“Clams are just clams. Not people.” That’s what they all say. But one clam will prove them all wrong—with the help of a few essential items.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans polled by NBC News said they'd favor a return to death by gas, electric chair, firing squad or hanging if lethal injection was found impractical. What's your preference? Personally, I'd like to have seen polling numbers for garroting and breaking on the wheel.

People say the fire is good. I do not want to be that one who says the fire is not good. You know that one: Fire is so stupid and worthless, he says, I don't even use fire. I eat my meat raw, and I certainly don't have time to stare into flames.

Slide away the protective cover and gaze straight into the writhing hive mind with this real-time visualizer/audio-whateverer of Wikipedia edits. Soft synthesized chimes (for additions) and strings (for deletions) soothe the ear while the names of the subjects flicker in and out to agitate the eye: List of 2 Broke Girls episodes ... Estonia National Football Team ... Pamela Geller ... Marine (Military) ... Pamela Geller ... Wormole ... Lithium ... Pamela Geller ... Timeline of Baltimore history ... It's like a Snapchat session with the entirety of human knowledge.

Like many things of great consequence, it all started with "Ice Ice Baby." Adalia Rose Williams, at the age of five years, made a video of herself dancing to the Vanilla Ice hit, and the dancing videos were ultimately responsible for what followed: the hundreds of letters, the thousands of emails, the 5.8 million Facebook fans. The unauthorized redneck-rap tribute song selling on iTunes. The obscene put-downs. The death threats.

Approaching today, the first anniversary of the death of Whitney Houston, I have been thinking about the way the pop star voiced her displeasure with her career during the last 10 years of her life. She became increasingly irritated by the attention she received, ranting about it in song and on reality TV. She was sick of sharing her amazing gift with the world, a gift that she neglected over time by smoking things like cigarettes, marijuana, and cocaine. She had been one of the most famous, most objectively talented people in the world and she got sick of it.

New York Times editor Bill Keller is not a big Twitter guy. He only tweeted once in all of 2010. But last night—when the blues crept in on cold wintry feet—Bill reached out to his Tweeps for solace.

Paleontologists have discovered evidence of human habitation in Britain dating back almost a million years—possibly the "oldest uncontested site of human occupation of Europe." How did they figure this all out? Thanks to hyena poop, naturally.

We've all been there: stuck in the uncomfortable position of having to make conversation with an African-American friend, colleague, or husband. Ugh, so awkward. What could we possibly talk about? New answer: Barack Obama!