by Charles W. Bryant
November 19th, 2009
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Hello folks – if you listen to the podcast then you’ve heard Dr. Clark and I mention this Science Channel show lately, something about pumpkins being flung through the air. The whole thing got me thinking about why humans like to fling things, or this case, chunk things. What is it about us that we’ll put time and money into such a seemingly frivolous undertaking?
From:
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
by Amanda Arnold
November 20th, 2009
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Under normal circumstances, being in a confined space with a bunch of larvae wouldn’t be at all appealing. (I mean, seriously, who wants to do that?) But when the larvae glow in the dark and dangle threads from the ceiling of a dark New Zealand cave, they suddenly become something very delightful and strange.
From:
TechStuff
by Jonathan Strickland
November 20th, 2009
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We just keep on trucking over here at TechStuff. This week, Chris and I hauled our butts into the studio to tow the line and address some listener mail. We’re not the type to brush aside our loyal listeners. Because of your submissions, we have had some really interesting conversations in the studio. Some of them were even recorded! This week, we looked at two very different topics and got a little metaphysical in the process.
On Monday, we examine what happens to our online presence after we shuffle off the mortal coil. Unless Kurzweil’s singularity proves me wrong, I think it’s safe to say none of us will be around forever. But after I join the choir invisible and push up the daisies, what happens to my Facebook page? How can my loved ones turn what used to be my platform for sharing photos of myself up to no good into a fitting memorial where friends can share their memories of me? We get to the bottom of the issue and give you some tips on what you can do if you want to make it easier for your friends and family to handle your online information after you’ve passed away. Click to read more.
From:
TechStuff
by Chris Pollette
November 20th, 2009
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One of the stories that gets lots of press this time of the year is what word the dictionary publishers have chosen to be the Word of the Year. This year, the New Oxford American Dictionary featured “unfriend” as the word of the year. Jon Gordon of American Public Media’s Future Tense interviewed Ammon Shea, consulting editor with the Oxford University Press, on why his company made the decision to include “unfriend.”
The word is a verb, and means to remove a person from your list of contacts on social media networks. In a lot of cases, these folks have been referred to as “friends,” though depending on the network, you may or may not have a deep enough relationship with them to be actual friends with them.
Actually, just a couple of days later in Future Tense, some people said they use “defriend” instead. Shea said the publisher chose “unfriend” because the editors found it to be more common.
From:
BrainStuff
by Marshall Brain
November 20th, 2009
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Intel thinks that we will all have chips embedded in our brains by 2020. We will use them instead of keyboard/mouse to control our laptops, phones and TVs:
Intel: Chips in brains will control computers by 2020
Intel research scientist Dean Pomerleau told Computerworld that users will soon tire of depending on a computer interface, and having to fish a device out of their pocket or bag to access it. He also predicted that users will tire of having to manipulate an interface with their fingers.
Instead, they’ll simply manipulate their various devices with their brains.
“We’re trying to prove you can do interesting things with brain waves,” said Pomerleau. “Eventually people may be willing to be more committed … to brain implants. Imagine being able to surf the Web with the power of your thoughts.”
The technology is already being proven in monkeys, and it definitely works:
See also:
- How Brain-computer Interfaces Work
- How Deep Brain Stimulation Works
- How Brain Mapping Works
[[[Jump to previous invention - Cars in “road trains” will save gas and reduce accidents]]]
From:
High Speed Stuff
by Scott C. Benjamin
November 20th, 2009
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Let’s make this quick. Here’s what Ben and I have been up to on our High Speed Stuff podcast over the past few days…
From:
ScienceStuff
by Robert Lamb
November 20th, 2009
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Before I retired to bed last night, I caught word (via the AJC) that the University of Georgia’s esteemed mascot Uga VII had passed on into that great Varsity parking lot in the sky. As I’m not a fan of American football, my reaction was muted. I hadn’t prayed for the team’s victory against Kentucky this weekend (though how’s that for a good omen, Kentucky?*), and I didn’t lose any sleep. But it did get me thinking about the plight of purebred dogs.
From:
Stuff You Missed in History Class
by Katie Lambert
November 20th, 2009
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In Monday’s podcast, Sarah and I debated whether or not there was ever an Atlantis.
The Atlantis story comes from Plato, but was he telling the story of a historical event, or simply teaching a moral lesson? In Plato’s unfinished trilogy of dialogues, he recounts the destruction of Atlantis due to the greed of its people. Throughout the years, the idea of a sunken city has captured the imagination of the most unlikely bedfellows. Heinrich Himmler, for example, used his position within the SS to send expeditions to such far-flung locales as Tibet to look for Atlantis.
Pocahontas was the subject of Wednesday’s podcast. “Pocahontas” is no one’s favorite Disney movie, but the woman herself has an interesting story.
Pocahontas became acquainted with the settlers when she was 10 or 11, but the story of her rescuing John Smith may have been completely made up. Smith’s accounts were notoriously unreliable, and he didn’t publish this sensationalized account until after she’d become famous.
From:
ScienceStuff
by Allison Loudermilk
November 20th, 2009
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I still haven’t gotten my hands on an H1N1 vaccine yet. And it looks a bunch of jolly men in red suits just stepped in line before me, too. According to Santa-America, a U.S. nonprofit organization that sends Santa across the United States to visit families dealing with various physical and emotional issues, the bearded giver of gifts wants protection from swine flu. I can’t blame him.
From:
BrainStuff
by Marshall Brain
November 20th, 2009
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This year, Harvard finally got its Quidditch team, joining dozens of other colleges in the sport:
Quidditch takes flight at Harvard
The sport has been in motion for several years. With schools like Harvard coming on board, the sport is going mainstream:
The first real-life Quidditch team debuted at Middlebury College in 2005. Today, Harvard is among 200 schools with club-level teams.
This video gives a quick introduction to the sport:
The sport is organized by Intercollegiate Quidditch Association. A list of all the IQA teams is available here. IQA-certified equipment is available from Alivan’s:
A summary of the rules:
- The teams are coed
- Seven players per team
- The positions are the same as in the books: 2 Beaters, 3 Chasers, a Keeper and a Seeker
- Players wear capes
- Points are scored the same way as in the books
From there the game diverges from the books somewhat because: a) we don’t have flying broom technology yet, and b) we don’t have autonomous flying ball technology yet. So:
- The Quaffle is a half-deflated volleyball
- The 2 Bludgers are black balls thrown by players
- The Golden Snitch is a ball in a sock attached to a neutral person dressed in yellow who runs around campus. The yellow-clad runner must return to the field once every 10 minutes but otherwise is free to go wherever. Seekers chase the Golden Snitch after giving the GS a 15-second head start.
- Players carry brooms between their legs with one hand, leaving the other hand free for ball-carrying.
- There are 3 rings (often hula hoops) on poles that act as the goals.
Putting it in motion:
- The Keeper is guarding the goals
- The 3 Chasers are moving the Quaffle down field by throwing it to one another, trying to throw it through the 3 goals.
- The 2 Beaters are throwing the Bludgers. If hit with a Bludger, a player must drop the ball and run a lap around the goal
- The Seekers are chasing the Golden Snitch guy.
All of it is happening with the distraction of one-handedness and brooms between their legs. Despite that, the sport is incredibly popular, growing from 1 team to over 200 teams in just 4 years.
From:
BrainStuff
by Marshall Brain
November 20th, 2009
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If you get bad service at a restaurant, you might consider skipping the tip. But that may be a bad idea if you are in a party of 6:
College students arrested for not paying tip
The students claim they got bad service (e.g. – “They had to find their own napkins and cutlery while their waitress caught a smoke”). So they paid the bill but did not leave the tip. Unfortunately:
The menu clearly states, “18 percent gratuity added to check of parties of 6 of more,” and a similar message is printed on receipts
So the tip is mandatory. Therefore: “they got handcuffed and arrested.” Handcuffed and arrested over a $17 tip that many might have (reasonably) considered optional.
But it could have been worse – Roman Abramovich had to pay a $7,000 tip:
How to spend $47,000 on dinner
Moral of the story: If they attach a tip to the bill, you need to pay it. If you don’t like it, choose a different restaurant.
More info: How Tipping Works
[[[Jump to previous PSA - be on the lookout for fake/counterfeit gold]]]
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