Popular Mechanics on five new tricks to find smuggler tunnels, including cosmic rays. tjc

The Guardian has put together the 50 people who could save the planet. The NY Times questions some of the inclusions. (via Seed Magazine) glc

Did you know that Indiana Jones was originally Indiana Smith? This and more Indy info in Vanity Fair's Keys to the Kingdom. On Spielberg: tjc

My glance strays to a side table, where headshots of actors under consideration for his likely next directing project, Chicago 7—about the conspiracy trial that grew out of protests at the 1968 Democratic convention—lie on the surface. Among them I spy Will Smith, Taye Diggs, Adam Arkin, and Kevin Spacey; Sacha Baron Cohen (as Abbie Hoffman) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (as William Kunstler) are also linked to the project, which has a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. (It should be noted here that Chicago 7 will be partly based on Chicago 10, a new documentary produced by Graydon Carter, Vanity Fair’s editor, and Brett Morgen, the film’s director.) After Chicago 7, Spielberg will probably go on to direct Lincoln, with Liam Neeson in the title role.

The 2008 election, Kung-Fu style. The opening intro is high comedy but be sure to take note that there is even a Mortal Kombat-type game to play. Enjoy! glc... How about the Star Wars guide to the candidates? jmj

What is this situation indicative of? It involving a family posing on MySpace, a girl prone to suicide, and a bad ending for everyone. Being a parent in the digital age gone bad. tjc

Was the US naval confrontation with Iran caused by the Filipino Monkey? glc... Or was it an old-fashion hoax? tjc

Central to the depiction of the incident as involving a threat to U.S. warships is a mysterious pair of messages that the sailor who heard them onboard immediately interpreted as saying, "I am coming at you...", and "You will explode after a few minutes." But the voice in the audio clearly said "I am coming to you," and the second message was much less clear.

Furthermore, as the New York Times noted Thursday, the recording carries no ambient noise, such as the sounds of a motor, the sea or wind, which should have been audible if the broadcast had been made from one of the five small Iranian boats.

On January 14, 2008, the Messenger spacecraft observed about half of the hemisphere missed by Mariner 10 when it flew past Mercury three times in 1974 and 1975. Planetary scientists have wondered for more than 30 years about what spacecraft images might reveal about the hemisphere of Mercury that Mariner 10 never viewed. (via Neatorama) jmj

The NY Times blogger "snowclones" about Twitter and Firefox, saying "small is the new big" as far as internet companies are concerned. tjc

Identical twins Brian and Ross DeVol both score a perfect 36 on the ACT. jmj... Speaking of twins, how about these two. Boy and girl are separated at birth without knowledge of the other. They meet, fall in love and marry, only to find out they are brother and sister. glc

Slate asks, "The Nano Challenge - What happens when the green movement crashes into the anti-poverty crusade?" glc

Just thinking about Kurt Vonnegut today. No reason. This is a summation of his life by Dave Eggers. tjc

Jessica Hagy investigates the possibility of advertised induced illnesses. For this particular example I am forced to disagree. My family has a bit of history with restless legs and anyone who has lied awake struggling to fall asleep because of the feeling that the insides of their legs are moving knows what I mean. glc... Seconded. tjc

Good Magazine's Big Ideas!: Vermont as Most Likely to Secede. tjc... And the subculture of Quantum Hippies. glc

Scholars (cough) like Daniel Pinchbeck have struck mono-atomic gold with a prophetic philosophy that marries quantum theory and Ayahuasca-induced hallucination, all in an effort to come to grips with what rational materialism neglects: the inexplicable nature of being.

This is a story worthy of note: a Washington Post reporter on the overnight shift/police beat was a crack addict covering the crack war. An unnerving and (maybe) reprehensible situation. tjc

New York Magazine's interview with David Mamet about his new play November, a comedy with Nathan Lane as an incumbent president seeking reelection. tjc

Australian teenager Corey Worthington threw a party while his parents were away, and over 500 people showed up and vandalized the neighborhood. Corey's parents face up to $20,000 in fines. This kid is priceless. jmj