The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has recently reported
that two research teams have developed a new porous foam of an alloy
that changes shape when exposed to a magnetic field. The NSF states
that this new material is able to remember its original shape after it’s been deformed by a physical or magnetic force.

Psychology Today has an interesting story on a new theory of why we dream.
Finnish psychologist Antti Revonsuo believes that dreams are a sort of
nighttime theater in which our brains screen realistic scenarios
simulating emergency situations and providing an arena for safe
training.

One of the biggest stressors in a woman’s life is a bumpy marriage - the worse
the marriage, the higher the stress level but "the better the wedding, the lower
the stress level".

Technology enthusiasts may get to see five major developments this year,
according to a forecast made on the
BBC
News
website. The website says that 2008
will see the emergence of more tools like Google Gears, Adobe Air, and Microsoft
Silverlight that have the ability to take rich web content, and make some of it
available offline.

In a throwback to the Y2K
transition, a number of Web sites are running countdown clocks that,
presently, read "426 days, 8 hours, 39 minutes, 31 seconds." That is
the time remaining until Feb. 17, 2009, the deadline set by Congress
when all US broadcasters must cease analog broadcasting and switch to
all-digital signals.

Have you ever messed up your good clothes just because you wanted to grab a quick bite to eat and the food was a little messy?  Well, inventor Daniel Knorpp has a solution - the QuickTray Lap Protector. (w/pic)

Eric Peterson: There was no shortage of worthy entrants at last November’s Colorado Inventor
Showcase at the Daniels Cable Center at the University of Denver. The DaVinci
Institute event featured innovations in everything from tailgate parties to
robots, with the judges picking four concepts — Optibike, LucidLights, OmniluX
and Txtbus — as the cream of the crop.

Make your own moldable sand with ordinary play sand, corn starch, and water.

Electronics companies plan to use military technology, developed to protect soldiers from chemical attack, to make mobile telephones and other equipment waterproof.

According to a story last week in the London Daily Mail newspaper, the British government has had enough with the "War on Terror" hype and general fear mongering campaign.

Energy saving light bulbs can trigger migraines, health experts and charities warned last night.

An ‘intelligent’ plug is being developed that will switch off electrical devices such as TVs and desk lamps when they are not being used.