"I've had a couple of people come to my house that actually didn't know that I had gerbils. They were sort of freaked out, but I just told them that it was OK, they stay in their tanks, there was nothing to worry about," said Diane Nott who travelled from Elyria, Ohio, to compete in the show.

Gerbils thrive in desert habitats and their growing popularity as pets led authorities in California and Hawaii to make it illegal to keep them since the weather there would make it possible for escaping animals to flourish in wild colonies that would damage crops and native plants.

At the Bedford show, each animal undergoes a health check. Inspectors look at the whiskers, teeth and mouths and check to ensure the rodents have no runny noses, bugs, loss of fur on their tails or other signs of health problems.

Donna Anastasi of Waltham got hooked on gerbils after buying them for her daughters when they were younger.

"Anyone can buy a $12 gerbil and get into the sport of gerbil showing or gerbil agility," said Anastasi, who is also vice president of the American Gerbil Society. "It's very fun ... easy and affordable and something you can do with your kids."

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Habs' Prust calls Sens coach MacLean 'bug-eyed fat walrus'

While Eric Gryba was suspended two games for a blindside hit on Lars Eller in Game 1, the Canadiens were more upset Friday with Ottawa coach Paul MacLean for blaming Montreal defenceman Raphael Diaz for the incident.

MONTREAL -- It didn't take long for this battle to get ugly.

The Montreal Canadiens are livid with the hit by Ottawa Senators defenceman Eric Gryba on winger Lars Eller on Thursday night in a 4-2 loss in Game 1. With Game 2 set for Friday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 6:30 p.m. ET), there was plenty of noise coming from both dressing rooms.

While Gryba was facing a possible suspension [Editor's note: Gryba received a two-game suspension from the NHL later Friday] for what was a blindside hit on Eller in the second period of the Senators' victory, the Habs were more upset with the fact Ottawa coach Paul MacLean blamed Montreal defenceman Raphael Diaz for the incident.

"We don't really care what that bug-eyed fat walrus has to say," Prust said at the club's practice facility in Brossard, Que.

MacLean said Thursday night Diaz shouldn't have thrown the pass.

"The player I would be mad at is 61 [Diaz]," said MacLean after the game. "That's a dangerous place to be."

Coach Michel Therrien didn't like that reference either.

"It was a total lack of respect to Lars Eller and his family," said Therrien.

MacLean said he was just stating the facts and if the Habs didn't like the truth, well, it didn't bother him one bit.

"Everyone was blaming my player for doing what he was supposed to do," said MacLean. "All I did was point out what happened. I feel bad that the kid got hurt. That's what happens. It's a hockey play that went bad for him.

"All you guys were going to stand around and say that Eric Gryba was to blame. All I did was tell you what it was. If that was being harsh, being cruel to the player 61, it's a big world out there. Grow up."

Asked about Prust's comments, MacLean didn't go there: "I have no idea. I just want to coach this game. They can say whatever they want to say. I'm going to say what I want to say. I am who I am. It don't matter to me, I'm just here to coach the team."

Therrien said the incident was devastating.

"The management is hurt, the coaching staff is hurt and, most importantly, the players are hurt to see one of their teammates laid down like this," said Therrien.

Changes coming for Habs

Already with out Eller, who has a concussion, facial fractures and needs dental work, the Habs will have to make even more changes than they first planned.

Forwards Max Pacioretty and Brian Gionta won't be able to play in Game 2 because of undislosed injuries. Expect to see veterans Jeff Halpern and Colby Armstrong, both healthy scratches in Game 1, in the lineup for Montreal.

With Gryba out, expect to see defenceman Patrick Wiercioch in the lineup. He was a scratch for Game 1.

"I don't think you're entitled to anything in the NHL. Whatever helps the team most, whatever gets us the wins right now, is all the focus," said Wiercioch.

Anderson loses tooth

The Senators are aware they have to be better in Game 2 if they're going to go home with a 2-0 series lead.

They allowed the Habs to have 50 shots at Craig Anderson and don't want that to happen again. The Senators have to limit the chances and make sure they get to Carey Price.

"It's really important not to let them get 50 shots. Anytime you allow that many against, you're giving the opposition a good opportunity to score more goals," said Ottawa defenceman Marc Methot.

Anderson lost a tooth on a shot from Rene Bourque in the second. He stayed in the game.

"That just goes to show his character and how badly he wants to win for us," said Methot. "He's stepping his game up and it's showing.

"It's tough. It's a huge shock when you get hit around the mouth. It's a sensitive area. I believe that tooth that he lost was fake ... That kind of helps. Don't quote me on that. I think it's a little too late [for that]. He's an animal out there."

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The Empire strikes back against May the 4th

CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Lauren O'Neil, Andrea Bellamare, John Bowman (Not shown: Andrea Lee-Greenberg, on leave)

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What the new Bank of Canada governor's signature may say about him

Stephen Poloz, who currently heads the Export Development Corporation, was appointed Governor of the Bank of Canada on Thursday for a seven-year term that starts June 3.

As Governor of the Bank of Canada, Poloz will be responsible for monetary policy, overseeing the country's financial system and the production and distribution of the new polymer currency.

As well, every new Canadian banknote will carry his signature.

Now that we know that Poloz will be the next governor, we thought it would be fun to ask a handwriting expert to analyze the signatures of the last few governors, as well as the next man to sign Canadian banknotes.

Elaine Charal analyzes handwriting for clues about someone's personality; companies consult her in their executive hiring decisions. Graphology is not science —for a critique, see the link in the left column by former Simon Fraser University pyschologist Barry Beyerstein.

Here's a synopsis of Charal's take on the signatures of the future of Bank of Canada governor and his four predecessors.

Stephen Poloz

Newly announced Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz. (CBC)

Stephen's signature moves up dramatically on his page, indicating his positive, optimistic outlook. The underscore under his name indicates his self-reliance.

His signature is illegible, indicating that while he has created a trademark signature, he is also a very private person who does not wish to be known to others.

There is a figure-eight stroke formation in the capital S of Stephen's first name and a figure-eight stroke between the E and P of his first name, indicating his fluid quick-mindedness — this allows Stephen to anticipate what someone will say and then smooth over or troubleshoot the issue without anyone fully realizing he has shifted the subject to safe waters.

The angled strokes between some of his letters indicates his drive to achieve.

Mark Carney

Soon-to-be-ex-Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney. (CBC)

Mark's high capital letters indicate his confidence. Mark's writing is obviously quick, indicating his quick mind.

The angle stroke between the initial upward stroke of his M indicates his wit; the angled upward wedges of his capital M indicates his investigative thinking — few tell Mark what to do.

The hook at the end of the capital M in his first initial, as well as the hook on the Y of his family name, indicates his tenacity. He doesn't give up until all prospects have been explored, and once he achieves something, it is his to keep.

The needle-pointed R in his family name indicates his sharp mental perceptions.

His straight downstroke on the Y of his family name indicates his determination.

The underscore effect of the Y of his family name indicates Mark's self-reliance.

Mark's A is pinched, indicating he'll tend to do more for others than he realizes. His A resembles an O, indicating Mark works hard and makes it look easy.

David A. Dodge

Former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge. (CBC)

David's initials and family name all join together, indicating his fluidity of mind. This fluidity helps David dodge verbally around difficult issues and helps him change the subject without anyone fully realizing what he is doing.

His delta D in his family name indicates his literary ability and creativity.

The figure-eight G in David's family name further indicates fluidity of mind.

David's greek E at the end of his signature indicates further his literary ability and creativity.

The long, straight stroke at the end of his signature indicates his caution: as quickly as he thinks, he tries to think things through one more time before he acts.

The star shape in David's capital A in his middle initial indicates his tenacity.

Gordon Thiessen

Former Bank of Canada governor Gordon Thiessen. (CBC)

Gordon's high capital letters indicate his good level of confidence.

The circling effect in his signature is a protective stroke that keeps only those close to him within that inner circle.

The breakaway V-stroke in the H of his family name indicates his initiative. Gordon doesn't wait for much, but goes after what needs to be done.

The needle points throughout the rest of his family name indicate his quick, comprehensive thinking. Gordon will do best when he is communicating with people who are as quick-minded as he is.

His signature is illegible, which indicates he has created a trademark signature, and, on a deeper level, that Gordon is a private type of individual who does not readily communicate who he is to others.

John Crow

Former Bank of Canada governor John Crow. (CBC)

John's very high capital letters indicate a high level of confidence.

The flat-bottom loop on his capital J indicates his need to excel and to best his personal best.

The underscore effect of John's capital J indicates his self-reliance.

John's family name is a print-writing (part printing/part writing), which suggests above-average intelligence.

The final stroke of John's W flips back, shielding the second portion of his letter W, suggesting that John is not the best when it comes to accepting advice from others.

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Avid birder boy, 12, boasts 371 species spotted

A 12-year-old boy from Vancouver has a fairly unusual hobby that sets him apart from many of his peers: he is an avid, and remarkably accomplished, bird watcher and photographer.

Liron Gertsman, who has been interested in ornithology since he was five, has spotted 371 species of birds and captured photographs of all but four of them, which he posts on his blog. It took him three years to save enough for the camera.

"It's hard to choose favourites," Liron said.

He is also the youngest volunteer to take part in monthly bird counts with the Stanley Park Ecological Society.

Liron took CBC's Duncan McCue under his wing to show him the ropes in this video report.

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Netflix nixes 1,800 titles from its library

CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Lauren O'Neil, Andrea Bellamare, John Bowman (Not shown: Andrea Lee-Greenberg, on leave)

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Maple Leafs superfan builds own Hall of Fame

There are hockey fans and then there is Mike Wilson.

The Toronto man has been collecting memorabilia for the last 50 years. His collection features the rarest of the rare and even rivals the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Our Peter Akman got invited for a tour of this rarely seen hockey haven.

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Google Glass user's shower photo freaks out internet

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Teeny movie directs atoms to tell a story

Scientists have taken the idea of a film short down to new levels. Molecular levels.

IBM says it has made the tiniest stop-motion movie ever — a one-minute video of individual atoms repeatedly rearranged to show a boy dancing, throwing a ball and bouncing on a trampoline.

Each frame measures 45 by 25 nanometers — there are 25 million nanometers in an inch — but hugely magnified, the movie is reminiscent of early video games, particularly when the boy bounces the ball off the side of the frame accompanied by simple music and sound effects.

The movie is titled "A Boy and His Atom."

Videos showing atoms in motion have been seen before but Andreas Heinrich, IBM's principal scientist for the project, said Tuesday this is the first time anything so small has been maneuvered to tell a story.

"This movie is a fun way to share the atomic-scale world," Heinrich said. "The reason we made this was not to convey a scientific message directly, but to engage with students, to prompt them to ask questions."

Certified by Guinness World Records

Jamie Panas of Guinness World Records said Guinness certified the movie as "Smallest Stop-Motion Film."

IBM used a remotely operated two-ton scanning tunneling microscope at its lab in San Jose, Calif., to make the movie earlier this year. The microscope magnifies the surface over 100 million times. It operates at 450 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (268 degrees below zero Celsius).

The cold "makes life simpler for us," Heinrich said. "The atoms hold still. They would move around on their own at room temperature."

Scientists used the microscope to control a tiny, super-sharp needle along a copper surface, IBM said. At a distance of just 1 nanometer, the needle physically attracted the carbon monoxide molecules and pulled them to a precisely specified location on the surface.

The dots that make up the figures in the movie are the oxygen atoms within carbon monoxide molecules, Heinrich said.

The scientists took 242 still images that make up the movie's 242 frames.

Heinrich said the techniques used to make the movie are similar to what IBM is doing to make data storage smaller.

"As data creation and consumption continue to get bigger, data storage needs to get smaller, all the way down to the atomic level," he said.

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