Headlines from April 25, 2011

White House considers sanctions against Syria for "deplorable" "brutal violence" against its people in Deraa.
Excellent Economist summary of California's failed experiment with unchecked direct democracy.
Book about flies becomes valued at $23 million on Amazon.
Rumor in physics world says Higgs boson, also known as the "God particle," has been discovered.
See also: "In the Event That You Have Accidentally Swallowed the Higgs Boson."
"Crooked Russian officials pulled off a massive scam, spent millions on Dubai real estate, and killed my partner when he tried to expose them."
Op: The American prison system is broken; it is time for a defense of flogging.
Teen fakes pregnancy for six months as senior-year social experiment.
Lovely classic essay by Saul Bellow about the year he invited Ralph Ellison to be his roommate.
Neuroscientist: It's unlikely that the gap between neuroscientific stories of human behavior and the standard narratives will be closed anytime soon.
Helmet-sticker study finds male players compete differently when visible trophies of status are rewards.
Lunchtime quiz on the week in news that was.
Fruity booze malt liquor promoted by Snoop totally aimed at sophisticated adult palates, not kids.
Funny investigations into global differences in what people consider to be funny.
Interactive history of Guantánamo prisoners, based on publication of more Wikileaks files.
Syrian army rolls into southern city of Daraa with tanks.
Afghan end-game sliding toward reconciliation with Taliban forces, though Pentagon has yet to concede.
Taliban spends five months digging tunnel under Kandahar jail; almost 500 comrades break free in four hours.
Easter attacks target Iraq's minority Christian population.
Mubarak returning to Cairo, bound for a military hospital.
Rep. Giffords cleared to attend husband's shuttle launch.
Expect nothing less than wonder from Japanese SkyMall.
Cook tries to make food Shakespeare would have eaten.
Smart phones are giving researchers a "god's-eye view of human behavior" (see also: iPhone Tracker).
Hitchens sends a letter to American atheists: Affirm life over cults of death and human sacrifice.
Amis appreciation of Hitchens--"one of the most terrifying rhetoricians"--includes terrific anecdotes.
Photos from a walk inside six miles of mail rail below London.
Oral history of the Playboy bunny clubs; oral history of Licensed to Ill.
Recent history in electronic music shows that all the old channels for success are jammed.
Audio: Werner Herzog and Cormac McCarthy discuss science and culture.