Germany’s Max Planck Society is one of the most reputable scientific research institutes in the world, overseeing world-class exploration in the natural, physical and social sciences that has earned its scientists 17 Nobel prizes since 1948. However, the editorial staff that heads up the Max Planck Forschung, the German-language top scientific journal that publishes the results of the institute’s research, will certainly not be winning any prizes this month.

The Foschung editors chose what they thought was a classical Chinese poem to grace the cover a special issue focused on China, but found out, after the journal was printed, that the elegant Chinese lettering on the cover was nothing more than an advertisement for Chinese hookers. The cover offers something I thought was only craved in Western pornographic circles: hot and horny housewives. Apparently, these stay-at-home sweethearts are also sought after in Hong Kong, where writer Clifford Coonan believes the ad originated. Coonan writes in today’s Independent:

The use of traditional Chinese characters and references to “the northern mainland” seem to indicate the text comes from Hong Kong or Macau, and it promises burlesque acts by pretty-as-jade housewives with hot bodies for the daytime visitor.

The Max Planck Institute was quick to acknowledge its error explaining that it had consulted a German sinologist prior to publication of the text. “To our sincere regret … it has now emerged that the text contains deeper levels of meaning, which are not immediately accessible to a non-native speaker,” the institute said in an apology. “By publishing this text we did in no way intend to cause any offence or embarrassment to our Chinese readers. “

The institute edited the online version of the issue and replaced the horny housewife cover with the title of a Swiss book. So much for the China-themed cover. Flumesday’s Chief Mandarin Translator (also Chief Technology Officer) was kind enough to send me a translation of the cover. Here it is:

Experienced girls paid with good wages
Directors personally lead young “jade maidens”
Elegant and distinguished northern beauties
Young housewives with provocative figures
Coquettes and enchanting girls debut today

Coquettes? The only thing that’s missing is a website address.

As the hysteria over Chinese Democracy has finally subsided, late last week, the music blogosphere was jolted by a Internet leak of a new Eminem single, that will either appear on the the long-awaited, much-anticipated new Eminem album Relapse or the long-awaited, much anticipated new Dr. Dre album Detox. I say either because while the leak of “Number One” is sung solo by Eminem, it is clear from his verses that the song, in completed form, will feature both him and Dre. According to an MTV piece Friday, the single showed up on a mixtape from DJs Big Mike and Neptune titled “4th Quarter Pressure Part 2.” Eminem hasn’t released an album since 2004’s Encore, while Dre, who produced the new Em album, hasn’t put out a disc of his own since 2001, which despite the title, was released in the fall of 1999. Both Relapse and Detox are expected in early 2009.

Listen to the leak of Eminem and Dre’s “Number One”: