Have you heard about the lastest brainstorm from the "neuroscience for everyone" company, Backyard Brains? It's a cyborg cockroach for the mass market. Because everyone wants to own a RoboRoach, right? Or maybe that's just me.

"This product is not a toy, but a tool to learn about how our brains work," says Backyard Brains. The goal is to teach us non-neuroscientists about how our brains respond -- or don't -- to various types of stimuli. The developers chose the cockroach because, as I just learned from one of the company's TED Talks, the roach brain is very similar to the human brain. You'll be able to control your pet science project with -- you guessed it -- your smartphone. Impulses sent from the app to the roach's antenna cause neurons to fire in its brain, allowing you to direct RoboRoach to do all sorts of Things.

I can't wait to see if the company can raise the funds to mass produce the Thing. If they do, it will be the first commerically available cyborg in the world. And that's really someThing.

Meantime, I have a few high tech roaches of my own to teach and entertain me. See you next week,
Bobby

The answer is, like many scientific answers, yes and no. It's true that a team of neuroscientists demonstrated that they could fly a remote control helicopter with their thoughts, but in between their brains and the 'copter sits one giant computer. So it's not like they just focus on the toy chopper and get it to fly. No, they need the computer interface to turn their thoughts into commands, which are sent to the helicopter, which causes it to fly and so on. But still...pretty cool, don't you think? Check out the video.

The point of all this is not to fly a toy around a lab, but to help people with mobility and cognitive disabilities live better. They call it "remote presence technology" and it doesn't require any kind of brain implants, just an electrode cap. When the wearer of the EEG cap thinks about a movement, sensors in the cap receive signals from the brain's motor cortex in the form of electrical impulses. The impulses are transmitted to the computer and then sent to the object via WiFi. Researchers hope to use the technology "to control wheelchairs, artificial limbs or other devices."

It's all a bit sci-fi for a lot of people. But for some it's a natural exploration of what the brain can do if -- pardon the expression -- you set your mind to it. Will we one day control objects and maybe even other people without the computer middle-man to translate signals for us? The American government thought it was possible and used a wide variety of drugs and test subjects to explore the possiblities.

Will we ever use telepathy to control the actions and thoughts of other people? Maybe, but I hope not. I mean, if you're the one doing the controlling, fine. But if you're the one being controlled, you might not like it so much. It's much more likely the technology will be developed to assist people who really need it first. Then we'll figure out a way to adapt it for everyone, using it to pass the salt or change the channel on the television, making the old adage "be careful what you wish for" a real Thing.

See you next week,
Bobby

From H.G. Wells to Doctor Who, people have always been fascinated by the possibility and potential of time travel. Never mind mucking up the space-time continuum or possibly meeting one's mother on a blind date, we want to be able to move forward and backward in time.

Einstein proved it was possible, but is it probable? In a limited way, it's already happening. According to author Paul Davies, "Fly from London to New York and back, and you will leap a split second into the future of stay-at-home Londoners. The effect can easily be measured using atomic clocks and involves only billionths of a second -- too brief for a person to notice..."

Fascinating. But what about travel into the past? Also theoretically possible, though a bit more problematic. To travel backward in time, you'd need a supermassive wormhole and some kind of a machine to carry passengers through the time-space warp it would create. And then you'd have to deal with those pesky paradoxes. For example, if you went back to a time before you were born and accidentally killed your father, you would have never existed. Which means you couldn't have gone back in time...couldn't have accidentally killed your father...and so on.

We like our universe ordered and rational. Our perception of reality depends upon it. Without clear cause and effect relationships, what becomes of what we call reality? What if there is no cause and effect? What if time is just a jumble of Things that happen? How then do we make sense of here and now, today? If Einstein couldn't answer those questions, it seems unlikely that I'll figure it out. But that doesn't mean I'll stop trying.

See you next week?
Bobby

Tomorrow is Geek Pride Day. It's the day when geeks everywhere celebrate Geek culture. It falls on three other geek holidays -- the anniversary of the first release of Star Wars, Towel Day, a day of celebration for devotees of Douglass Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and the Glorious 25th of May observed by fans of Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Of course, some of us celebrate all of the above.

So what is geek culture? To understand that, you have to understand the ever-changing definition of the word "geek." The modern geek is one of three things -- a socially awkward person, a person with a myopic devotion to a certain subject (such as computers) or an overly intellectual person, a nerd. Or all of the above. Like many such terms, referring to someone as a geek was usually intended as an insult. Unless you happened to be a geek yourself. In which case, it was a compliment.

But Things change. Now geeks have pride. Your modern day geek is proud of his or her genius, often lording it over the less intellectually endowed. These days geeks are in demand. They fix their friends' computers, they develop technology beyond even their hero sci-fi writers' imaginings and they're the only ones who can explain the answer to the mysteries of life, the universe and everyThing (42).

Geek Pride Day was first organized in Spain, but now Geeks all over the world take to the streets, demonstrating that they are no longer ashamed of their geeky interests like computers, roll playing games, science fiction, comic books or math and physics. Or all of the above.

See you geeks next week,
Bobby

Russian authorities accused a U.S. diplomat of spying. Nabbing him and an arsenal of covert tools, they were surprised to find that his spy kit looked more like Austin Powers' than James Bond's.

Among the items confiscated by Russia's Federal Security Service were a couple of really hairy wigs, which would make a spy stand out among the crew-cut Russian population. But even if he sticks out like a sore thumb in the street, a great big wig could help hide his face from security cameras. They also found several pairs of sunglasses, none of which were equipped with any high tech Things like cameras or listening devices.

The diplomat also had a map of Moscow in his possession. A paper map. But if you think about it, the paper map makes sense if you don't want to use a smart phone to inquire about sensitive installations in the city. And since he clearly wasn't using GPS to find his way to secret locations, he also had an old fashioned compass.

Authorities also found a recruitment letter and piles of cash. Keeping the cash I can understand: after all, you can't just drop a huge load of foreign currency in your bank without a few eyebrows being raised. But why hold onto the recruitment letter? A souvenir? Was he going to frame it and hang it in his study when he came home? Some Things might turn out to be a bit higher tech than the Things in Austin Powers' spy kit after all. The diplomat also had a couple of untraceable SIM cards, a keyholder with a what seems to be a radio scanner, an RFID shield and some pepper spray, which might have been a defense against aggressive stray dogs that roam the streets of the city.

Except for the letter, I'd say it would be hard to prove the diplomat a spy. After all, I own most of those Things myself. And so do some of you!

See you next week,
Bobby

Every Friday before Mother's Day, there's a little-known holiday that I believe everyone should know about. It's Military Spouse Day. These are the unsung heroes that keep the home front together while their soldiers - our soldiers - are stationed in faraway places.

Being a military spouse means spending a lot of time without your partner by your side. It means being responsible for home and family essentially by yourself. It means waiting and watching for the next leave. It means watching the news with anxiety and dread while trying to keep Things at home as normal as possible.

A friend of mine calls it "being married to the military" because her life is directed by the needs of the country first. She's moved six times and her husband has been stationed in some of the hottest fighting zones in the world over the last decade. Now he's about to retire and come home to stay. She is, of course, overjoyed. But if you ask her if she regrets the long nights of worry and waiting, she simply says, "This is how I serve my country."

To me, she and all the people married to the military are heroes, too. They work and raise the family and wait and watch and worry. Their sacrifices are enormous and go mostly unnoticed. So the next time you see one of these homebound heroes, raise a salute to the Things they give so that their soldiers can give all.

See you next week,
Bobby

Today is the day when all true believers are encouraged to share experiences and beliefs about paranormal activity. Do you believe in ghosts? UFOs? Magicians (of the Merlin variety)? Seers and psychics and prophets? If you do, you are not alone. About half the people in the U.S. believe in someThing inexplicable -- Things we group together under one big umbrella called the "paranormal."

Para means "alongside, contrary, irregular," and normal means "typical, common, in conformity with rule," so paranormal means, literally, anyThing outside the norm. The word was coined at the beginning of the 20th century, perhaps to fit an ever more complicated culture in which the very reality of every single Thing from a common stone to the human soul was in constant debate while science and technology took giant leaps forward again and again.

Today most people use the word paranormal to describe Things that science can't explain. Seems to me that's a pretty big area for one word to cover. Because there are a wide variety of Things that science can't explain. Some will eventually be understood. Like UFOs. And then they won't be paranormal anymore. But some Things might not be penetrable by science. Like ghosts. So they'll stay spookily outside the norm forever.

I love science and I love it when a new theory yields a new understanding of the universe. But I also like the idea that we can't - and probably never will - understand every single Thing. I like believing that UFOs travel here from distant worlds, soaring from galaxy to galaxy on some unimaginably advanced technology. And that ghosts are spirits of beings that inhabited this world before me. And that psychics really can see someThing the rest of us can't. I won't be crushed if science explains all these Things away, but until it does, I'm glad we have Paranormal Day to celebrate all Things "alongside, contrary and irregular."

See you next week,
Bobby

Sitting at a desk can be mind-numbingly boring. After only a couple of hours, your brain craves either a nap or a little recreational stimulus. But sleeping and/or wandering the corridors to see what your coworkers are up to can get you in trouble with your boss. To break the tedium of staring at your unfinished work, I found five Things everyone should have on their desks.

1. A good puzzle: Cubebot is a new take on a cube puzzle. Constructed of wood and elastic bands, you can pose Cubebot in a stance that says, "Hey, come on in for a chat!" Or in a forbidding posture that warns, "I'm having a bad day, go away!" And if your boss catches you playing with Cubebot, just tell her you're busy "thinking outside the box."

2. SomeThing to stare at: Our Tornado Fountain is just the Thing for mesmerizing yourself and your visitors. Water swirls in the glass container, creating a little tornado on your desk. All you add is some water and a vacant stare for hours of desktop fun.

3. Bugs: It's always fun to watch others work, especially a whole colony of others. With the ingenious Ant Farm Revolution, you can watch the busy little bugs go about their day just as in any other ant farm. The twist here is the projection light that lets you lean back and relax in your chair while you watch them labor on your ceiling.

4. A good clock: When it seems like the comfort of your couch is light years away, the last Thing you want to miss is quitting time! But that doesn't mean you have to put some boring old clock on your desk. The Galaxy Clock is powered by hidden magnets which move the planets around the sun. If you're going to watch the clock, why not ponder the mysteries of the universe at the same time?

5. SomeThing to make you laugh: The Humerous Funny Bone is cleverly named and armed with corny, but hysterically funny jokes. It's activated by a simple clap of the hands. If you're bored out of your skull, just clap your hands for some instant relief. It's also good for long, boring meetings. Just stand up, put your hands together and let Funny Bone end the meeting for you!

Hope this helps you entertain yourself at work. I have to run now. The universe tells me it's time for lunch and my stomach agrees. See you next week!
Bobby

The Man of Steel is celebrating his 75th birthday. He made his debut in DC's "Action Comics," No. 1 on April 18, 1938. The cover price was ten cents and back then Superman was the only superhero on the scene. So what is the world's first superhero going to do to celebrate his birthday? Release a new comic and movie, of course!

"Superman Unchained," drawn by DC co-publisher Jim Lee and written by Scott Syder, is a new take on an old hero. The story's mystery confounds both Clark Kent and Superman and introduces a new super villain. Snyder says our hero faces psychological and emotional forces equal to the physical forces that are “ready to almost split the Earth." I can't wait to read it!

The comic book will be released two days before the new movie, "Man of Steel," which premiers June 14. The trailer alone generated so much buzz it's tough to dig through the all the news items and blogger speculations to find the important Things about the new Superman film. Like this article explaining "five mysteries" presented in the three-minute preview -- without any real spoilers that might ruin our big screen fun.

I'm pretty excited about the new Superman. It seems the writers have found that Kryptonite isn't the superhero's only weakness. In fact, his true weakness is one he shares with most of humanity. But I don't want to be a spoiler, so that's the only Thing I'll say about that!

See you next week!
Bobby

I'm addicted to CBS' reimagining of Sherlock Holmes in the hit series "Elementary." It casts Johnny Lee Miller as Sherlock, a recovering heroin addict and the delectable Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson, his sober companion. The two serve as consultants to the New York Police Department, helping the police solve crimes with Sherlock's uncanny deductive reasoning skills and Dr. Watson's medical experience.

The stories twist and turn and twist again, presenting the viewer with something completely different than the garden variety TV mystery, which I can usually solve within the first five minutes of the show. No, "Elementary" doesn't let us off that easily. Just when you think the professor's battered wife and her lover killed him, you find out he staged his own murder to get back at the adulterers for their affair. Or when you think Sherlock has no friends, no attachments and no emotions, he kidnaps one of Moriarty's minions to avenge the death of the woman he loved.

In keeping with the Holmes legend, Sherlock is part detective, part magician and part criminal. His observational and deductive skills are superhuman. He can escape any bonds, pick any lock, crack any safe. In recent episodes, Dr. Watson decided to leave her work as a sober companion to become a detective herself. The show is so compelling, it nearly makes me want to do the same. And I probably would...if only I could apprentice with Sherlock Holmes!

Observe the details. See you next week,
Bobby