Hypnosis really changes your mind. It measurably changes how the brain works, says a UK researcher.

Menaced by holy monkeys, Indian villagers call in the contract killers.

What Drove Divergence Of Humans From Chimpanzees?

Biologists as Victims of Communism. An interesting piece about T.D. Lysenko.

Habits and Will, by John Dewey.

What Use is Religion? Richard Dawkins considers the issue from a Darwinian perspective. Also of interest, from Jared Diamond: The Religious Success Story. [Via MeFi.]

Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite's lost valley. It's time to bring it back.

Devoter.com -- Kissing babies and giving stump speeches. A new PoliticalFilter by jca. [Via MeFi.]

The Snow Leopard.

Ecotonoha - the word tree. [Via PaperFrog.] more inside

Snorri’s Hot Tub, Reykholt, Iceland.

Unused back muscles switch themselves off. Monkeys with bad backs might consider yoga.

Mashed Taters (Potatoes) by eNiGMa the MoNKey. [Flash, via TheOneRing.net.]

How John Kerry busted the terrorists' favorite bank. I think this piece of recent history is far more relevant to the threat of terrorism today than what the candidates did or didn't do during Vietnam. More details here. [Via MeFi.]

Three cheers for the Surveillance Society! "In the brave new future, Big Brother will watch our every move. But that's OK, because we'll be watching him too." So says David Brin, author of The Transparent Society. more inside

The War Nerd defends the French. "Well, I'm going to tell you guys something you probably don't want to hear: these sites are total bullshit, the notion that the French are cowards is total bullshit, and anybody who knows anything about European military history knows damn well that over the past thousand years, the French have the most glorious military history in Europe, maybe the world."

Primate shortage could slow medical advances. more inside

VIVA AMERICAN BUDDHA! NSFW.

Annatomically Correct African Vervet Monkey Costume. Unfortunately, bidding has ended for this item. Here's a meepzorp mirror. NSFW!

The Anti-Gurus. A profile of Diana Alstad and Joel Kramer, authors of The Guru Papers.