In the newest episode of the PopSci podcast, Chuck Cage and "Shock to the System" author, Eric Hagerman discuss the new and unsettling breed of injuries plaguing recent vets.

Someone give FCC chairman Kevin Martin a Red Bull, because he’s definitely asleep on the job. How else can we explain the thumbs up recently given to both the Sirius/XM and Verizon/Alltel mergers on his watch? While Martin happily panders to the public with far-flung plans for free, nationwide wireless Web access (that’ll be the day…), he’s been delinquent with the most important of duties charged to him: shielding us from the unfair business practices of monopolies. What happened to the FCC that had our best interests in mind when it dismantled Ma Bell in 1984?

Can’t say we didn’t try. When we saw the proposed instant replay plan for Major League Baseball in June we pleaded with Bud Selig to reconsider. Heck, we even gave him a blueprint for how to get it right. Apparently, Bud wasn’t listening. As of this Thursday, MLB will implement its weak excuse for instant replay.

J.J. Abrams, creator of Alias and Lost and director of the forthcoming Star Trek movie, brings his spooky brand of science to bear on the new television series, Fringe, set to premiere September 9th on Fox. The show centers on a mad scientist, Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble), who’s sprung from a mental ward by his estranged son Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) and the blonde bombshell FBI agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv). Together, the unlikely trio sets out to solve paranormal mysteries on behalf of the US government. Think X-Files—only people believe them.

Popular Science: Where did your interest in science come from?

J.J. Abrams: My grandfather was a huge inspiration. He was the owner of an electronics company, and after World War II he sold surplus radio and electronics kits to schools.

Every four years, we watch. We marvel at badminton and wonder about the modern decathlon. With more than 300 gold medals awarded across 37 disciplines, the past two weeks of our lives have been much less productive.

Our final edition of “know your Olympic sport,” focuses on the top secret science of shuttlecocks. And for your viewing pleasure, a badminton brawl.

Who's Got the Drugs?

Anybody notice something missing? Where are all the drugs? Despite all the attention going into the games, Beijing has been relatively clean (air pollution not withstanding).

Every four years, we watch. We marvel at badminton and wonder about the modern decathlon. With more than 300 gold medals awarded across 37 disciplines, our lives are suddenly much less productive. To aid in your immersion, we continue with our daily edition of “know your Olympic sport,” by introducing the next David Beckham explaining why field hockey players are always wet.

Every four years, we watch. We marvel at badminton and wonder about the modern decathlon. With more than 300 gold medals awarded across 37 disciplines, our lives are suddenly much less productive. In this edition of "know your Olympic sport," we focus on the largest athletes in Beijing and how to keep them cool (not you, Yao).