Why hasn’t America been attacked by terrorists since 9/11? Was George W Bush’s “war against terror” successful or is another attack on America in the wings. Slate’s Timothy Noah examines why no-one’s attacked again and whether the US should be relieved … or worried:
I spent the Obama transition asking various terrorism experts why the dire predictions of a 9/11 sequel proved untrue and reviewing the literature on this question. The answers boiled down to eight prevailing theories whose implications range from fairly reassuring to deeply worrying. Over the next seven days, I will elaborate each of these theories … We begin today with the Terrorists-Are-Dumb Theory.
Nothing fishy about this story. A New Zealand woman who lost both legs as a child has had her Splash fantasy realised thanks to the people behind the magic of Lord of the Rings, NZ’s famed Weta Workshop. Engadget writes that about two years ago, Nadya Vessey approached Weta’s people, “who specialize in design and manufacturing of costumes and special effects … to see if the company might be interested in making her a working, prostethic mermaid tail.” And they were:
Oi, you up the back. People don’t whisper or pass notes to each other at conferences these days; they use twitter to communicate. So, should presenters be concerned or peeved? No, says Pistachio Consulting. It means they’re engaged in what you’re saying and there are many reasons why tweeting will help people get the most out of your presentation.
Faking techn
ology at the movies. In a time of job loss, it’s heartening to remind ourselves that sometimes jobs aren’t just about whether you have one or not. Sometimes they’re fun. Flowing Data taps Mark Coleran’s job as “hands down” one of the best in the world. He makes infographics for films. The data doesn’t have to be real, it just has to look flash. His résumé includes Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Lara Croft Tomb Raider, The Island, Harry Potter and Blade 2. Show reel here.
