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A spy computer you can build for $50.

A project to defend earth against attacks from space.

A  description of current law with regard to forcing someone to decrypt a hard drive. An article on the same case.

Reputation.com is in the business of improving your online reputation; it promises to "replace your inaccurate or misleading search results with new, truthful, accurate results." Precisely how they determine what is truthful is not entirely clear. Or how much they care.

Delayed puberty drugs are apparently here now—and being used for a somewhat odd purpose.

Mass production blackmail at £10 a pop.

It is now possible to be legally genderless—at least in New South Wales

The Transparent Society may be nearer than we think: Your laptop is watching you. A legal analysis of the case.

A recent story on the chemistry of love.

Enforcing the GPL--in the courts. Relevant to some of the Open Source issues we will be discussing.

En route to Avatar: VR and Remote Control

How much does your browser tell web pages about you? The EFF is onto the question.

Giant database "to help find missing children"--threat, menace, or useful tool.

"I wanted to make a dent in the suffering and death caused by aging..." says one "DIY biologist". "Of course, there are also DIYers with no ambitions to save the world, who are content to 'make yogurt glow' in the basement for their own personal satisfaction!"

According to a recent report from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, for every 119 males born in China, only 110 females are born. The report blames selective abortion based on technologies for determining gender before birth but, at least judging by the news story, fails to mention the role of government restrictions limiting a couple to one child.

A Stanford professor argues gaming worlds can keep workers engaged, and advocates elements of World of Warcraft or Second Life to hone skills like teamwork, leadership, and data analysis. And one IBM report also argues games like World of Warcraft teach leadership and "asserts that there is no reason to think that the same cannot be done in corporate settings of various sizes..."

Whether it's the BigDog military quadruped robot or an anthropomorphic robot with the ability to sweat, "All of them are disturbing to watch." This article documents what Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori calls "the uncanny valley," or why near-lifelike creatures can seem real but unhealthy -- genetically unfit.