Your Picks: Top 100 Science Fiction, Fantasy Books : NPR
More than 5,000 of you nominated. More than 60,000 of you voted. And now the results are in. Explore the winners of NPR's Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy survey — an intriguing mix of classic and contemporary titles.
Hasnain says:
I'd put the foundation series at #2. Good list, though.
Posted on 2011-08-11T16:40:05+0000
Panic on the streets of London
Speculations circle as to why the London riots have become so big, but the answer is quite obvious.
Defcon Lockpickers Open Card-And-Code Government Locks In Seconds
To open a door fitted with the latest U.S. government-certified lock from high-end Swiss lock manufacturer Kaba, an employee must both enter a code up to eight digits long, then swipe a unique identity card coded to comply with a new standard that requires an extra layer of security, one [...]
Hasnain says:
Lock fail! Given how easy these are, I'd hate to see the real vulnerabilities that they didn't disclose.
Posted on 2011-08-08T12:31:30+0000
Fox Orders 13-Episode Sequel To Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' Docu-Series With Seth MacFarlane Producing For
After recently signing on to reboot one classic TV show, Hanna-Barbera's The Flintstones, Seth MacFarlane is taking on another iconic TV series, Carl Sagan's Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. Fox has greenlighted Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey, a 13-part docu-series from Family Guy creator MacFarlane and lat...
Who Can Name the Bigger Number?
In an old joke, two noblemen vie to name the bigger number. The first, after ruminating for hours, triumphantly announces "Eighty-three!" The second, mightily impressed, replies "You win."
Hasnain says:
Long, but very good read. For all the SSE folks out there.
"If people fear big numbers, is it any wonder that they fear science as well and turn for solace to the comforting smallness of mysticism?"
Posted on 2011-08-02T19:50:34+0000
How an argument with Hawking suggested the Universe is a hologram
Stephen Hawking had a hard time accepting that the event horizon of a black hole could be a hologram. Now, people are starting to wonder whether the entire Universe is one.
Hasnain says:
" these often ended when Hawking said "rubbish." "When Hawking says 'rubbish,'" he said, "you've lost the argument." "
At least one thing that us and world renowned physicists have in common is trolling.
Posted on 2011-08-01T00:57:41+0000
A lottery game with a windfall for a knowing few
Because of a quirk in the rules, when the Cash WinFall jackpot reaches roughly $2 million and no one wins, payoffs for smaller prizes swell dramatically, which statisticians say practically assures a profit to anyone who buys at least $100,000 worth of tickets.
Hasnain has not yet written a summary for this.
Posted on 2011-07-31T15:48:29+0000
» How Khan Academy Is Changing the Rules of Education
This, says Matthew Carpenter, is my favorite exercise. I peer over his shoulder at his laptop screen to see the math problem the fifth grader is
Hasnain says:
what a great read. and, at the same time, depressing:
"teachers who’ve seen Khan Academy presentations and loved the idea but wondered whether they could modify it “to stop students from becoming this advanced.”"
Posted on 2011-07-28T23:47:15+0000
Famine in East Africa - Alan Taylor - In Focus - The Atlantic
With East Africa facing its worst drought in 60 years, affecting more than 11 million people, the United Nations has declared a famine in the region for the first time in a generation. Overcrowded refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia are receiving some 3,000 new refugees every day, as families flee f
Glenn Greenwald: The omnipotence of Al Qaeda and meaninglessness of "Terrorism"
The news reaction to the Oslo events clarifies the real meaning of "terrorism"