Further adventures in the 21st century

The day millions have prayed for is here: AOL has announced it will no longer charge for email, online accounts, or its so-called software. I hope that means it will no longer enclose its CDs in Sunday newspapers, send them to me in elaborate advertising mailers, or stack them up on coffeehouse counters. (More takes on the story from CNet and BusinessWeek.)

Six Russian volunteers will be locked in an airtight capsule for a year and a half to study what happens to humans who are locked in an airtight capsule. Just another preview of your trip to Mars. Better hope your travel companions are more fun than, for example, the typical cast of Big Brother, which the study resemples:

The mock-up "Mars cruiser" will actually look more like a cross between a standard three-bedroom flat and a stage set for a reality TV show. There will be cameras and microphones in every corner -- yet if the volunteers decide to contact the outside world, their main means of getting in touch will be e-mail. And there will be a long delay before they get an answer -- just like there would be during a real flight to Mars.

There's a challenge: have a contest between email transmission speeds from a Mars flight and from an AOL account. Who would win?!