A physicist from the University of Toronto has been studying one of the great unsolved mysteries of physics; the icicle. The Washington Post says scientists are trying to figure out why no matter how big the icicle, the space between the ripples is always the same, about a centimeter. A key factor is salt. Icicles made without any salt in the water had no ripples. VIDEO

The New York Times takes a look at snowmaking efforts for the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Organizers have brought in snowmaking experts, including many from the United States. So far, they’ve converted about 230 million gallons of water into snow. That should be enough that they won’t need to use any of the stockpiled snow saved from last year.

Jose Salvador Alvarenga gave his first interview since he washed ashore in the Marshall Islands. He claims he was adrift for 13 months after his fishing boat broke down. The El Salvador native said he survived on birds, fish, turtles and small sharks that he caught with his bare hands. But some are doubting his story, noting he looked pretty good for having spent more than a year at sea.

The LA Times says the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman is underscoring a huge surge in heroin use not seen since the 1970s and early 80s. Health officials say more than 660,000 Americans used heroin in 2012, nearly double the number from five years earlier. And today’s users are more affluent and tend to live in the suburbs or rural areas.

The federal government announced plans to require all vehicles to communicate with each other in an effort to reduce crashes and traffic fatalities. The administration hopes to have rules in place about when cars and trucks will need to be equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle technology before President Obama leaves office in 2017. The San Jose Mercury-News says the requirements will be a boon for Silicon Valley where several major automakers already have technology and research centers.

The Wall Street Journal says startups and tech giants including Facebook and Google are racing to create machines that can think like humans. The software is still far off - but developers foresee applications such as fluently translating foreign languages, identifying objects in photos and directing self-driving cars through busy intersections.

The Chicago Tribune says all the snow we’ve been getting this winter hasn’t slowed down some high schools. Some students and teachers have improvised with digital lessons completed on computers or tablets. Others have held virtual classroom discussions. The Tribune says the day may not be far off when a snow day no longer means no class, even if the school is closed.

Bruce Weber writes the New York Times’ obituary for Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who died over the weekend of an apparent drug overdose. Weber says that to merely recount Hoffman’s credits “undervalues his versatility and his willingness, rare in a celebrity actor, to explore the depths of not just creepy or villainous characters, but pathetically unattractive ones.” Weber says that while Hoffman did not have the look of the traditional leading man, he was more than capable of playing one.

RadioShack, Budweiser and Chrysler were the big winners at the Super Bowl, according to the Wall Street Journal. RadioShack is getting big buzz for its commercial featuring stars of the 1980s as the company poked fun at its outdated stores. Chrysler’s two-minute commercial with Bob Dylan scored for taking pride in Detroit and America. And Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser scored twice, once with their ad about a small town welcoming home a soldier and again with their spot about a puppy who falls in love with one of their famous Clydesdales. VIDEO

A new study finds the abortion rate in the United States has dropped to its lowest point since the Supreme Court legalized the procedure in all 50 states. The Washington Post says the study suggests long-acting contraception methods have had a significant impact in reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies. There were fewer than 17 abortions for every 1,000 women in 2011, the latest year for which figures were available.

The recent massive credit card data breaches have led to a renewed fight over how quickly to implement chip cards in the United States, and who should cover the cost. USA Today says banks are balking at the cost of moving to European-style cards with microchips that generate a one-time security code for each transaction. Visa and MasterCard say retailers who haven’t converted to a chip system by 2015 would be responsible for fraud charges if their systems are hacked.

A giant, pink frosted doughnut has welcomed customers to The Original Grind in Long Beach, California since the 1950s. But it will soon be gone as a Dunkin’ Donuts takes over the locally-owned shop. The Orange County Register says the doughnut is the latest in a series of larger-than-life, whimsical signs to disappear in favor of corporate identities.

The Wall Street Journal recognizes the fact that not everyone sitting down to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday is a football expert. They’ve put together a guide for watching the Super Bowl, based on your level of football knowledge. The Journal points out it should be a good game, since it’s only the second time in 20 years the teams with the best record in each conference are squaring off.

There may be more chicken wings consumed this weekend than at any other time of the year. So the New York Daily News has some advice from expert eaters on the best way to eat wings quickly and efficiently. Use the “typewriter” method for the drumstick, and the “wishbone” method for the upper wing.

Minnesota beer brewer Jack Supple thought he came up with a great idea: Deliver cases of beer by drone to ice fisherman on a nearby lake. But the Federal Aviation Administration grounded the idea before his first flight. Supple says he understands the FAA’s point that the agency needs to figure out how to regulate commercial drones before allowing their use.

The Boston Herald describes the court filing in which federal prosecutors laid out their reasoning for seeking the death penalty for accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Calling his acts “heinous, cruel and depraved,” the prosecutors pointed out that Tsarnaev received asylum from the United States and citizenship before betraying his allegiance to the country.

USA Today’s Jon Swartz says the tech bubble is legitimate this time, since companies like Google and Facebook are posting real revenue numbers. In the 1990s, the tech bubble was based almost entirely on speculation about the potential of e-commerce. One analyst says these days, markets are already thriving for smartphones, social media, cloud computing and e-commerce.

GoPro, the company whose cameras are the go-to gadgets for daredevils, is now working on becoming a media company. The New York Times says GoPro is focusing efforts on distributing the content created with its cameras. The Times says the move is designed to help the company survive in a market where standalone cameras have been devastated by smartphones and tablets.

Months after its finale, the LA Times says, Breaking Bad is still a big deal in Albuquerque. Fans are still flocking to the city, taking photos of filming locations and buying methamphetamine-themed items. Law enforcement officials lament that the show has not brought more attention to the city’s real drug problem.

Jay Leno gives an exit interview with USA Today as he prepares to leave the Tonight Show after 22 years. He says one of the tricks to remaining sane in the television business is having a normal live off-camera. Leno says he won’t be sentimental about his place in TV history, saying his interns couldn’t tell you who starred in Gunsmoke, and that was on for 20 years too.

Two years ago, a snowstorm paralyzed Atlanta - and state and local officials said they had learned their lessons. But when another storm brought the city to its knees this week, it became clear those lessons weren’t enough. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says while the big problem in 2011 was a lack of resources, this time, it was too many people crammed onto highways at the same time. The paper says officials should have been more forceful about telling residents to stay home.

The New York Times’ Jenna Wortham says the Fitbit Force stands out as one of the top personal fitness trackers. She says the best feature is that it buzzes when you hit 10,000 steps for the day. Another cool feature, if you wear it to bed, you can set it to wake you up by buzzing the wristband. But she questions whether it’s worth the cost.

The Wall Street Journal says more and more of the top hair stylists are now charging more than $1000 for a haircut. So what’s the difference between a haircut that costs $1000 and one that costs $350 or even just $50? You’re paying for the stylists’ artistic vision and attention to detail. He or she will customize your hairstyle to fit your body and bone structure.

The New York Times says while the Brazilian bikini wax is still popular, a more natural look is reportedly gaining some of the momentum it lost in the past decade. Some celebrities, including Gwenyth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz have voiced their opinions in favor of what one salon owner calls “the grown look.”

The Bergen Record says New Jersey Transit officials are quickly trying to register seven trademarks because the agency failed to renew the trademarks before a 2012 deadline and a six-month grace period expired. But it’s unlikely you’ll see someone printing up their own NJ Transit brochures. Experts say the agency’s continued use of the logos would make it difficult for someone else to take them over.

You’ve got to be tough - and possibly crazy to endure this race. The Arrowhead 135 in International Falls, Minnesota this week, requires competitors to travel by bike, foot or ski, 135 miles along snowmobile trails. This year’s race is particularly grueling with a temperature of -24 degrees at the starting line. Some participants tell the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, “the colder, the better.”

The next time you play a game of Angry Birds, beware, American and British spies may be lurking in the background. The New York Times says documents uncovered by Edward Snowden reveal spy agencies are using so-called leaky apps to extract data ranging from where you are to your age, sex and even your address books and phone logs. Both the NSA and the British spy agency GCHQ played particular attention to Google Maps.

When the Wall Street Journal requested records from the Securities and Exchange Commission’s investigation into AIG’s near-collapse, the SEC complied by sending back documents that were so redacted, they offered few clues about what the probe uncovered and why it was closed. On one page, there were just four words remaining: “okay,” “by,” “in” and “did.”

USA Today says researchers are on the cusp of producing a method for DNA testing that would yield results in 90 minutes, instead of the current two to three weeks. This would be a huge boost for law enforcement as officers would be able to analyze DNA while suspects are still being held. The tests could be done in the field - instead of at a lab, saving more time.

Across the country, McDonald’s restaurants are becoming what the New York Times calls a sort of “everyman’s Starbucks” where the elderly, school kids and the homeless linger for hours. Customers can buy a cup of coffee for a dollar, and then camp out, at times causing friction with management. One manager at a Queens, NY McDonald’s called the police on a group of older Koreans that had been gathering at the restaurant.

You know an airport is bad if a newspaper on the other side of the country is doing a front page story on it. The LA Times examines why LaGuardia Airport is ranked as the worst in the country, and why improving it is so difficult. The number of flights at LaGuardia is increasing, but there is no room for expansion. Politics plays a role in the airport’s troubles. It’s run by the Port Authority - the massive bureaucracy now in the headlines over the “Bridgegate” scandal.

USA Today says falling unemployment rates are shifting some leverage to the worker, making it possible that 2014 will be a good year to get a raise. The best candidates are those in cities with full employment and those who are willing to change jobs. One economist says the pool of workers that companies have been using to keep wages down will turn into a puddle.

The New York Times says more and more college coaches are recruiting athletes before they even get into high school. Coaches exploit loopholes in NCAA rules in a race to fill up their rosters before rival coaches get their hands on talented young athletes. The Times says the problem is more pronounced among girls both because girls mature faster than boys and also because Title IX has vastly increased the number of scholarships given out to girls.

The LA Times has a nice recap of last night’s Grammy Awards. It was a big night for the helmeted French duo Daft Punk which took home album of the year and record of the year. The show also featured a mass wedding and a reunion performance by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

The Wall Street Journal examines ESPN’s efforts to expand into internet distribution. The cable sports network sees its WatchESPN app as a way to cash in on the growth of online video. But the network must be careful not to encourage cable customers to drop their subscriptions. For now, ESPN only allows pay-television customers to stream live games on the app.

With marijuana sales now legal in Colorado and soon in Washington - the New York Times says towns and counties are pushing efforts to ban the legal sale of marijuana. It’s reminiscent of the Post-Prohibition era when some towns went dry. The Times says it remains to be seen whether marijuana sales will eventually be a national industry, or if it will remain a patchwork system.

A few years ago, it seemed the daytime Soap Opera’s days were numbered and several long-time shows were cancelled. But then a funny thing happened, the ones that survived got a lot better. The New York Post says the four remaining network soaps, “The Young and the Restless”, “The Bold and the Beautiful”, “General Hospital” and “Days of Our Lives” are posting their best ratings in years. TV Guide Reporter Michael Logan tells the Post, the loss of 4 landmark shows so quickly, “scared the crap out of a lot of people.”

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says a local company is working on a robotic fuel pump that would allow you to fill your gas tank from the comfort of your car. You could pay and select your grade of gas either by touchscreen or through a smartphone app. The developers hope to have it up and running in 6 to 9 months, though it remains to be seen whether drivers would be willing to pay a little extra for the convenience.

It was supposed to be a 3-month exploration. But 10 years later, NASA’s Opportunity rover is still roaming the surface of Mars, making discoveries. The New York Times says instead of the planned one kilometer, Opportunity has traveled nearly 39 (or 24 miles). 10 years later, it still comes up with new discoveries, like a “jelly doughnut” rock that was not there when Opportunity passed the same spot two weeks earlier.

The Toronto Star reacts to Justin Bieber’s arrest, saying he might one day thank the Miami Beach Police Department for saving him from himself. Columnist Vinay Minon says all of Bieber’s earlier transgressions have come without consequence. But now his arrest on DUI charges may finally be the wake-up call he needs to turn things around.

With the NFL’s first cold weather, outdoor Super Bowl just over a week away, the Wall Street Journal tells the story of the 1932 NFL Championship game. A snowstorm forced the game into Chicago Stadium, home of the Blackhawks. The field was just 60 yards long and 45 yards wide. Field goals were banned and the final score was just 9-0. But the shrunken field did spark efforts to increase scoring which helped increase the popularity of the game.

New Jersey’s role as host of the Super Bowl is sure to spark all kinds of “Jersey jokes.” But the Newark Star-Ledger says New Jersey has been a target since colonial times. Benjamin Franklin is once said to have described the wedge of land sandwiched between New York and Philadelphia as a “keg tapped at both ends.” The jokes really picked up in the 1950s, when New Jersey license plates began to carry the nickname “Garden State.”

They’ve done it again. Oreo is releasing two new flavors next month: Cookie Dough and Marshmallow Crispy. The Daily News shared some of the new cookies with New Yorkers, and got mixed reactions. Though most of them said if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Last year, Nabisco created two new flavors, Watermelon and Candy Corn.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune says your desk is the new lunch hot spot. With heavier workloads and little access to restaurants or cafeterias, many workers find eating at their desks to be their only option. Even the IT worker interviewed in the article says he eats at his desk, despite being called upon to clean other people’s keyboards when they get clogged with crumbs. If you must eat at your desk, the Star-Tribune says, skip foods with strong odors and toss your trash in the breakroom, not in the garbage can by your desk.

The New York Times visits the home of Lee and Morty Kaufman, where the spry, 91-year-old couple filmed a series of commercials for Swiffer. The Times says the Kaufmans “project an appealing picture of marriage and old age.” The couple spends much of their time in his and hers dens. The Times says Mrs. Kaufman’s den is noticeably cleaner. VIDEO

The Washington Post describes an upcoming, 3-year test of two Army Aerostats. From 10,000 feet above Maryland, the blimp-like aircraft will cast a radar net from Raleigh, North Carolina up to Boston and as far west as Lake Erie. They’re designed to detect cruise missiles or enemy aircraft before they reach Washington. The Army says it has no plans to mount cameras on the Aerostats, but the American Civil Liberties Union says the Aerostats raise privacy concerns.

The NHL has been staging games outdoors for several years now. But Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks will square off at Dodger Stadium, where the temperature during the day is expected to reach 80 degrees. The Los Angeles Times says advances in refrigeration technology and game-time temperatures in the 50s should make for a playable surface. The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils face off Sunday at Yankee Stadium, where temperatures will be in the 20s.

The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay says Roger Federer looked like the Federer of old in dispatching Andy Murray in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, setting up a semifinal match with rival Rafael Nadal. Gay says Federer’s decline has been openly talked about. But now Federer is only two wins away from capturing his first Grand Slam title since 2012.

The Boston Globe says next week, 21-year-old Harvard College junior Alexis Wilkinson will become the first African-American woman to lead the 138-year-old Harvard Lampoon. Her classmate, Eleanor Parker, will serve as second-in-command and head writer. That marks the first time two women will be atop the masthead at the venerable college humor magazine.

The odds are long, about 9.2 quintillion to 1. But if you happen to predict the outcome of each game of this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, you could win $1 billion. The contest is being run by Detroit-based Quicken Loans, with the backing of Warren Buffett. The good news is if you actually know something about basketball, your odds of nailing a perfect bracket go down to 1 in 128 billion.

The Chicago Tribune introduces us to Chester Novell Turner - a Horror-film legend, who had no idea he was one. Back in the 1980s, Turner directed two, low-budget horror films. They were awkward, direct-to-video films, shot with a four-person crew. After making about $4,000, Turner gave up on directing films. But unbeknownst to him, his films began to circulate - and eventually - became cult classics.

The Wall Street Journal’s Geoffrey Fowler tested out the $279 Narrative Clip and $399 Autographer, two wearable cameras that snap photos all day long. At first, he says, you might think, why would anyone do this? But he says, why wouldn’t you? Moments with his kids produced memorable shots. And he was even able to find his lost watch by scanning his photo log.

An 18th Century Jade incense burner is back where it belongs, at Harvard University, 35 years after it was stolen. The Boston Globe says the $1.5 million piece was recovered after a search that stretched 8,000 miles, from the midwest to a Hong Kong auction house. Investigators say it lends hope to the idea that other long-lost works of art may also be recovered.

Can you transfer a legendary restaurant from one coast to another? The owners of the Harlem institution Rao’s are trying to find out. They’ve recently opened an outpost in Los Angeles. The co-owner of Rao’s tells the New York Times the Los Angeles outpost has a ways to go before dining there can be considered an event, like it is in Harlem.

The San Francisco Chronicle introduces us to Eric Staller, an artist who creates what he calls “urban UFOs.” There’s a gray VW Beetle called the Lightmobile adorned with 1,659 lightbulbs. There’s also the Bubbleboat, a floating craft that resembles a silver Hostess Sno Ball and the Big Bang Theory, a 1970 Fiat 500 with 10 bowling pins sticking out the passenger-side door. Of the Lightmobile, Staller says “I defy people not to laugh or smile at it.”

Think the Delorean is dead? The car made famous in Back to the Future is making a comeback. The Houston Chronicle says Stephen Wynne bought a warehouse full of car parts in the 1990s, more than a decade after Delorean went bankrupt. He’s now working on a prototype for an electric version of the Delorean.

If you didn’t know him before Sunday, you know him now. Seattle Seahawks’ cornerback Richard Sherman is the talk of the sports world for his WWE-Style post-game interview with Erin Andrews. Mike Lupica of the Daily News says, love him or hate him, Sherman will be the face of the Super Bowl. Sherman, for his part, says he doesn’t want to be the villain, and a lot of what he said was just adrenaline talking. VIDEO

How much do companies need to know about us - and how do they use that information? Those questions are being asked after an Illinois man received a flier from OfficeMax addressed to “Mike Seay, Daughter Killed In Car Crash.” The company only said it had used a list rented from a third-party provider.

It turns out North Korea is surprisingly easy to visit. USA Today says vacationing in North Korea is not for the fainthearted, but more and more Americans are choosing to visit the place where the Cold War lives on. Some say they visit just to see a country frozen in time. Others want to see for themselves if the country is really as bad as it’s made out to be.

We all know we’re supposed to sit up straight. But the Washington Post explains why it’s so important. It turns out, poor posture while sitting can cause problems from head to toe. Sitting the wrong way can lead to ailments from a stiff neck to poor circulation in your legs. If you do have poor posture, the Post has some exercises that can help.

The New York Times says there’s a battle brewing in Florida over kosher meals in prisons. Prisoners, much like airline passengers, have discovered that kosher meals are often more tasty than the standard fare. But they’re also four times as expensive. Florida officials are trying to eliminate kosher meals, but a legal battle has hampered their efforts so far.