In the rarefied field of space research, aerogel is a workhorse. But is it up to heavyweight commercial applications? By Dylan Tweney.

Performer Daman Wayans tries to use a controversial racial epithet to name a line of clothing. By Rogers Cadenhead.

The controversy over President Bush's plan to turn over management of six U.S. ports to Dubai is a proxy war between competing interests -- and it's not clear which ones are ours. Commentary by Bruce Schneier.

Guess who's sponsoring the bike Tour of California? Amgen, the company behind the banned performance-enhancer. Fans are more amused than outraged. By Bryan Ball.

We're not asking the right questions about overpopulation, WiMax is already a hit in Peru and mobile phones are older than you think... all in today's Rants 'n' Raves.

Google's collection of thumbnail images culled from the adult website violates Perfect 10's copyright, a judge says in a ruling that could have wider implications.

Do away with boring old image galleries by displaying your photos with Live Thumbnails. Chris Klimas shows us the art of expanding images with JavaScript. In Webmonkey.

Readers respond to our review of the Mac-only browser Camino and add their comments, in this week's Webmonkey Mailbox.

Coffeyville might seem like the middle of nowhere. But if you use Google Maps, the small town is the very center of the universe. By Rogers Cadenhead.

Scientists have developed coffee that tastes like hummingbird vomit and are printing trivia questions on potato chips. Here's a guide to geek groceries. Commentary by Lore Sjöberg. This column is also available as a .

Digitized people aren't just for fun and games -- the motion-capture technology can help companies save on manufacturing and materials costs and enable the military to design combat-safe body armor. By John Hudson.

GameCube's Chibi-Robo isn't challenging, but the game's vast array of zany tasks -- and a subversively serious story -- keep me coming back for more. By Chris Kohler.

All the Mac viruses and security holes in the news are overblown. They're news only because of their novelty, not the threat they pose. Commentary by Leander Kahney.

As the cost for blasting ashes into space comes down, more and more people are signing up to take the last great ride. Slated to go up next month: Star Trek's James ("Scotty") Doohan and astronaut Gordon Cooper, along with 185 others.

The volatile Gaza Strip, where half the population is unemployed and political tensions run high, may seem an unlikely place for an American corporation to build an information technology education center. But that's what Intel plans on doing, and the company is bullish about the long-term prospects.

On Saturday, the planet's population will hit the landmark 6.5 billion mark. The bad news: That's more than some say the planet can support. The good news: Um, er... population growth is slowing? By Joanna Glasner.

The approval of a mobile 802.16x standard could open the door to low-cost, wireless broadband -- but not for a few years. Investors might want to take the time to adjust expectations. Commentary by Joanna Glasner. This column is also available as a .

Some of the gameplay in Sega's stylish, sexy Nintendo DS game is brilliant -- but much of it is boring and frustrating, and the whole experience finishes prematurely. By Chris Kohler.

Experts say the number of pathogens from the animal kingdom infecting people seems to be on the rise -- 38 have morphed to human versions over the past 25 years, HIV and SARS among them.

The popular format that defined the online music revolution is outdated, but a new upgrade may give MP3 its best chance for a second life. Commentary by Eliot Van Buskirk. This column is also available as a .