Ana Tiwathia
Centron Corp. Explains Why Everyone is Laughing at You
“Why do your friends smile and snicker at you, Adrelene?” asks the creepy narrator in his bullying tone. Poor Adrelene conforms in every conceivable way -- she wears new clothes, is not obese, and has a “sense of humor”. But, during a trip to the crazy...
Will Iran’s Halal Internet Be the New Template for the Islamic World?
Once again, Iran has been making noise about its ambitious plans for internet censorship. In open admiration of China’s innovative censorship advances, Iranian officials have been talking about their plans for a halal internet, which would essentially...
On the Chopping Block: Nerds
The University of Florida is axing its Computer Sciences department. Seriously.
University of Florida Axed Its Computer Science Department (We're Not Joking)
In a mystifying budget decision, University of Florida has decided to get rid of its computer science department. The graduate and research programs have been eliminated completely and portions of the undergraduate program will be absorbed by other...
John Wayne Helps the Pentagon Put Things In Perspective
It’s no secret that the US military employs an incredibly sophisticated media strategy. Managing the press is a full time job for many military personnel and the favorable portrayal of military operations plays a major role in shaping popular opinion...
The Withering Indignity of Being a Peep
As if mastication and digestion wasn’t enough, Peeps are degraded and mocked while they are alive, often the subjects of violent Peep bashing smut on Youtube. Humans commonly find it amusing to smash Peeps with hammers, light them on fire, flush them...
Egypt Banned Porn, But How Much of the Internet Is That?
The recent web pornography ban in Egypt has raised questions about the evils of censorship (and porn) and the changing tide of popular attitude of Egyptians. It perhaps reflects the emerging influence of more conservative Muslim elements in government...
How to Stop Our Food From Killing the Climate From Killing Our Food
Climate change is so unfair to us. It already contributes massively to global food insecurity with "killer droughts":http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/08/01/the-role-of-drought-in-the-horn-of-africa-famine/, "awful floods":http://www.washingtonpost.com...
The NYPD's Kevin O'Connor Is Now Following You on Twitter
Kevin O'Connor's official title is Assistant Commissioner - Juvenile Justice Division, which makes him head of the the NYPD’s "Social Media Unit." (Apparently stalking people on Facebook is associated with juveniles.) O’Connor’s new role "was announced...
'Three Color Cat' and More: The List of Blocked Weibo Terms Contains Some Real Head-Scratchers
Dissenting netizens in China have to move fast in order to keep up with the government’s ever-changing list of blocked search terms on Weibo. A new Tumblr page "is looking to help":http://blockedonweibo.tumblr.com/post/19236495869/378-words-that-are...
Memorizing Pi is So Easy, These Kids Can Do It
Want to impress your (nerdy) friends by knowing the number pi to the hundredth decimal? Well, you're in luck. No superhuman memorization ability is required for reciting huge chunks of pi.