politics The secret to success in local politics: steal from the people, but not too much Cory Doctorow

review A tactical backpack that won't make you look like a TactiFool Séamus Bellamy

Delightful Creatures Wild bear visits captive bears in the Zoo Jason Weisberger

statistics A comprehensive statistical analysis of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon Thom Dunn

animals California man watches on security cam as bear breaks into his apartment and snuggles up for a nap in his bed (video) David Pescovitz

Science Star 15 light years away has two Earth-like planets Rob Beschizza

Boing Boing Gadgets Stay cozy like a hibernating bear this coming winter with 25% off this heated blanket throw Boing Boing's Shop

Boing Boing Gadgets A top iPad model is on sale for under $300 for a limited time Boing Boing's Shop

Boing Boing Gadgets Move over, pricey laptops — this tablet does it all for a fraction of the price Boing Boing's Shop

philosophy The Swedish word lagom translates as "just the right amount" Andrew Yi

Boing Boing Gadgets Staying cool in the summer shouldn't be expensive, especially with this discounted air purifier Boing Boing's Shop

crime Nuclear engineer and wife charged with trying to sell nuclear warship data to foreign government Rob Beschizza

airbnb Seeking a bed to crash in, drunk guy breaks into the exact wrong Airbnb Kevin Reome

Kids Rigorous new scientific study: Link between kids screen time and their well-being is highly overstated David Pescovitz

AI There's something eerie about bots that teach themselves to cheat Cory Doctorow

Science Here's what this week's Mars space mission will observe Andrea James

stories Ad agencies tell classic fairy tales in the form of six-second commercials Mark Frauenfelder

generators Planet Generator Rob Beschizza

Tear Jerker A tragically beautiful retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears Caroline Siede

Science Explore other star systems' habitable zones — and our own billions of years hence Rob Beschizza