ITwhirled
by Amy Bennett

A tribute to the weird, funny, twisted, technology-driven world we live in.

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Spider loose on the International Space Station?

Two spiders have been launched into space to examine the effects of zero-gravity on their Web spinning. The problem: only one of them seems to be in their little spider home at the moment.

Posted on 11/30/08 at 12:28 pm | NASA
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They saved Copernicus' skull

Some clever DNA detective work has confirmed that some bones found under one of the side altars in the Roman Catholic cathedral in Frombork, Poland were in fact those of Nicholas Copernicus.

Posted on 11/27/08 at 8:18 pm | Copernicus
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Quiz: This week in quotes

This week we learned (among other things) that Indonesia plans to tackle AIDS with RFID chips; that Spam is just like any other business; and that Apple discussion forums are a gateway to divorce court. Can you match the quote to the quoted? Go on, give it a whirl.

Posted on 11/26/08 at 11:48 am | Apple, iPhone, iTunes, RFID, spam
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Heroic cell phone saves man's life

A Louisiana man was mowing his lawn when something hit him in the chest and knocked him to the ground. He tried to dial 911 on his cell phone, but it fell apart in his hands -- because it had been struck by a bullet.

Posted on 11/25/08 at 11:30 am | cell phone
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The saddest Apple support discussion thread ever

Discussion threads on Apple's support site are often emotionally fraught, but this thread brings us straight to the heart of a marriage in crisis.

Posted on 11/24/08 at 11:10 am | iPhone
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Second Life wedding, Second Life affair, first life divorce

Amy Taylor and David Pollard's real-life wedding ceremony was completely eclipsed by the lavish ceremony they put on in Second Life, but the digital bliss ended when Taylor caught Pollard having virtual sex with a virtual prostitute.

Posted on 11/20/08 at 2:27 pm | second life
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Japanese schoolboy proves video games have real-life applications

Out-of-control youth culture ruined by idle gaming? Or doting grandson who apparently learned all he needed to know about operating a vehicle at highways speeds from video games? You decide.

Posted on 11/19/08 at 8:43 pm | video games
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Annals of science: Mexican researchers turn tequila into diamonds

Now here is research we can all get behind. Mexican scientists have figured out how to turn tequila into diamonds. The most I ever got out of tequila is a big headache with a side of regret.

Posted on 11/18/08 at 2:20 pm | research
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Choose your favorite doomsday device

From the highbrow (Stanley Kubrik's Dr. Strangelove) to the simian (the Planet of the Apes series' "Divine Bomb"), the doomsday weapon has had a long and storied history. Here, courtesy of Wired, are 8 of the best fictional doomsday devices. Did your favorite make the list?

Posted on 11/17/08 at 2:29 pm | doomsday
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Quiz: This week in quotes

Whoever said techies aren't funny clearly haven't been reading the news -- or at least not reading it with an eye for irony. This week we learned that Gmail glitches that left customers without email for 24-plus hours wasn't really that big a problem; that microsoft is doing "really well" if it's accurate half the time; that seven years isn't all that long to wait for a patch; and that headphones and pacemakers don't mix. Go on, take the quiz. It'll be fun.

Posted on 11/13/08 at 1:42 pm | Google, Microsoft, patch, space
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