Monday, June 17, 2002

Internet Explorer's "autocomplete" helps convict killer: According to this Boston Globe article, prosecutors were able to disprove spree shooter Michael McDermott's claim that he thought he was travelling through time to kill seven Nazis by examining his computer and showing that he had been performing web searches for "faking mental illness". (Via Declan at Politech. Declan points out that this feature should also be a gold mine for divorce lawyers!)

Plus, the Rorschach test revealed: The same Boston Globe article also has a very interesting discussion of the consequences of the general public having access via the Internet to hitherto confidential details on psychological tests, including the "right" and "wrong" answers to give on the famous Rorschach inkblot test. Although some psychologists are upset at having their secrets published online (one went so far as to call it "an act of psychological terrorism"), you can learn all the details of the Rorschach test here.