Artificial intelligence is a long-standing trope of the science fiction genre. Robert J. Sawyer, Canadian SF supremo and multiple award-winner, has a great essay up at the Lifeboat Foundation that examines the different ways our relationship with artificial intelligence has been portrayed in genre literature and movies.

I’ve often wondered what purpose or use existed for the hairs that grow in my ears – but no longer. Who’d have thought that a protein found in them could be used to make space-suits powered by their wearer’s motion?

Networks enable, among other things, the cutting-out of profit-making middle-men. So it should come as no surprise that, now eBay and others have banned the sale of virtual MMO currencies and objects, some smart new start-up would realise the potential in a peer-to-peer marketplace. [Slashdot]

In a spirit of generosity that might seem at odds with his former employers, Dr. Charles Simonyi (the guy who invented Microsoft Word) is not only heading off into space, but is blogging the whole experience to share with us. But we shouldn’t be too jealous – if PlanetSpace Inc. have their way, we’ll all be able to fly intercontinental distances in suborbital rockets some day soon. I’m not going to hold my breath, though.

The intarwebs are crawling with ways to express your undying devotion to your loved one today – must be something to do with the date. The one that really inspired me? Paying to have a message declaring your love printed on the side of a science satellite. If only I had a girlfriend who was geeky enough to understand how cool that really is… [Slashdot]