Anyone in graduate school (such as Diana) should read this essay, "The Benefits of Earning a PhD".

Unique web clock: My brother Tim pointed me towards this clever web clock.

"This Arrest Brought to You By Pepsi": In a bizarre new business model, the Mooresville, NC police department will now allow their patrol cars to be sponsored by advertisers.

Is this the script for the upcoming "Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones"? Or is it just a clever fraud? You can decide for yourself. There's also a text version for those who prefer that format. (Via MetaFilter.)

If an asteroid were ever to threaten to collide with the Earth, one way to deflect it would be to paint it a different color.

High school chess stars are in greater demand as more colleges are competing to recruit them with generous chess scholarships. (Via Fark.)

Airport security tips for geeks: Some useful hints on how best to pack your computer and electronics gear to minimize the hassle factor when going through airport security. (I'm most amused when security screeners ask me to turn on my cell phone or laptop to prove that it works. Their implicit assumption "that no item with a working LCD screen could possibly contain a bomb" seems dubious at best. Haven't they seen any James Bond movies?)

Stem cell research in Great Britain is going to boom because of the favorable legal climate there compared to the US. They've already lured some top researchers from American universities, and this could be the beginning of a British "brain gain".

The last f*cking thing I want in my wallet is a credit card that beeps when I open it up. (2nd article on the page)

"South Park" really has killed Kenny -- for good, this time. You bastards!

Back to the Future? University of Connecticut physics professor Ronald Mallett believes he can build a working time machine capable of transporting subatomic particles into the past. He hopes to have a "working mockup and start experiments this fall." (Via Ars Technica.)

Geeks looking for the ultimate high tech dating experience can find it at the Remote Lounge in NYC. Interestingly enough, according to the article the anonymous calling feature is more popular with women than men.

The new dating scene in Silicon Valley: Ever since the dot-com crash, the dating culture Silicon Valley has changed considerably -- mostly for the better. However there are still some quirks, such as the "upgrade mentality".

One of the most tasteless Flash games I've ever seen is "Watch Out Behind You, Hunter!". In this third-person shooter, you are a redneck hunter who has to shoot naked men who will otherwise leap out of the bushes and attack you from the rear. (Link via Zebulun.)

Forbes has their own list of features one should look for in a real life "panic room".

Why settle for a mere DVD player when you can get a holographic video recorder?

Possible cloned human fetus? An unconfirmed report states that a woman is 8 weeks pregnant with a human clone. Details are very sketchy at present.

An asteroid could strike the Earth in the year 2880. But with advances in life-extension technology, perhaps Bruce Willis will still be around to save us...

The MPAA claims that file-swappers are "terrorizing" the entertainment industry.

Humbling science news of the day: Rice has more genes than people.