Technology

Wikipedia provides Internet users with millions of articles on a broad range of topics, and commonly ranks first in search engines. However, its reliability and credibility fall well short of the standards for a school paper. Wikipedia itself wrote that “while some of the articles are of the highest quality of scholarship, others are admittedly rubbish … use [Wikipedia] with an informed understanding of what it is and isn't.”

To help you develop such an understanding, we present these 10 reasons you cannot rely on information in Wikipedia:

Federal agents are logging on to popular social networks to gather information about suspects, while recent months have seen significant lapses in online privacy protection.

With the Large Hadron Collider once again operational, researchers and cautiously optimistic observers look toward future discoveries, hoping for insight into the origins of the universe.

Blogging, like most writing, is a lonely activity, but many general and topic-specific social networks exist to help bloggers find and support each other, get more readers and even make money.

After getting a knack for blogging, most bloggers will need some tools, tricks and inspiration for gaining readers, which will motivate you to keep writing. (New to blogging? Read Part 1 of this series first.)

In the first of a series on blogging, learn the ropes of blog platforms, domain hosting, basic design and promotion using quality Web sites and articles that cater to blogging novices.

Parents and educators should become aware of a new Web site called Chatroulette, which poses safety threats to unmonitored children.

Although technology has been a blessing for those with visual impairments, the abundance of audio and digital technology has made reading Braille a rare skill.

The first systematic cadaver observations were probably performed by hunters, butchers and cooks, who dissected animals to find edible organs. Today, doctors and scientists use autopsies to gain greater insight into a human patient’s medical history—often uncovering information that was unavailable or went unrecognized during treatment.

As NASA begins testing on three prototype space suits at the Johnson Space Center, findingDulcinea looks at the evolution of space suits and the future of space suit design.

The development of the modern-day bicycle required centuries of creative thinking and the skills of several different inventors. Years ago, bicycles were not quite so easy or comfortable to ride. FindingDulcinea takes a look back at the evolution of this handy machine, from its clunky beginnings to the sleek models of today.

Using laser-fusion technology, experts hope to add “clean, inexhaustible energy source” to the laser’s distinguished resume.

The experimental device sends signals to the brain via the tongue, creating a new mode of optical sensation.

Virgin Galactic has unveiled SpaceShipTwo, the latest in a long series of efforts to commercialize space travel.

Solar Impulse, a solar-powered aircraft, made history this week by becoming the first manned solar plane to take off using its own power.

European scientists claim an Italian amputee is the first to control complex movements of a robotic hand connected to his nervous system.

Executives and CEOs are getting social media lessons from their younger employees, a form of reverse mentoring that benefits both teacher and student.

As access to the Internet grows, so does access to online medical information and misinformation. Some e-patients now trust the Web rather than their doctor.

The Twitter trend has found its way into operating rooms, but not everyone is comfortable with doctors revealing surgical details via the social networking tool.

Diane Sieber, a University of Colorado professor, found that students who use laptops in class average 11 percent worse on tests than their peers.

No search engine is perfect, but armed with a few tips for better searching you can get great results out of (almost) any search engine.

A popular brand of flour is using the Web to increase traceability, and IBM is set to release a traceability iPhone app, illustrating how technology can influence food safety and aid environmental movements.

Recently re-introduced to Congress, the SKILLs Act aims to help students navigate digital information, and could alter perceptions of the book-bound librarian.

“Recycled” computers and electronics can end up in foreign dumps, or sold to identity thieves. Though U.S. laws do little to regulate e-cycling, you can protect yourself from fraud.

The anonymity of bloggers and online commentators has for the most part been protected under 1996 legislation, but a case involving a college student that criticized his dean illustrates the limits of anonymous free speech on the Internet.

The CIA’s investment arm recently bought a stake in a company developing software that monitors social media conversations. What else has the U.S. Intelligence Community done to harness social media and the Web?

The value of online commenting and methods of moderation are often debated. Which sites are leading the pack, and how have they distinguished themselves from less successful models? 

In many U.S. states, the DNA of those arrested but not convicted is held indefinitely. In Britain, however, the Home Office dropped a DNA database proposal due to strong public opposition and a European court ruling.

As the scope and quality of child-generated content continues to grow online, which sites are setting the pace, and how can parents help their kids get involved?

The arrest of a student accused of harassing another student through a Web site highlights the hazards of cyberbullying, and the steps that Missouri is taking to better penalize it.