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Earth is getting 50,000 tonnes lighter every year, even while 40,000 tonnes of space dust fall onto our planet's surface during the same period. So, why are we losing so much weight? You will be surprised.

At least, I never considered this and I was surprised to hear the reasoning in More or Less, a BBC Radio 4 program about statistics and numbers. According to Dr Chris Smith and Cambridge University physicist Dave Ansel's calculations, despite those 40,000 tonnes of space dust that become part of our planet every year, Earth loses 50,000 tonnes of mass. Is it because we keep launching rockets? No. These are their back-of-the-napkin calculations:

• Earth gains about 40,000 tonnes of dust every year, the remnants of the formation of the solar system, which are attracted by our gravity and become part of the matter in our planet. Our planet is actually made from all that starstuff.
• NASA says that Earth gains about 160 tonnes of matter a year because the global temperature is going up: "If we are adding energy to the system, the mass must go up." Oh, those crazy thermodynamics.

• Of course, having more people or building stuff doesn't add any mass to the planet. Humans and things are made with the matter that is already in the planet. It's just being transformed.
• Most of the rockets and satellites that we launch to Earth orbit eventually fall down back to Earth, so no real effect here.

• Earth's core loses energy over time. It's like a giant nuclear reactor that burns fuel. Less energy means less mass. 16 tonnes of that are gone every year. Not much.
• And here's the big mass loss: about 95,000 tonnes of hydrogen and 1,600 tones of helium escape Earth every year. They are too light for gravity to keep them around, so they get lost. Gone into space.

The result: the rough estimate is -50,000 tonnes every year. Which is about 0.000000000000001% less mass every year.

Should we be worried about Earth disappearing into thin air? No, you shouldn't. And you shouldn't worry about losing hydrogen. There's plenty and it will take trillions of years to deplete it.

Helium, on the other hand, is a different matter. It represents 0.00052% of the volume in our atmosphere, but it's mainly harvested from natural gas using a process called fractional distillation. Helium is becoming scarce in our planet. In fact, Cornell University physicist and Nobel Prize-winner Robert Richardson once said that each floating party balloon should have a $100 price tag, who campaigned against the US Government decision to sell the country's helium stockpile by 2015 to keep prices down.

He's probably right, considering that it is crucial for devices like MRI scanners, where it is used for cooling superconducting magnets and growing silicon and germanium crystals as well as the production of titanium and zirconium. But to keep its price down, the US [Download the program here (5MB)]

One of the (many) reasons augmented reality apps haven't caught on is because they usually require markers or special objects for their tracking software to work. Unlike this Obvious Engine system which can easily track anything in a scene.

The results are, admittedly, pretty impressive. This quick demo shows a Dr. Pepper can being bulged and warped in real-time, without also distorting the area around the can. So the software is obviously very adept at isolating the object from the rest of the scene. It also shows the can being augmented with glowing rings, and creepy little creatures dancing around it, possibly worshipping its syrupy goodness.

Now obviously the bright table and well-lit room look like the optimal real-world conditions for the Obvious Engine to do its thing, but maybe the technology behind it is what augmented reality needs to finally become more than just a fad or mildly entertaining tech demo? [Obvious Engine via The Verge]

It's useless for keeping your floors clean, but those of us living in colder climates will certainly appreciate this concept Hagent robot that seeks out the warmest places in your home, absorbing the heat to share with you later.

Think of it as an autonomous roaming heater, but instead of generating its own heat, which would chew through a set of batteries in no time, it hunts down and steals the warmth from other items in your home. So for example, as the robot follows you into your living room, it would detect that the fireplace is producing considerably more heat than you are, so would park itself at a safe distance allowing its internal mechanisms to absorb as much warmth as possible.

Then, when you went to your bedroom at the end of the night, the robot would follow you there and using its sensors would determine that room was a lot colder than the last. So instead of trying to absorb more heat, it would emit what it had stored, warming its surroundings as much as possible. It's kind of like a high-tech approach to using warm rocks from a campfire to heat your sleeping bag, but with less risk of a deadly fire. [Daniel Abendroth via Ubergizmo]

That massive Gerber multi-tool on your belt probably comes in really handy during emergencies, but not on a catwalk. If you want to be prepared for whatever life throws out you and look fashionable, you'll want to consider Wenger's HypeX line.

Consisting of six stripped down lightweight tools that can be worn as pendants hanging from an included silicone necklace, the HypeX pieces include implements for starting fires, sharpening blades, tightening screws, stripping wires, and of course opening bottles and corks. They'll be available starting in June for around $60 to $100, with more sports-oriented models coming later in the year. [Wenger via Gizmag]

After an airbag deploys it's not like you can just cram it back into your steering wheel and carry on. They have to be cut out and replaced, which gives MariClaRo the materials it uses to create this lovely backpack.

Because of the stresses it endures when it's literally exploded into a driver's face, the fabric material used in airbags can't be re-used again in case it fails. But it's still perfectly suited to the rigors of hauling laptops, textbooks, and sweaty gym clothes. So Toronto-based MariClaRo turns them into these one of a kind backpacks that are individually made to order.

As a result delivery takes up to three weeks after ordering, but considering they're made from 99% recycled materials and probably have an interesting back story you'll always wonder about, I think it's totally worth the wait. As for the $300 price tag, I'll leave that up to you. [MariClaRo via Ecouterre]

Last week we showed you a quick preview of OK Go's new video for "Needing/Getting", and now here's the full monty, compiled from a literal drive-by of 1157 homemade instruments of melodic Rube Goldberg(ish) goodness.

You can check out the full rundown of how everything was put together—including the band taking stunt driving courses—in the details section of the video on YouTube. [YouTube]

No, the Super Bowl is not going to be in 3D this year. Again. But that doesn't mean you don't want a 3D set. Here's the thing: The best 2D TV is a 3D TV. The burlier image processors required to render the third dimension make everything look better.

So how are you going to watch the game this year? Huddled in front of your buddy's RCA, squinting at plays? No thanks, not when you can watch it on a screen big enough to make you feel like you're on the sidelines.

We tested four 3D-capable HDTV's, each with at least 60 inches of viewing area, to find the one that provides the best picture, clarity, color and most panel-defying 3D. We looked for one that was easy to setup, install, and use without calling in tech support. Because our ideal HDTV doesn't require a visit from from a specialist to get up and running, we set them all up using the THX calibration method, which you can find on any THX-certified Blu-ray. It's game time, after all, and you want your set ready to watch in minutes, not hours.

The Mitsubishi 75-inch LaserVue DLP is, first and foremost, gigantic—like having a drive-in theater installed in your living room. And for watching movies it was stupendous. Its six-color processor provides a huge range of color shades, but they were never quite as bright or as intense as the other TVs we tested. The set's minimal edging was a plus, helping add to the sense of being in a theater. It worked wonderfully under dimmed lights but trying to watch early Sunday sports was a problem—some of us have east-facing living room windows, and this baby is afraid of the light. It's also afraid of subpar content: Any sort of digital artifact or SD quality video (like a Netflix show streamed over a slow Wi-Fi connection) was glaringly obvious on its massive screen, even from far away. The 3D picture was solid with a good depth to the image, but fast-moving action—whether a thrown pass, car chase, or slap shot—did tend to get blobby and blurred.

On the hardware side, the LaserVue is a bit limited. It can't be wall-mounted, the set itself is horrendously heavy—tipping the scales at 140 pounds—and takes about 15 seconds to warm up when you turn it on. It does have four HDMI ports, which should be enough for most people, but its lack of USB jacks prevents you throwing in a few pirated movies family photos on a whim. Initial setup was straightforward, but the remote, which is about the size of my forearm with more buttons than my keyboard, took a while to learn.

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• Screen Size: 75-Inch
• Display Type: DLP
• Refresh Rate: 120Hz
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, 4x HDMI, 2x component/composite
• 3D Type: Active Shutter
• Weight: 140 lbs
• Price: $6,000 MSRP

The LG Class Cinema has a matte screen and its frame has a transparent bezel. The matte finish helps cut down on glare from ambient light while the bezel features an attractive touch interface for power, volume, and channel control. Like on the TNG-era Enterprise.

The color accuracy and 2D picture clarity are both fairly good but not outstanding—on par with other mid-priced sets. It employs 8-channel processing for each color and is capable of displaying 16.7 million possible shades. Black levels and shadow details, unfortunately, were only average. There was a notable loss of detail in dark movies, like Aliens.

The LG's passive 3D is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the glasses are lightweight, flicker-free, and inexpensive, which means everybody in the room actually gets a pair and nobody will be getting nauseus extended sessions. The 178-degree viewing angle is also quite generous. On the other hand, the passive technology comes at the price of half the vertical screen resolution—1920 x 1080 images actually come across as 1920 x 540. It's not a deal breaker, but certainty noticeable. And, despite the 240Hz refresh rate, we also noticed some blurring during fast action scenes.

The LG offers four HDMI ports and double USBs, as well as component and antenna hookups and built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. None of its ports face the rear of the set, so it can be wall mounted nice and flush. The remote feels a bit cheap, though. Good thing the set also includes a slick five-button, motion-controlled SmartTV remote that can perform all of the same functions.

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• Screen Size: 65-inch
• Display Type: LED/LCD
• Refresh Rate: 240Hz
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, 4x HDMI, 2x USB 2.0, 1x RF, 2x component
• 3D Type: Passive
• Weight: 104 lbs
• Price: $4,500 MSRP

The Samsung 64-inch 1080p plasma is as gorgeous as it is slender. At a mere inch thick and 51 pounds, it's the thinnest and lightest set of the group. And, with slim, brushed-metal frame and inch-wide transparent bezel, there's very little to distract from the on-screen action.

The color accuracy was spot-on and the picture clarity was excellent—we barely had to make any adjustments during calibration. Colors were extremely vivid, much brighter and far more intense than any of the other sets. Combined with an anti-glare screen coating and Samsung's Real Black Filter, you can watch in a bright room without the picture getting washed out. 2D clarity was also fantastic, even with SD signals, though it did suffer from some digital artifacts when watching streaming content. The 3D image was very good with excellent—and adjustable—field depth. The active shutter glasses were a bit bulky though—you definitely notice them after a long 3D sesh.

It features four HDMI ports, two USB ports, and is Wi-Fi enabled. We were especially impressed with the remote, which has a Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard on the back side, making for easy-peasy username entering. Navigating the Samsung's menus was very intuitive, despite the amount of features it packs. Streaming content like Netflix and Hulu Plus are all there. Skype too, if you want to plug in a camera.

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• Screen Size: 64-inch
• Display Type: Plasma
• Refresh Rate: 240Hz
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, DNLA, 4x HDMI, 2x USB 2.0, 1x composite/component
• 3D Type: Passive
• Weight: 51 lbs
• Price: $3,800 MSRP

The Sharp Aquos Quattron's screen is taller than the average American man. Its called Quattron because there's a fourth color—yellow—in its sub-pixel arrays (these colors are mixed to create the shade for each individual pixel), allowing it to generate nearly a trillion potential color shades. The black levels and shadow detail were equally impressive, thanks to the set's local dimming edge-lit LED back-lighting, with very little loss of clarity during dark scenes. The picture clarity was top-notch as well; there were significantly fewer jagged edges even on SD content. 2D HD content was clear enough that you could count the laces on a thrown football in flight.
The 3D was fairly good, though we did notice some halo effects with it turned on and some blurring during fast action (though that's pretty much universal in 3D sets). Screen flicker was, however, nearly nonexistent, and the 176-degree viewing angle was impressive.

The Sharp is Wi-Fi enabled, and includes four HDMI ports. No USBs, though, but you can push local content over your home network to play it . The streaming service selection was more sparse than the Samsung's offerings, but the amount and degree of picture controls were made calibrating the set dead simple.

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• Screen Size: 70-inch
• Display Type: LED/LCD
• Refresh Rate: 240Hz
• Connectivity: Ethernet, DNLA, 4x HDMI, 2x USB 2.0, 1x component
• 3D Type: Active
• Weight: 99 lbs
• Price: $4,300 MSRP

Rejoice fellows of the Lego ring, because we got the first close-up look of the Lego Lord of the Rings sets coming out this year. And they are amazing, from the Mines of Moria—cave troll included!—to Helm's Deep to Shelob!

Yes, that was a Lego LOTR nerd squeaky scream. Look at the Hobbit mini-minifigs fighting Shelob! (that's another one). You can see the Mines of Moria on the back, with the cave troll battling the Fellowship! (yes, yes). That seems to be the second biggest set, the biggest one being Helm's Deep.

The image was secretly taken by a fan from Slovenia in private area of the Lego booth at Nuremberg's Toy Fair. This stolen image comes after Lego gave us the official look of all the Lego Lord of the Rings characters. I can't wait to see them at the New York Toy Fair next week (and show them to you). [Kocke Klub (Slovenian)——Thanks Scott!]

That Field Notes notebook you'll find in many a reporter's back pocket ensures they never miss a scoop, but it doesn't do a lot for their image. At least not as much as this clever faux-hankie notebook that complements a blazer.

Available in a polka-dotted red, black, or white pattern, the top of the notebook is trimmed to a point so it looks like a folded hankie when carried in a breast pocket. And with 60 pages of acid-free paper, you have enough space for every scandalous quote. Available here for $10 each—pencil, blazer, and whimsical sense of style not included. [Hankie Pocketbook via GeekAlerts]

They said it couldn't be done, but Robb Godshaw has successfully found a way to make ping pong—truly man's greatest sport—even better. By introducing a rocking mechanism under the table, and high-powered flashes to throw off your opponent.

The whole setup is cleverly referred to as Swing Pong, with the table being tilted to the left and right via pneumatic actuators located underneath. A set of arcade buttons in front of each player lets them tilt the table at any point, altering the trajectory of a shot and making it harder to return. But the table can also be set to continually rock back and forth throughout an entire match, upping the difficulty level for both players.

There's even a set of bright camera flashes underneath the table's translucent surface which serve to temporarily blind the players, and the net will actually move farther away from the last person who scored, making it harder and harder for them to keep a rally going. Further evening the odds, and encouraging the condition known as pong rage. What? Am I the only person ever diagnosed? [Robb Godshaw]

You might think the TV show The Good Wife is best suited to middle-aged women (so much so that my fiance enforces reference restraint when we're out with friends). Seriously though, it's one of the best shows on TV. Character Depth! Complex, contemporary issues! And tons of tech. Bear with me.

[Ed: These views do not reflect the opinions of anyone else at Gizmodo.]

Technology is coarsing through this show's plot. These details are often brought to bear through Zach, the doe-eyed son of our protagonist Alicia Florrick. Like a lot of kids his age, Zach runs tech support for his lawyer mom. His whizkid skills often end up breaking one of his mother's cases wide open. And while rolling his eyes at his mom's computer naivety, he embarks on investigative pursuits with nothing but ipod in hand.

You should check it out. It's on Hulu and Amazon. Watch, if only so I can one day live in a world where I can freely admit, without shame, to watching this show.

Hub's flat-packed Prizm iPad stand is designed to be as light and minimal as possible, separating into two pieces of precision cut thin aluminum that can be easily slipped inside a bag or case alongside your tablet.

But it looks more to me like a ceremonial weapon that I swear I've seen Worf brandish on several episodes of Star Trek TNG. At the least, when you're done propping up your tablet or phone, you can probably use it to fend off a Borg attack for at least a few minutes. It's available in 10 different colors and finishes for the iPad for $30 to $35, and the iPhone for $25 to $30. [Hub]

The best Kickstarter projects are the ones that have videos of the product doing what it claims to do, and are already well-funded when you discover them. Like this amazing Zen Table which creates intricate sand drawings using a metal ball specially designed sculpting head.

At $500 for the small version (which comes as a DIY kit) the Zen Table makes for one expensive desktop toy, but seeing it in action makes me more tempted to shell out the $750 for the fully assembled larger model. Using a hidden mechanism that moves through the sand, the Zen Table carves out complicated images from your digital files, either from a USB connection, an SD card, or an optional wireless connection.

What impresses me most is how the table cleverly uses the striped background pattern it creates to move the sculpting head between different areas, without leaving criss-crossing trails like you'd get from an Etch A Sketch. Its creator has obviously put a lot of work into the software to ensure it produces very clean results as it draws, and I'll be honest, it's far more mesmerizing to watch than a swinging pendulum. [Zen Table via The Awesomer]

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank Kate who perfectly sums up how I, and probably a good chunk of the population, feel about those giant stacks of unclaimed phone books showing up at apartment buildings every year.

As she points out, clinging to its outdated business model hasn't done much for the Yellow Page's stock value over the past few years. But that could easily be resolved if it just started marketing them as free booster seats. I mean, that's how everyone still uses them right? That, or for demonstrating uncommon feats of strength as you tear one in two. [Reddit via BoingBoing]

Yesterday we showed you a few methods for quickly chilling your Superbowl libations, but none are as fast, or easy, as West Coast Chillers new can which lowers the energy drink's temperature by 30 degrees at the push of a button.

Now you've probably heard of these self cooling cans before, and that's because they've actually been in development for over 18 years now. In fact, back in 1998 Pepsi was all set to use these same cans, but it was discovered that the refrigerant used contributed to greenhouse gases. So it was back to the drawing board for another 12 years while the company developed a suitable replacement that now uses environmentally-friendly activated carbon and carbon dioxide.

The science behind how the cans actually work seems like it's a closely guarded secret, but once the West Coast Chillers start popping up in stores for about $3 a can, I'm sure we'll have the opportunity to open one up and see how it ticks. But, since the cooling mechanism is recyclable, maybe we should just leave it a mystery. [West Coast Chill via Gizmag]

A platform is useless without dedicated developers. Brandon Watson, former head of the Windows Phone Developer Experience, knows this better than anyone. Knowledge he will surely carry over to his new gig as director of Amazon's Kindle Cross Platform team.

Watson took to Twitter yesterday afternoon to confirm his career change and while this is no small loss for Microsoft, it could mean great things to come for the Kindle-verse. Especially when you consider the "cross platform" aspect of his title. Could this mean we'll see third party apps on the Kindle Touch? If so, we might finally get an answer to the most pressing question of our time: will Angry Birds still be boring in black and white? [Brandon Watson, All About Microsoft via The Verge]

The hard plastic wheels used on skateboards usually means they're relegated to only gleaming the cube on smoother surfaces like sidewalks. That's not the case with Rockboard's Descender, which adds tank-like treads for all-terrain ollies and kickflips.

Ok, so with 36 wheels in total (3 per set, 9 per tread) you're probably not going to be pulling off any tricks with this thing, but that's not why it was created. The large free-wheeling treads make the Descender usable on almost any surface, whether it's grass, snow, or even rocky terrain. So you're able to use it all-year-round wherever you want to.

Ironically it's probably not actually going to be useful for impressing your friends at your local skatepark, but recklessly careening down a mountainside provides more of a thrill anyways. Available sometime this spring, for kids, teens, and adults, as long as they're under 200 pounds. [Rockboard via Coolest Gadgets]

Remember Dustin McCombs, the rapist suspect who taunted the police in Facebook? Not surprisingly, he was captured by U.S. Marshals in Ohio after their colleagues from the Gulf Coast Regional Task in Birmingham gave them a tip about his whereabouts, presumably using internet address location information.

Because, you know, if you are running away from justice, the last thing you want to do is taunting and talking with the police through the internet, that place in which everything gets logged and located unless you know what the hell you are doing (and this guy obviously didn't know what the hell he was doing).

McCombs contacted the police in Facebook to tell them he was running away and that they weren't going to be able catch him. He said he was going to turn himself in once he had a lawyer and the money for the bail, and protested about being put up in their "Creep of the Week" Facebook page before being even convicted (he was right about this one).

According to the Jefferson police, "this is a pretty silly-acting individual to be facing such a serious charge. Of course we are happy to let him know that, yes, we can catch you, but more than anything we are happy that maybe his victim is a step closer to getting justice." Well, sure he may be an idiot, but maybe you should wait for a judge to declare him guilty and post his mugshot in your Creepy McCreepster Facebook page, Mr. Policeman, Sir.

In any case, in case you missed it, here's the complete exchange again. [Al—Thanks Chris!]

McCombs' first reply to the posting of the wanted "rape by force" mugshot.

Instead of shutting him down, whoever runs the sheriff's office Facebook page immediately takes the bait and trolls back. McCombs replies that he's getting a lawyer and asks if he can turn himself in to a "nicer" county.

Sheriff keeps talking.

The sheriff offers to talk to McCombs via email, but the suspect prefers to talk in public on Facebook.

The dumb kid just can't stop talking, now asking the police for legal advice.

This is like watching a train crash in slow motion.

McCombs accuses the cops of defamation of character for posting the mugshot. He has a point. How can the police classify anyone as "creep of the week" when these people have not been convicted yet. He may be innocent.

Some dude piles on. People are so nice. Isn't accessory to trolling a misdemeanor?

The police finally realize that it's dumb to put up this public show.

McCombs finally posts the obligatory "I didn't do it." Just after this, the whole mugshot and conversation was deleted by the sheriff's office.

Part of Jefferson County Sheriff Office's Facebook Creep of the Week page, now without McComb's mug shot or conversation.

Microphones can't discriminate what they hear, which can lead to noisy conversations if you're careening down a snowy hill. But by picking up the vibrations in your skull while you talk, Buhel's new SpeakGoggle G33s promise to clearly decipher every word.

The goggles connect to a cellphone in your pocket over Bluetooth, letting you take and place calls. Or can connect to another pair of goggles like a set of walkie talkies, with a range of up to 1,640 feet. The bone conducting microphone it uses is built into the frame, so you have to be wearing the goggles for it to pick up what you're saying. But in theory it will allow for clear conversations no matter how loud the wind is howling, or if you're swooshing through fresh powder.

On a single charge you're promised up to 12 hours of talk time, and because they include a built-in headphone jack, you can also wirelessly stream music from a smartphone for up to 10 hours. It also probably goes without saying that the goggles have been tested in temperatures as cold as -45°C. So they'll probably even work on your next trek up Everest. [Buhel via Gizmag]

So by now we've realized that Siri isn't the end all of personal assistants that Apple claimed it would be. In fact, as Nick Douglas discovered, she's particularly unhelpful when it comes to assisting with your morning exercise routine.

You'd think she might be a little encouraging given she's there to serve, but Nick soon discovers that her automated abilities are pretty much useless outside of placing calls and scheduling meetings. And a word of warning, asking her to call 911 on your behalf just has bad idea written all over it. [YouTube via Laughing Squid]