[Off-topic] PJM OpEd "ObamaCare's Other Infringements"

Off topic: PJMedia has published my latest piece, "It’s Not Just the Mandate: ObamaCare's Other Infringements".

No Spinrad For You!

NYT: "CBS Blocks Use of Unused 'Star Trek' Script by Spinrad". (Via Doug Mataconis.)

How An Aeron Chair Gets Built Every 17 Seconds

"An American-Made Miracle: How An Aeron Chair Gets Built Every 17 Seconds". (Via Jennifer Armstrong.)

Linux-powered Star Trek Tricorder

Totally. Want.: "Researcher publishes specs for real Linux-powered Star Trek tricorder"

Apes and Robots

"RoboBonobo: Giving Apes Control of Their Own Robot".

Nope, can't imagine anything possibly going wrong here! (Via Alex Knapp.)

Eye-Tracking Computers Will Read Your Thoughts

"Eye-Tracking Computers Will Read Your Thoughts".

The story is a tad alarmist, but the technology is interesting.

NYT on Emmy Noether

"The Mighty Mathematician You've Never Heard Of"

The Seikilos Epitaph

"The Seikilos epitaph is the oldest surviving example of a complete musical composition, including musical notation, from anywhere in the world."

Click through to hear it performed.

(Update: Link was broken, but is now fixed!)

Death of a Data Haven

"Death of a data haven: Cypherpunks, WikiLeaks, and the world's smallest nation"

Oldest Alien Planets

"Two huge planets found orbiting a star 375 light-years away are the oldest alien worlds yet discovered".

In particular, they were "likely formed at the dawn of the universe, less than a billion years after the big bang."

Behind the Scenes in a Trojan Condom Factory

"Behind the Scenes in a Trojan Condom Factory"

Of course, there's a video:

Clarke on Who Was Behind the Stuxnet Attack

"Richard Clarke on Who Was Behind the Stuxnet Attack"

Improving Passwords

"Computer passwords need to be memorable and secure. Most people's are the first but not the second."

Satirical Guide to Writing Like A Scientist

Adam Ruben's snarky guide: "How to Write Like a Scientist"

My favorite:

3. Some journals, such as Science, officially eschew the passive voice. Others print only the passive voice. So find a healthy compromise by writing in semi-passive voice.

ACTIVE VOICE: We did this experiment.

PASSIVE VOICE: This experiment was done by us.

SEMI-PASSIVE VOICE: Done by us, this experiment was.

Yes, for the semi-passive voice, you'll want to emulate Yoda. Yoda, you'll want to emulate.

Impossible Typeface

Cool typeface based on the "impossible" Penrose triangle. (Via Radley Balko.)

How To See Around Corners

"How To See Around Corners".

China's Subversive Microblogs

China's subversive microblogs: "Zombie followers and fake re-tweets"

TacoCopter

Quote of the day: "The U.S. government is single-handedly preventing you from ordering a taco and having it delivered to you by a totally sweet pilot-less helicopter." (Via @RyanSager.)

How George Takei Conquered Facebook

Alex Knapp: "How George Takei Conquered Facebook"

How Movie Stars Are Insured

NYT: "Insuring Hollywood Against Falls (but Not Flops)". (Via Marginal Revolution.)