Officials tried to stain the marbles brown again, put up a railing (which still survives) to keep the public at a decent distance, and held an internal inquiry designed to place blame on lowly members of staff with drinking problems.

ECONOMIST: Scraping the marbles

When the round is fired, the internal computer counts the number of rotations it makes, to calculate the distance flown.

ECONOMIST: Military technology

Between the blind-spot monitoring system, the active lane-keeping, the adaptive cruise control (maintaining a set distance to the vehicle ahead), and the "precollision" system, which uses internal cameras to monitor drivers' faces for signs of inattention, the GS350 is about as close to an automated auto as you'll find on the market.

WSJ: 2013 Lexus GS350 Review: Loaded With Everything but Thrills | Rumble Seat by Dan Neil

Despite some internal unrest within the team and dissatisfaction with the coaching line-up in 1998, they came within touching distance of gold.

BBC: Home advantage will rule