Sorry we missed you on Friday. We hope this cracker of a podcast makes up for it. Today, we devote the entire podcast to the strange tale of Gary MacKinnon, a British hairdresser turned computer hacker who is wanted by US federal prosecutors. MacKinnon is accused of committing "the biggest military hack ever." MacKinnon says he wasn't being malicious; he just wanted to find out if the US government was withholding information about UFOs. We examine the case, in full, today on The World's technology podcast.

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Greetings from Norway. In a desperate attempt to escape the effects of jet-lag, your intrepid technology correspondent records a podcast from the land of the Norsemen...and Norsewomen. First, a feature on internet governance and some listener e-mails. Then, improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, have become the terrorist weapon of choice in Iraq. We look at how (and where?) they're made, how they're planted, and how they're detonated. And finally, Italy's Po River has been the subject of some recent scientific study. Find out why...sniff, sniff.

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Tusen takk (many thanks) to all those in Norway who made my trip there so enjoyable. Your intrepid technology correspondent is back in Boston, with an absolutely stinking head cold. Nonetheless, onward and upward. First, the tables are turned, and Clark ends up being interviewed by a Norwegian video-blogger. See why Clark has "a face for radio," as they say. Then, we talk about a new technology out of Switzerland that may help burn victims recover. And finally, a report from sunny Cordoba, Spain on one entrepreneur's plan to rent high-tech, electric cars to tourists. All that, plus more listener emails on internet governance, on our Friday podcast.

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Great show today, folks. We've got a tribute to Dr. Robert Moog -- rhymes with "vogue" -- the man behind the electronic synthesizer. Moog has died from brain cancer at the age of 71. His worldwide influence on music has been immense. We'll also have a report from Norway on Opera, the little web browser that could. And, an old Einstein manuscript is found at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. We round things off with a story about a city library in Sweden that's letting you check out...not books...not DVDs...not CDs...but people.

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In today's podcast, we explore recent outbreaks of bird flu in Russia and Kazakhstan, and what the implications might be for Europe. Also, a look at tuberculosis in Africa. More than half a million Africans are dying from the disease each year. The World Health Organization is looking at ways to stop its spread. In other medical news, the US Food and Drug Administration is looking at how to regulate the use of leeches and maggots in medicine. It may gross you out, but the little critters are still very useful in today's world of high-tech medical care. And finally, we send you into the weekend with some podsafe music, courtesy of Norway's Don Juan Dracula, and we read some of your comments on hacker Gary Mackinnon. Let's get this party started.

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