First-grade teacher Kaitlin Roig heard what sounded like the rapid firing of an assault rifle.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

How unlike the rapid firing off and counter-fire of email messages in which many of us find ourselves engaged nowadays as our predominant means of communicating with colleagues and friends, and even with complete strangers.

BBC: A Point of View: Mourning the loss of the written word

The lander will control its descent by firing individual thrusters in rapid, precise bursts under computer control.

ECONOMIST: Double, double, Hubble trouble