Why is it no-one thinks anything right through before filing the patent? On the surface, the idea of a ‘watchdog’ system to keep track of (and authorise the operation of) all your household appliances and technology is a great idea…until you consider what happens if you decide you want to sell one of the items on, or take it to a friend’s house. Would it really deter burglary? Or would it just mean that burglars would have to do more jobs to raise the odds of seizing objects that actually worked beyond the building they came from?

Stimulating various parts of the head with electrical currents or magnetic fields seems to be a popular theme in science at the moment. And it’s generating results, too – one group of researchers have discovered a way to ‘remote control’ their subject while they walk, without making them lose balance. Meanwhile, another group has found a way to stimulate the frontal cortex of the brain that appears to improve the subject’s peripheral vision. The human body is increasingly becoming another piece of hackable hardware – the transhumanists must be feeling fairly smug.

The Cassini probe’s latest download comprises new images and scans of Saturn’s small, oblong and somewhat lumpy moon, Hyperion. Hyperion is a very dark little satellite by local standards, and the scientists have yet to account for the ‘tonal variety’ shown by the images – initial speculation suggests differences in surface composition may be the cause.

We mentioned the launch of the Stardust@home project the other day – now we get to announce a temporary cessation of operations. For unknown and unexplained reasons, among the legitimate shots of the aerogel substratesent out to volunteer dust-hunters were occasional wedding snaps and beach photos. The mystery is compounded by the silence of the Stardust administrators, but the project is up and running again.