BASF, the German chemical giant, is moving the headquarters of its plant science division from Germany to Research Triangle Park.

The company already employs about 200 people in the park, where it is working to create genetically modified crops that will produce larger harvests or plants that will be better able to withstand drought, floods and rising ocean levels.

Adding the headquarters designation will mean transferring as many as 123 positions to the Triangle from sites in Europe.

Megan Lybrand, a BASF Plant Science spokeswoman, said the company does not yet know how many European employees will relocate.

“We’ll see what happens as far as colleagues choosing to join us,” she said, adding that the company expects to continue to expand its workforce.

The Triangle Volleyball Club has received confirmation from Guinness World Records that the club officially holds the Guinness World Record for the “most consecutive volleyball passes.”

The record of 110 passes was set Feb. 5 at the Raleigh Convention Center in conjunction with the Feb. 6-7 Mid-Atlantic Power League tournament hosted the TVC.

The Triangle Volleyball Club is going for a world record.

Club athletes, staff and participants in next month's Mid-Atlantic
Power League tournament will attempt to win a place among the Guinness
World Records for the number of consecutive volleyball passes, said
Sherry Fadool, associate director of the Morrisville-based Triangle
Volleyball Club.

The record attempt will take place at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at the Raleigh
Convention Center as a prelude to the Mid-Atlantic Power League’s Feb.
6-7 MAPL Raleigh 2010 tournament at the convention center.

Just ran across this interesting tidbit in the Chronicle of Higher Education that gives some insight into German culture.

At German universities, classes actually start 15 minutes later than their noted start times.

It's called the 'academic quarter hour,' and is a routine everyone there follows.

If your class says 11 a.m., it actually starts at 11:15, so don't be alarmed if you get there at the top of the hour and you're alone in the classroom.

Here's the story.

AP photo

BEIJING — The men's national basketball team from Germany is competing in its first Olympics since 1992 with Dallas Maverick Dirk Nowitzky leading the charge. They're embracing the Olympic spirit, even in the barber's chair.

The Germans shaved the Olympic rings into their heads after an opening-night win over Angola on Sunday. Alas, the new hairdos didn't aid them against Greece on Tuesday. Greece won 87-64 and will next face the U.S. on Thursday at 8 a.m. ET.