Atlanta company is researching "Neural Marketing"

"What it really does is give unprecedented insight into the consumer mind. And it will actually result in higher product sales or in brand preference or in getting customers to behave the way they want them to behave."

" Hormonal" Software? Self-Organizing Robots In Space

Over the past two and a half years, Shen and Will have developed modular individual robot units, each with a computer chip programmed with what the researchers call "hormonal" software. Shen said that such software allows "bifurcation, unification, and behavior shifting" by the modules.

The units can unite themselves into larger wholes, or divide themselves up into smaller ones. "If a six-unit snake splits in half," explained Shen, "you get two smaller, three-unit snakes that function as the larger one did."

Well, back from vacation. Pretty relaxing, I must say, though I got called into work more than once. At any rate, updates should occur more frequently again. Sorry to have left everyone hanging. :)