In astronomy, of course, where multi-decade records sparked the Age of Wonder, long-term datasets are now routine. Ditto geology, the discipline which made it possible to conceive deep time. But other fields, especially in the life sciences, are just catching up.

In the 20th century,...

As iPhone 4S’s flood into the hands of the public, users are coming face-to-face with something that they weren’t quite expecting: Apple’s new voice interface, Siri, has an attitude. Ask Siri where to hide a body, for instance, and she’ll give you a list of choices that include a reservoir, a mine, and a swamp. Ask her how much would could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood, and she might tell you the answer is 42 cords, or she might ask you to clarify if it’s an African or European woodchuck.

Joshua Topolsky’s at This Is My Nextbegan gathering some of the service’s cheekier a...