Is Time Travel Possible?
"Much of the science being done today in many fields will turn out to be wrong. Being wrong is an essential part of investigating the universe."
Is Toyota Better Than Ford and GM?
Maybe just better run. Mark Thoma at Economist's View has some thoughts. So do his readers.
Is your Pocket on Fire or Are You Happy To See Me?
Counterfeit products proliferate. Know your source, as we used to say in the '60s.
Islam & Science
Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy gives us a fascinating overview of Islam's long and variable engagement with science. "The question I want to pose—perhaps as much to myself as to anyone else—is this: With well over a billion Muslims and extensive material resources, why is the Islamic world disengaged from science and the process of creating new knowledge?"
Isn't This How Gamera Started?
Probably a sign of my misspent youth, but I know that nothing good can come from a project where Japanese scientists drill towards the center of the earth.
It Ain't Over Yet
Being caught sneaking into consumers' computers with its malware DRM may have just been the beginning of Sony BMG's problems. Paradoxiically, getting rid of it may put consumers afoul of the DMRC.
It All Depends On Your Definition of "Random"
How random is the iPod shuffle? Steven Levy is of two minds (at least) on the subject.
It Could Be Very Fresh and Clean
It could be Frankie.
It Doesn't Get Better Than This
Fred Kaplan's piece on Ornette Coleman in Slate isn't simply a brilliant piece of work, it uses embedded links to their greatest advantage. This ain't easy, although Fred's graceful prose and mastery of his subject sure make it go down smooth.
It Isn't Piracy If We Do It
Set your irony scanner to high and read about the kerfluffle involving the MPAA making copies of a film submitted for a rating. Even better, if the film maker sues, the MPAA's defense will probably hinge on whether or not it intended to sell it. Does that mean if they argue successfully that intent to profit is the definition of piracy that we can make copies too if we promise not to sell them?