On bad days I feel like my phone already incorporates active disassembly technology but it appears Nokia is the first to intend it. The big idea: use parts that automatically disassemble when heated to a point lower than the plastic’s melting point but higher than what you’d get in normal use. Check out Jeremy Faludi’s write up on WorldChanging for more on why the technology matters.

The National Geographic Genographic Project proposes to build a historical atlas of the human diaspora using a massive collection of DNA samples. For $100 you can contribute and trace back your lineage.

The California Infill Parcel Locator is another neat example of what you can do with digital mapping. Basically, the site helps you find places where the structures on a site aren’t as valuable as the land itself, marking the site as a good candidate for infill development. Check out the WorldChanging site where I found the parcel locator for a good discussion about why infill is a good thing.

The RIAA’s official stats show CD sales dropping through the floor in 2005, but according to Chris Anderson it ain’t as bad as all that. Specifically, digital music sales are making up at least some of the difference, at a higher profit margin.

The Christian Science Monitor is reporting that new rules will allow corporations who donate to national parks and forests a more visible presence there. The CSM poses this as a trade-off between advertising and funding. It ignores the deliberate actions of a conservative government that reduces governmental funding to programs like the national park service in order to set up a trade-off that ought not exist.