Time-waster of the day: The Falling Sand Game. Information on how to play the game here. (Via Clicked.)

"The man with the perfect memory -- just don't ask him to remember what's in it: Digital technology records scientist's every step". Interesting article on some of the pros and cons of a "surrogate memory". I expect we'll see more of this as technology continues to advance. (Via IPList.)

What happens when a prisoner is placed on suicide watch?

Unexpected problems with ordering 250 pounds of Silly Putty to give away to friends. In particular:

The problem was that once together, Silly Putty doesn't like to come apart, and none of us had any idea of how to deal with this effect. We tried everything: very strong people (didn't work), scissors (stabbing worked, slicing didn't), 28-gauge steel wire (broke), 22-gauge steel wire (broke), 16-gauge steel wire (too thick), and twisting and breaking (worked well for "smaller" pieces -- under five pounds, that is.)

(Via Boing Boing.)

Photo gallery of impossible things. (Via Linkfilter.)

Anti-terrorism tool of the day: Trained, bomb-sniffing wasps. No, really. (Via Bruce Schneier.)

President Bush waxes poetical about the First iPod Shuffle. Excerpt from his interview with Brit Hume:

Bush : Beach Boys, Beatles, let's see, Alan Jackson, Alan Jackson, Alejandro, Alison Krauss, the Angels, the Archies, Aretha Franklin, the Beatles, Dan McLean. Remember him?

Hume: Don McLean.

Bush: I mean, Don McLean.

Hume: Does "American Pie," right?

Bush: Great song.

Hume: Yes, yes, great song.

Unidentified male: ...which ones do you play?

Bush: All of these. I put it on shuffle. Dwight Yoakam. I've got the Shuffle, the, what is it called? The little.

Hume: Shuffle.

Bush: It looks like.

Hume: The Shuffle. That is the name of one of the models.

Bush: Yes, the Shuffle.

Hume: Called the Shuffle.

Bush: Lightweight, and crank it on, and you shuffle the Shuffle.

Hume: So you -- it plays...

Bush: Put it in my pocket, got the ear things on.

Hume: So it plays them in a random order.

Bush: Yes.

Hume: So you don't know what you're going to going to get.

Bush: No.

Hume: But you know --

Bush: And if you don't like it, you have got your little advance button. It's pretty high-tech stuff.

Hume: ...be good to have one of those at home, wouldn't it?

Bush: Oh?

Hume: Yes, hit the button and whatever it is that's in your head -- gone.

Bush: ...it's a bad day, just say, get out of here.

Hume: Well, that probably is pretty...

Bush: That works, too. ( Laughter )

Hume: Yes, right.

"Scientists Find Cache of Dodo Bird Bones"

The Great Wall of MIT.

Carnival of Tomorrow #16 is now up!

"Adult Brain Cells Do Keep Growing"

"Who's Snooping On Your E-mail?": Richard Smith explains one way to find out

Here's a quick and easy method to see if one's email messages are being read by someone else.

The steps are:

1. Set up a Hotmail account.

2. Set up a second email account with a
non-U.S. provider. (eg. Rediffmail.com)

3. Send messages between the two accounts
which might be interesting to the NSA.

4. In each message, include a unique URL
to a Web server that you have access to its
server logs. This URL should only
be known by you and not linked to from
any other Web page. The text of the
message should encourage an NSA monitor
to visit the URL.

5. If the server log file ever shows this
URL being accessed, then you know that
you are being snooped on. The IP address
of the access can also provide clues
about who is doing the snooping.

Besides monitoring the NSA, this same technique can be used if you suspect your email account password has been stolen or if a family member or coworker is reading your email on your computer of the sly.

Useful "How To's" for Windows XP. (Via Linkfilter.)

Elegant physical models of mathematical curiosities.

The mathematics of Sudoku. (Via ALDaily.)

Nice introduction to motherboards.

"Inside the Air Force's laser lab."

"Why the Japanese want their robots to act more like humans"

Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!

Rand Simberg has won the contest held by "The Space Show" for the first message to space. The message could have a maximum length of one page, taking no more than 5 minute to read. His winning entry:

"We taste terrible."

Update: It was Sam Dinkin (Rand Simberg's co-blogger), who won the contest. My apologies, Sam!