For mad scientists who keep brains in jars, here's a tip: why not add a slice of lemon to each jar, for freshness?

Master Li, how are we going to murder a man who laughs at axes?" I asked.

We are going to experiment, dear boy. Our first order of business will be to find a deranged alchemist, which should not be very difficult. China," said Master Li, "is overstocked with deranged alchemists.

The government's dossier catalogued a range of other procurement activities, and referred to intelligence that scientists had been recalled to the program in 1998.

I am not a scientist. I am, rather, an impresario of scientists.

As scientists, we don't want to be Chicken Little and say the sky is falling,

In fact what I would like to see is thousands of computer scientists let loose to do whatever they want. That's what really advances the field.