Other tricks designed to turn you into a victim of this tidal wave of cyber trickery include lookalike YouTube, CNN, Facebook, or Twitter videos, images, or notifications that contain hidden programs or embedded material.

FORBES: Cyber Crooks See Huge Opportunity In Japan's Tragedy

The conclusion: The blob was an object embedded in the material around the star, suggesting a nascent planet.

WSJ: Possible New Planet Spotted Under Formation

When the agent made contact with a catalyst embedded in the material, a chemical reaction bonded the two faces of the crack together.

BBC: Time to heal: The materials that repair themselves