Forward Bias

September 21, 2007

This weekâ''s theme: Donâ''t Tase Me, Bro

First, my defense. Thereâ''s a reason I am jumping on this bandwagon, and itâ''s because Spectrum has an upcoming article about tasers in the December 2007 issue. Mark Kroll and Patrick Tchou explain what exactly is involved in freezing up the human skeletal muscles without disturbing the heart. (Wellâ''theoretically.) Kroll is an expert on heart implants and medical devices who sits on Taserâ''s board. Chou is a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, and the author of a critical perspective pointing out the unknowns and potential dangers of ECDs, also in December's Spectrum.

And now, without further ado, some of the highlights of the literature:

At Wiredâ''s Threat Level blog, Sarah Lai Stirland gives a great rundown of the week's events.

And of course, there was merchandise. So the next time your drooling infant questions the legitimacy of the 2004 election results, you can head off disaster by equipping the child with this handy bib.

If youâ''re over 18 months old but would still like to wear the battle cry of a new generation, get your shirt here.

Suggested use: Wear it while you listen to the dance mix.

And if your interest goes beyond acquiring the resultant pop culture detritus, read a comprehensive Slate explanation of how a taser works. (Itâ''ll tide you over until the Spectrum article comes out in December. Thatâ''s the December issue of Spectrum, coming to a news stand near you in December. Spectrum.)