Super Bowl: By the Numbers
Last year, Super Bowl XLIII was the most watched Super Bowl in the history of the event. With Super Bowl XLIV just around the corner, millions of Americans, including many who aren't fans of the New Orleans Saints or the Indianapolis Colts, are expected to be glued to the game this Sunday. Here's a look at some past and projected Super Bowl statistics:

168 Million
Estimated number of people who will watch this year's game
Source: Retail Advertising and Marketing Association's 2010 Super Bowl Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey

59 Million
Estimated number of people who will attend a Super Bowl party this year

32 Million
Estimated number of people who will throw a Super Bowl party this year

$8.9 Billion
Total expected Super Bowl-related spending for this year, down from $9.6 billion in 2009

$52.63
Average amount a viewer will spend on food, merchandise, apparel and other game-related purchases, down from $57.27 last year

47.8%
Percentage of viewers who believe the game itself is the most important part of the Super Bowl

24.3%
Percentage of viewers who watch just for the commercials

7.1%
Percentage of viewers who say Super Bowl commercials influence them to buy the products portrayed

$3 Million
Cost of a 30-second advertising spot during the upcoming Super Bowl
Source: CBS MoneyWatch.com

22,225%
Increase in ticket price since the first Super Bowl in 1967

1,167 Pounds
Total weight of the Saints' starting defensive line

$16,110
Average salary cost per pound for the Saints' starting defensive line

$101.2 Million
Total 2009 season payroll for the 216 Indianapolis Colts employees, including players

$229.5 Million
Total 2009 season payroll for the 4,345 employees of the Indianapolis School District

$80 Million to $85 Million
Amount of money expected to be bet on Super Bowl XLIV

$1.58 Billion
Amount of money expected to be bet on the World Cup 2010

55,200
Number of hot dogs sold at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay during last year's Super Bowl

9 Million
Estimated number of pizza slices Domino's expects to sell on Super Bowl Sunday

160 Million
Estimated number of avocados fans will eat on Super Bowl Sunday

Whether you're a Colts fan, a Saints fan or a TV ads fan, Super Bowl XLIV is sure to offer some major entertainment this Sunday night. Just be sure not to overdo it with the avocados.

Thieves Steal Millions in Carbon Credits
Most things that are monetized eventually become a target for criminals. Bank accounts, credit card numbers — now we can add greenhouse gas emissions to the list.

Last week, cyber-thieves targeted employees at several companies in Europe, New Zealand and Japan, posing as officials from the German Emissions Trading Authority in order to access protected carbon credit accounts. The cyber-thieves made off with an estimated 250,000 carbon emissions permits, valued at $4 million, from six different companies, BBC News reports. The permits were then resold for an undisclosed amount.

The potential for criminal misconduct may complicate the issue of implementing cap-and-trade systems in the United States. Regardless of one's opinion on cap-and-trade, however, everyone can agree that such a system doesn't work when people are stealing from it.

"Criminals have proven more than willing to exploit the new energy economy," Popular Science reports. "Italian authorities continue to investigate whether the Mafia sank about 30 ships as acts of illegal nuclear waste disposal. And more recently, thieves have made off with solar panels worth thousands of dollars from California wineries in Napa Valley."

New Tech for Superhero-Style Wall-Climbing
Having Spiderman's powers would be pretty convenient, and while web-shooting and super-strength are still firmly in comic-book territory, the ability to climb up walls may soon be a reality thanks to a high-tech advance.

A team of scientists at Cornell University recently developed a palm-sized device that relies on water-based adhesion to create a strong bond with a wide range of surfaces, Wired.com's national security blog Danger Room reports.

The device pumps water droplets through a layered plate, and when thousands of drops are released through the top layer, it creates enough surface tension to allow a single square-inch device to hold up 15 pounds, TechNewsDaily explains. The smaller the device and the more holes it has, the stronger the adhesion force it provides.

According to research estimates, a three-by-five-inch plate fitted to a shoe sole would be able to support up to 225 pounds, enough for a full-grown person to scale up the side of a wall. The device can also be switched on and off, allowing the grip to be released when needed.

Development for the technology was funded by the U.S. military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), long known for its focus on unusual projects. It remains to be seen if creating Spidey-sense is next on the agenda.

Can Penguins Fly? Depends on How They're Built
In an effort to test its latest self-regulating "biomechatronic" systems, German-based pneumatic and electrical automation technology company Festo created a set of artificial penguins capable of achieving autonomous flight, something that real penguins are incapable of doing.

The robots, known as AirPenguins, hover through a defined air space monitored by ultrasound transmission stations. By building these machines, Festo hopes to promote the development of "decentralised, autonomously self-controlling and self-organising systems" inspired by nature. And, perhaps, to make real penguins jealous.

Here's a video of the AirPenguins in flight:

Have a great weekend folks, and enjoy Super Bowl XLIV!