The Null Device
2001/5/25
NASA have released new photographs debunking the "face on Mars", and showing it to be nothing more than a hill. Of course, the true believers can always claim that the pictures are fakes, created or doctored to suppress the truth about alien civilisations, or something of the sort.
After the Swedish Antichrist had their first album, 1987: What The Fuck Is Going On?, deleted and destroyed on grounds of copyright violation, The KLF released a version with the infringing samples excised. This version fit on a 12" single, and came with this instruction sheet on how to simulate the original album, using only three record decks, a TV, stack of records and a tape of Top Of The Pops.
A novelty company in Britain has started selling an "invisible toy doll". The Invisible Jim action figure consists of empty packaging boasting features such as "lack of darting eyes" and "realistic fake hair", and retails for £1.99. Nonetheless, some purchasers have failed to get the joke, and returned it for a refund, on the grounds that the "doll" was missing.
Some local governments in the US have hit upon an ingenious means of raising revenue: by installing red-light cameras and shortening amber light times from five to three seconds, thus catching more motorists.
Scientists have found a neurological defect which causes poor impulse control.
Rudolf Cardinal said: "This finding suggests a mechanism by which Acb (nucleus accumbens) dysfunction may contribute to addiction, ADHD and other impulse control disorders."
Battery kids: In the US, baby-boomer parents, many of whom undoubtedly smoked pot and listened to Black Sabbath in their misspent youth, are making sure that their kids don't get to make the same mistakes, and as such are wiring their teenagers up with tracking devices to keep them out of trouble. Though the devices may ultimately cause more harm than good. (via Plastic)
A psychological study commissioned by printer manufacturer Lexmark claims that the fonts you use reveal your personality. Courier is conservative, used by "old-school" journalists, Helvetica shows that you're "in touch with contemporary issues" and Times New Roman shows trustworthiness and compromise between old and new. And presumably all of the above show that the user is too apathetic to actually find and install some less overused fonts. (via Meg)