…has been discovered by a New Jersey Institute of Technology professor. Guess it’s about time I updated this column.

Put your thinking cap on, gather a team of space-enthused engineers, and see if you can meet one of NASA’s new challenges–for cold, hard cash. Looks like the X Prize really started something.

…which reminded me of the time I heard him play live, in a jazz club in Chicago in 1999. I’d love to say it was a life-changing experience, or at least an awesome concert, but in fact I pent part of the evening crouched over the toilet in the men’s room not throwing up but …

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Possibly. A carbon-rich substance found in cracks inside a Martian meteorite may point in that direction. (Via digg.)

…focusing on video games? Really? Yep. Games and Culture’s scope will include the socio-cultural, political, and economic dimensions of gaming from a wide variety of perspectives, including textual analysis, political economy, cultural studies, ethnography, critical race studies, gender studies, media studies, public policy, international relations, and communication studies. Does this mean I can finally finish …

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It would be a “second skin” instead of a “bulky gas bag,” and thereby improve comfort and mobility. Although it’s still no great shakes in the looks department, as you can see. (Via Physics Org.)

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, a compound called CSA-54, under investigation by a Brigham Young University professor, shows promise as an HIV killer–and may help us fight many other deadly diseases, as well. (Via digg.) Sounds promising, although I’m not sure why it’s in the Business section. I think I’ll dig around a little …

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One of the oddest things about the Super Bowl is that the TV ads that run during the game get almost as much attention as the game itself.. This year, the ads even got scientific attention at the University of California in Los Angeles. There, just after the game on Sunday, five volunteers had their …

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This press release from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory begins: If the world continues to burn greenhouse gases, California may have an increased risk of winter floods and summer water shortages, even within the same year. Um…we don’t burn greenhouse gases. We burn hydrocarbons. The carbon combines with oxygen in the atmosphere to create carbon dioxide, …

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Desparate for a title for your fantasy epic? You need the Fantasy Novel Title Generator. Here are the 10 I got: Crown of DoomNight’s GloryRhyson’s MageSecretِ Sunsetِ and NightSun and LegendSun of the Sea ApprenticeThe Citadel and the StormThird Storm of DoriWinterِ Rubyِ and DreamWrandon’s Apprentice OK, they’re not all winners, but they’re no worse …

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Apparently, as we age, we grow more vulnerable to distraction. The process begins in middle age and…oh, look, you can play Solitaire on the computer!

English company GFS Projects Limited has just what you’re looking for. Yeah, yeah, military uses, police uses, etc., etc., but how about, “Wow, what a cool toy!” (Via Out of the Cradle.)