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Science Etcetera Mercuryday, 20080117

January 17th, 2008

Sliding Rocks of Racetrack Playa
Image Courtesy of PDPhoto

How do these rocks in the Racetrack Playa dry flatbeds slide for long distances, leaving deep groves in the dirt?

Japanese whalers have seized Sea Shepherd Conservation Society protestors and tied them to the mast of their ship (maybe). How foolish to provoke an organization that rams whaling ships into submission! I believe even a Super Science Ninja like myself can forget my ancient rivalry with pirates on this issue. YAAAAAARRRRRR!!! It’s clobberin’ time mateys!!!

2007 has now tied for second place with 1998 as Earth’s second warmest year in the last century, but it’s cold outside as I’m writing this, so this news doesn’t mean anything.

Practicing what he preaches, Lawrence Lessig is making another of his books, The Future of Ideas, available for free download under a Creative Commons license. His book, Code Version 2.0 is also available. These books are required reading for anyone who wants to understand the history and reasoning behind the Creative Commons movement.

Researchers in Japan are designing an Origami spaceplane that could survive reentry to Earth after being launched from the Space Station… I don’t want to hear any more complaints about there being too much Federal Spending on NASA.

Is there such a thing as Eco-Friendly Contraception?