Map of Olympic Medals shows a geographic representation of medals won for every Olympic Games since 1896.

Mild air pollution may be worse than smoking! New research presented today at the American Chemical Society meeting in Philadelphia, implicates free radicals that attach to particles from smokestacks, car exhaust pipes and household chimneys for the rise in lung cancer. Apologists rush to claim more proof is needed, but the new findings could open the door for massive litigation. more inside

The Empire grants some shore leave. Star Wars invades San Francisco in this fan film. More about this on the Official Star Wars blog.

Outback mayor seeks "ugly duckling" women. With a ratio of men to women at five to one, the mayor of Mount Isa makes a plea for "beauty-disadvantaged women" to move to his fair town.

The Stupidest Fucking Spacecraft Landing Idea Yet: the "Pit Stop". This article proposes an unusual way to land objects from orbit and probes returning from deep space. In this concept, the landing capsule, carefully steered by GPS in its plunge to earth, would aim for the opening of a deep vertical shaft set into the ground. The capsule would dive into this hole while still falling at terminal velocity. Yeah. That'll work. more inside

Researchers Discover New States Of Electrons That Behave Like Light