Seed Cribsheet #9: “To unite the seemingly incompatible worlds of the very large and the very small, physicists propose string theory, a model of the universe in which tiny strings vibrate in more than three dimensions. This Cribsheet covers the basics of string theory: what it says, why we think it might give us a unified theory of physics, and whether experiment supports it. In addition, we tell you how the strings are shaped and why string theory may not be the final ‘theory of everything.'” (Seed Magazine )

“As Prozac reaches its 20th birthday, Anna Moore presents 20 things you need to know about the most widely used antidepressant in the world ” (Observer.UK)

A Gallery of Wonderfully Useless Complexity: “Not content to leave his devices in the realm of the two-dimensional, many subsequent inventors and tinkerers have created working ‘Rube Goldberg’ machines whose complexity far exceeds anything the cartoonist ever envisioned.

In this gallery, we bring you some recent examples of Goldberg-inspired engineering madness, including several from the recent Rube Goldberg contest, an annual competition held at Purdue University.” (Wired News)

“Can you picture yourself walking into the neighborhood pharmacy with prescriptions for ecstasy (MDMA) and psilocybin?

If MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies) has its way, the days of prescription psychedelics may not be too far away. For those who know the history of psychedelic research, this eventuality has been a long time coming. But others — who may only be familiar with the intense emotions and activities around the “War On Drugs” over the past several decades — may be surprised to learn how much progress MAPS has made.” (10 Zen Monkeys)