Wikipedia Goes Dark on Piracy Bill Protest Day

Any student burning the midnight oil Tuesday may have been disappointed as what has become a primary research tool, Wikipedia, blacked out its Web pages as part of a global protest against anti-piracy legislation making its way through Congress. Wikipedia's English home page says, in part, "Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia." "Student warning! Do your homework early. Wikipedia protesting bad law on Wednesday!," warned Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales on Twitter, and with that, one of the most heavily visited websites began a 24-hour "blackout." Google slapped a virtual black tape across the word "Google"...

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9 Secrets of Motivated People

Real-life strategies that will help you to actually accomplish the goals you’ve set for yourself this year. New year, new you. It's the perennial January catchphrase that holds such conquer-the-world promise. And then, well, you get sidetracked with conquering your to-do list. But even the loftiest resolutions (running a marathon, writing a book) don't have to fall by the wayside come February. Staying motivated―and achieving what you set out to do on that bright New Year's Day―is surprisingly possible. Just follow these nine mantras, provided by researchers who study motivation and backed up by women who have used them to realize their biggest ambitions. 1. When you make a plan, anticipate bumps. Before even trying to achieve a...

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How Long Should You Be Dating Before You Get Married?

Kim and Kris had a fairy-tale courtship and ceremony. But here’s the big mistake they made—one that dooms other couples’ marriages as well. Meeting, getting engaged, and tying the knot faster than a season of Gossip Girl sounds so passionate and romantic. But rushing to the altar isn’t such a smart move. In fact, experts agree that you should wait at least a year to make sure you and your guy are really a match—for a few simple, common-sense reasons: You need more than a few months to see your worst sides. It can takes a good six months or so to remove the love-colored glasses and begin to really see the other person, flaws and all. That’s because the longer you steadily date, the more you get out of your comfort zones and settle...

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The World’s Tiniest Frog Has Been Discovered, Smaller Than a Dime

Measuring roughly a quarter of an inch, the Paedophryne amauensis frog has been crowned the tiniest vertebrate in the world. This newly discovered frog is so small, it can rest comfortably on a dime or a fingernail. Discovered by a team of American researchers from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, the frog was located deep in the jungles of Papa New Guinea in 2009. On Wednesday, the science journal PLoS One dubbed the frog with the teeny-tiny honor. A frog sits on a U.S. dime in this photo taken by Louisiana State University herpetologist Christopher Austin near the Amau River in Papua, New Guinea. The species was claimed as the world's smallest vertebrate With the discovery of this petite leaper, the world’s former smallest...

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Miss Wisconsin Crowned 2012 Miss America

(LAS VEGAS) — A 23-year-old beauty queen from Kenosha, Wis., has won the Miss America pageant in Las Vegas. Laura Kaeppeler won the pageant Saturday night after strutting in a white bikini and black beaded evening gown, singing opera and answering a question about whether beauty queens should declare their politics by saying Miss America represents everyone. “Miss America represents everyone, so I think the message to political candidates is that they represent everyone as well,” Kaeppeler said. “And so in these economic times, we need to be looking forward to what America needs, and I think Miss America needs to represent all.” Miss Oklahoma Betty Thompson came in second, while Miss New York Kaitlin Monte placed third. (PHOTOS: Miss...

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Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google?

How many ping-pong balls would fit in the Mediterrean Sea? Can you swim faster in water or syrup? When there’s a wind blowing, does a round-trip by plane take more time, less time, or the same time? Today, a number of companies have taken a page out of the Google playbook and have begun asking interviewees brainteasers, logic puzzles and mind-bending riddles. The question you probably have right now is, Why? If you had a stack of pennies as tall as the Empire State Building, could you fit them all in one room? Tech companies have long asked prospective employees to answer off-the-wall questions in an effort to identify the most nimble-minded applicants. But since the Great Recession, many non-tech companies are now asking would-be employees...

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Google Demotes Itself in Its Own Search Results

What happens when a company accidentally ends up breaking its own ethics rules? Google is having to deal with that embarrassing situation right now, with the revelation that promotion for its Chrome web browser may have strayed outside of the company’s guidelines on paid links. The situation seems to have arisen via miscommunication between Google and two agencies responsible for the promotion, Unruly Media and Essence Digital. As part of a promotional campaign for Google Chrome, some bloggers wrote “sponsored” (i.e., paid) blog posts about the browser and inserted links so that readers could download it for themselves — a clear no-no in Google’s own rulebook, and the sort of thing that has previously led to JC Penney, Forbes and Overstock.com...

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12 Cars We Can't Wait to Drive in 2012

For those with even just a passing interest in autos, the annual North American International Auto Show in Detroit can induce serious sensory overload. For a true car nut, it's like being a kid with a severe sugar jones in a giant candy store — your head is spinning from all the tasty sheet metal, so much so that you can't decide on which vehicle you want to look at first, let alone drive first. To provide some focus, here are our picks for the 12 most drive-worthy machines on display here in the Motor City. These are 12 cars we can't wait to drive Acura NSX Concept The original NSX was the everyman's supercar. The car, sold in the U.S. from 1990 to 2005, wasn't overly powerful, but handled like it was on rails thanks to a low...

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The Crazy Sign Your Sperm Count Is Low

Surprising Body Quirks that May be Early Signs of Health Problems Men's Hand Women are naturally drawn to men with deep voices because a macho tone reminds them of all things manly. And while talking like Barry White packs its fair share of benefits, it could also mean bad news for your sperm. A new study from the University of Western Australia found that guys with a low-pitched voice had reduced concentrations of sperm in ejaculations. The possible connection: “Testosterone, which deepens a man’s voice, also suppresses sperm production when it’s at high levels,” says lead researcher Leigh Simmons, Ph.D., an evolutionary biology professor at Western Australia. Meanwhile, the pitch of your voice isn’t the only health clue your...

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