This Week in the Future, January 25-29, 2010

Unless you were under a rock, you know that Apple released its “magical” new iPad this week. But lo and behold, plenty of other news from the future wowed us this week. See our favorites here, and leave a comment to win this illustration on a t-shirt.

This week’s future news (can you match every story with its iPad icon?):

• Hands On With Apple’s iPad
• British Police to Monitor Civilians with UAVs by 2012
• Long-Awaited Barefoot Running Study Finds Sneakers Are Harmful
• A Free-Kicking ‘Bot That Takes 128 MPH Shots
• Ex-Officer Says Air Force’s Failure to Deploy Airships Costs Lives
• The Moon May Have Been Created By a Massive Nuclear Blast Inside the Earth
• Cesium-Snatching “Venus Flytrap” Material Takes the Bad Stuff Out of Nuclear Waste
• Speed Gene Separates Future Champions From Petting Zoo Ponies
• New Evidence Calls Into Question China’s Role in Google Attacks
• New Analysis Says Cannabis Breeders Should Grow for Safety As Well As Potency
• At Cambridge Alien Conference, Scientists Warn Of An Invisible Earth and Hostile ETs
• Engineered Tobacco Plants Grow Synthetic Solar Cells
• Celebrating 50th Anniversary, Bubble Wrap Joyfully Bursts Own Bubble
• New Computer Program Studies Trees on TV to Simulate Their Movement
• Magnetoscope Monitor Measures Heart’s Magnetic Field to Detect Problems Early

When we say it’s been a big week, we mean it. It’s about to get even bigger, too; one of you is about to win a t-shirt.

Leave a comment (any comment) to put your name in the pile; we’ll randomly choose and announce our winner right here on Friday, February 5. And, if you just can’t wait that long, you can buy the shirt for yourself here. Good Luck!

Congratulations to last week’s winner, PopSci user “Melatonin17.”

Until next time. Enjoy our past weekly illustrated roundups here.