Somewhat overly gushing discussion of RSS.

Immersion in virtual worlds can blunt real-world pain responses in patients.

Naming rights for computer viruses can get messy.

Admin notice -- RSS feed: Due to popular demand, I've added an "RSS Feed" link on the left sidebar. As is usual with these things, I suspect I'll need to tweak it a few times until I'm satisfied...

Tired of unrealistic "solutions" to the spam problem? Use this handy (and funny) check-box based form letter to save time in responding to dumb ideas. (Via Boing Boing.)

A fair coin toss is not entirely fair. Stanford mathematics/statistics professor Persi Diaconis has shown that if a normal coin starts off showing "heads", it is slightly more likely to end up heads rather than tails.

Ikea furniture names aren't always as well researched as they should be. (Via BBspot.)

"Scientists See How Placebo Effect Eases Pain"

Now this is an animated gif. (Via Boing Boing.)

Everything you wanted to know about Google.

"Sending e-mail can be a struggle if your name has a 4-letter word"

Shat-Lessons: Handy on-line guide on how to speak and act like William Shatner. (Via Dave Barry.)

Physicists have been able to resolve events separated by as little as 10^-16 seconds, i.e. 100 attoseconds. This is on the order of the time it takes the electron in a hydrogen atom to orbit the proton.

Geek wristwatches galore...

Last month on January 13, 2004, "astronomers Clark Chapman and David Morrison, chair of the International Astronomical Union's Working Group on Near Earth Objects" came within minutes of alerting President Bush about an impending asteroid strike. Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory were tracking an object which they believed had a 25% chance of striking the Northern Hemisphere in a few days. Although the asteroid was only 30m in diameter, if it struck a populated area "the loss of life could have been much worse than 11 September." Fortunately the astronomical community decided to wait. After additional observations, "[i]t turned out to be bigger than anyone had thought - about 500m wide. It eventually passed the Earth at a distance of about 12 million km - 32 times the Earth-Moon distance, posing no danger to us whatsoever." As a result of this event, "[t]he procedures for raising the alarm in such circumstances are now being revised" but the article does not go into further details.

Scientists have proven why stove-popped popcorn is superior to microwave-popped popcorn.

"Chess Computers On Track to Overtake Humans in 2004". Now if only computer scientists could make similar progress with my favorite boardgame, Go.

"How the FBI eavesdrops on Internet phone calls (and why it sometimes can't)". Via SciTechDaily.

Law professor Viet Dinh defends the much-maligned Patriot Act.

Rand Simberg has written a touching memorial to his late cat Stella.