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ScienceScienceThe state of the universe.42093565sciencefalsefalsespacernotembeddedScienceSwine FluHere's what you need to know.noSwine FluSwine flu: What you need to know.noSwine flu is popping up in Mexico, the United States, and Canada, and the virulent strain is sparking debate about public health initiatives. Slate tackles your questions, ranging from why the flu is most deadly in Mexico to whether there are strains of the flu for every type of animal—not just pigs and birds.truenotochyperlinkno200942753814PMMondayAprApril174/27/2009 9:38:14 PM633764506940000000200911345002PMTuesdayNovNovember1611/3/2009 9:50:02 PM633928638020000000ScienceEmote ControlChris Wilson1/123122/2202502/wilsonc.gif4242http://img.slate.com/mediafalse200911344936PMTuesdayNovNovember1611/3/2009 9:49:36 PM633928637760842667200911344936PMTuesdayNovNovember1611/3/2009 9:49:36 PM633928637760842667200911344936PMTuesdayNovNovember1611/3/2009 9:49:36 PM633928637760842667false2008101711707PMFridayOctOctober1310/17/2008 5:17:07 PM6335984622700000002008101711707PMFridayOctOctober1310/17/2008 5:17:07 PM633598462270000000falseWhy couldn't we tell that the balloon boy's parents were faking their distress?noEmote ControlWhy couldn't we tell that the balloon boy's parents were faking their distress?noShortly after authorities announced that 6-old-year Falcon Heene had been found safe and sound, ending speculation that he had been aboard a flying saucer that escaped from his family's backyard, his father Richard appeared before an encampment of cameras to share a few words of relief. "He says he was hiding in the attic," Heene said, his voice swelling on the last two syllables as he half-shrugged and looked at the ground. "And, um, because I yelled at him." He took a sharp breath, voice faltering. "I'm really sorry I yelled at him."truenotochyperlinkno20091030105403AMFridayOctOctober1010/30/2009 2:54:03 PM63392496843000000020091030105403AMFridayOctOctober1010/30/2009 2:54:03 PM633924968430000000ScienceThe Fat PremiumDaniel Engber1/123122/2202502/engberd.gif4242http://img.slate.com/mediafalse200911344936PMTuesdayNovNovember1611/3/2009 9:49:36 PM633928637768024340200911344936PMTuesdayNovNovember1611/3/2009 9:49:36 PM633928637768024340200911344936PMTuesdayNovNovember1611/3/2009 9:49:36 PM633928637768024340false2008101711620PMFridayOctOctober1310/17/2008 5:16:20 PM6335984618000000002008101711620PMFridayOctOctober1310/17/2008 5:16:20 PM633598461800000000falseCongress toys with a silly plan to make Americans lose weight.noThe Fat PremiumIt doesn't make sense to charge fat people higher insurance premiums.noSafeway CEO Steven A. Burd thinks he's solved the nation's health care crisis. The California-based grocery chain has kept its insurance costs stable for the last four years, he says, while its competitors have watched their bills rise by an average of 38 percent. That's because Safeway encourages its workers to pursue a healthy lifestyle: If you're thin and you don't smoke, you can get a significant discount on your premiums. Otherwise, you've got two choices: Pay more for your insurance or mend your wicked ways.truenotochyperlinkno2009102941447PMThursdayOctOctober1610/29/2009 8:14:47 PM6339242968700000002009102941447PMThursdayOctOctober1610/29/2009 8:14:47 PM633924296870000000SciencePork SpendingDaniel Engber1/123122/2202502/engberd.gif4242http://img.slate.com/mediafalse200911344926PMTuesdayNovNovember1611/3/2009 9:49:26 PM633928637669904585200911344926PMTuesdayNovNovember1611/3/2009 9:49:26 PM633928637669904585200911344926PMTuesdayNovNovember1611/3/2009 9:49:26 PM633928637669904585false2008101711620PMFridayOctOctober1310/17/2008 5:16:20 PM6335984618000000002008101711620PMFridayOctOctober1310/17/2008 5:16:20 PM633598461800000000falseA critical look at obesity and health care reform.noPork SpendingScience, politics, obesity, and health care reform.no"Let Them Drink Water: What a fat tax really means for America," posted Sept. 21, 2009. Would raising the price on sweetened beverages move the nation toward an apartheid of pleasure in which poor people must drink from the faucet while the rich enjoy superpremium fruit juice?truenotochyperlinkno200910560352PMMondayOctOctober1810/5/2009 10:03:52 PM6339036263200000002009102941447PMThursdayOctOctober1610/29/2009 8:14:47 PM633924296870000000ScienceThe Geek DefenseErica WestlyfalseDo criminals with Asperger's syndrome deserve special treatment?noThe Geek DefenseDo criminals with Asperger's syndrome deserve special treatment?noSome time in the 1990s, during the heyday of the X-Files television show, a British computer enthusiast named Gary McKinnon became obsessed with the idea that the U.S. government had covered up evidence of UFO landings. As an unemployed contract worker, he had plenty of time to pursue his theory: Between 2001 and 2002, McKinnon hacked into nearly 100 U.S. military and NASA computers to look for documents pertaining to UFOs. Prosecutors say that at one point he shut down 2,000 computers in the Army's network. Should he ever be convicted in the United States for that crime and others, he'll face at least six years in federal prison.truenotochyperlinkno2009102310629PMFridayOctOctober1310/23/2009 5:06:29 PM6339189998900000002009102310629PMFridayOctOctober1310/23/2009 5:06:29 PM63391899989000000020041742643PMWednesdayJanJanuary161/7/2004 9:26:43 PM63209089603000000020041742643PMWednesdayJanJanuary161/7/2004 9:26:43 PM632090896030000000falsetruetruetruetruetruetrue200417101913AMWednesdayJanJanuary101/7/2004 3:19:13 PM632090675530000000200417101913AMWednesdayJanJanuary101/7/2004 3:19:13 PM632090675530000000