Memory hax; mortality; Fermi and filters; lock-picking; urban eccentrics …

• 1 – Top 10 Memory Hacks
  Some new ones here.
  (tags: productivity tips memory hacks cognition)
• 2 – Why do we die?
  “Human chromosomes seem to arrive with their own lifespan timing devices called telomeres, but precisely why and how telomeres are linked to ageing is still not understood.”
  (tags: mortality health extension life ageing biology human)
• 3 – DARPA Works to Perfect Self-Forging, High-Velocity ‘Spears’
  “They are calling it MAHEM, which stands for Magneto Hydrodynamic Explosive Munition. The intent is to create a device that creates a powerful enough electromagnetic field to propel streams of molten metal at enemy armor.”
  (tags: war technology munition MAHEM self-forging system weapons)
• 4 – The ‘Great Filter’ Tackles Fermi
  “If all the elements for producing life are there, is there some kind of filter that prevents it from proceeding into advanced and intelligent stages that use artifacts, write poetry and build von Neumann probes to explore the stars?”
  (tags: space civilisation life extraterrestrial SETI FermiParadox)
• 5 – Beyond petrol
  “There are many alternatives to oil for use as a fuel, each with its own unique set of problems. Which will we be using in 30 years’ time?”
  (tags: sustainability biofuels energy fuel petrol)
• 6 – “How Lock Picking Works”
  “Locks come in all shapes and sizes, with many innovative design variations. You can get a clear idea of the process of lock picking by examining one simple, representative lock. Most locks are based on fairly similar concepts.” FYI.
  (tags: tutorial security lockpicking locks guide hacking)
• 7 – Websites Go Crazy Tracking Urban Eccentrics
  “… these colorful people are being turned into unlikely internet celebrities by a new breed of local websites that use social networks, citizen reporting, mapping mashups and a healthy dose of humor to chronicle their subjects’ activities.”
  (tags: networks social internet celebrity eccentric urban)