Here and There Around the Web

* Sean Carroll at Cosmic Variance gives a wonderful explanation of how a quantum computer can find the answer to a calculation without doing any calculation. The explanation features a cute puppy and a quantum superposition of steak and salad.

* John Holbo at The Valve has started an interesting discussion on the current state and the history of analytic philosophy.

* PZ Myers at Pharyngula tells us all about the sex lifes of spiders. Graphic depictions included.

* Phil and Greta Munger at Cognitive Daily tell of a fascinating experiment that implies that different people may react in different ways to violent stimuli (such as violence-full movies and videogames, an old matter of polemic). It seems people who are naturally agressive have their aggresive feelings increased by violent stimuli, while people who are naturally agreeable have an aggresive response even lower than normal after the same stimuli.

* Eszter at Crooked Timber asks which are the strangest gender signs on toilet doors you have seen. If you have pictures, send them.

* Sigfpe at Neighberhood of Infinity tells a surprising fact about the integrals of products of the sine cardinal function.

* Eugene Volokh at The Volokh Conspiracy tells funny Gentile jokes (the opposite to Jewish jokes). Don't miss it if you're Jew or are familiar with Jewish humour.

UPDATE: One more link adds to the list: this umplugged version of the The Simpsons theme. Hat tip: Positive Liberty.