adorable animals Svenn the otter and Pernille the pug have an adorable interspecies friendship Jennifer Sandlin
tabloids Do the tabloids deserve a government bailout? This week's dubious offerings make a poor case for their survival. Peter Sheridan
happy mutants Naomi Kritzer's "Catfishing on the CatNet": an AI caper about the true nature of online friendship Cory Doctorow
Kids Animals from 60 different species are best pals at this Arkansas critter refuge (photos) Xeni Jardin
Science What's Your Christmas Card List Got to Do With the Development of the Human Brain? Maggie Koerth