The new issue of Wired is very impressive. It features a big cover article about Richard Branson, the man who might bring private space flight to the world. While I usually find privatization schemes to be of questionable merit, this is one that I can get behind. Anything that improves competition and choice is usually a good thing. The question is: will the American government let them go into space. And if he took his plans to Britain, then would they let them do it? I no longer know what my Evil Country will do.
There's also a very good profile on the guy who invented Bittorrent, which is where I download all my perfectly legal files and/or porn really quickly. The story makes it sound like a brand new broadcasting medium. I always thought that you needed something like perfect compression to do that (allowing broadband downloads allowable through dialup using better math or something), but I guess Torrent is close enough. I can attest that it is faster and all the files I've downloaded seem to work, something I couldn't claim with Emule, for example. There's also a story about something called the Shadow Internet. Boy, did William Gibson call it...
There's also a story that hits closer to home in the Wired Magazine archives about Intelligent Design, or, as the title of the story states, The Plot to Kill Evolution. There's a lawsuit by some crazy parents here in Pennsylvania that apparently want their kids taught science and not faith. Our own 12th Century Senator Rick Santorum has already ghosted a piece in support of ID. (No wonder he wants to homeschool. You wouldn't want any harmful science to get in the way of learnin'.) Chris Mooney, probably the best science blogger out there, has commented on this. And so has the worldclass blogger at Pittsblog. Good for them.
Links N' Stuff
Quantum teleportation doesn't mean teleportion of people, but it could mean quantum communication--which could lead to the teleportation of people. Just have to build that quantum communication receiver...
The Steam Engine Car
Tiny Biofueled Cars...One Day They Will Eat People
How Craigslist Takes Away Ad Revenue From Newspapers (I used to have something up called five dollar classifieds but why bother...? Can't say I would lose any sleep if corporate media newspapers went under. Any press that allows fascist governments to rule unquestioned and unchallenged deserve to die...)
Cory Doctorow Reams Out Wired Management. No comment from Boing Boing Poster and Wired staffer Xeni Jardin (who's hot!).
Best Line:
If I were in Chris's seat, I would be sure that every single review of a DRM device carried the following notice: WARNING: THIS DEVICE'S FEATURES ARE SUBJECT TO REVOCATION WITHOUT NOTICE, ACCORDING TO TERMS SET OUT IN SECRET NEGOTIATIONS. YOUR INVESTMENT IS CONTINGENT ON THE GOODWILL OF THE WORLD'S MOST PARANOID, TECHNOPHOBIC ENTERTAINMENT EXECS. THIS DEVICE AND DEVICES LIKE IT ARE TYPICALLY USED TO CHARGE YOU FOR THINGS YOU USED TO GET FOR FREE -- BE SURE TO FACTOR IN THE PRICE OF BUYING ALL YOUR MEDIA OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AT NO TIME IN HISTORY HAS ANY ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY GOTTEN A SWEET DEAL LIKE THIS FROM THE ELECTRONICS PEOPLE, BUT THIS TIME THEY'RE GETTING A TOTAL WALK. HERE, PUT THIS IN YOUR MOUTH, IT'LL MUFFLE YOUR WHIMPERS.
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