Archive for November, 2009
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.
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 [...]
Public service announcement – If you don’t leave a tip, you can get arrested
by Marshall Brain | November 20, 2009
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 [...]
Podcast Goodness: Totem Poles and Odd Town Festivals
by Charles W. Bryant | November 20, 2009
Good morning, SYSK Army. And isn’t it a lovely morning? It sure is here in the ATL. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means some nice relaxation for yours truly, along with a few little house projects during my time off. You gotta have life balance, right? Enough about me, how about a little podcast goodness?
Good question – where can you find the best Black Friday deals?
by Marshall Brain | November 20, 2009
Black Friday – a shopper’s paradise. Lots of great deals can be found if you do a little research. And a site like this can really help: Black Friday Ads Also: Black Friday Deals: The Only List You Need Here they have deconstructed the ads into searchable text links. If you use Google you can [...]
You Asked: How does the Chunnel work? — Michael, Olmsted Township, Ohio Marshall Brain Answers: Built between 1988 and 1994, the Chunnel (officially known as the Channel Tunnel) is a 31 mile long link between England and France. It is a rail tunnel underneath the English Channel. This is the station on the England side: [...]
Good question – Should you taser your child when she is really bad?
by Marshall Brain | November 20, 2009
Since I have four kids, there are the occasional days when the one or more of my precious snowflakes are not-so-precious. If you are a parent, perhaps you occasionally experience the same thing. But what would you do if, one day, your child was truly bad, as in completely out of control? This article suggests [...]
In this episode of BrainStuff, Marshall reveals three common techniques for measuring the height of tall objects like towers.
The Pantanal is a large wetland area located in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay that’s teeming with plant and animal life. Explore the wild, watery world of the Pantanal with Matt and Rachel in this episode of The Coolest Stuff on the Planet.
When Edwin Land’s daughter asked why she couldn’t see a photograph immediately after it was taken, inspiration struck. Learn how this prolific inventor’s Stuff Of Genius polarized light and made every camera user an amateur film developer in this episode.
Recent Postings by Category
BrainStuff
- Thank You and Best Wishes to Marshall Brain
- Contest – Design a $300 house and win $25,000
- How the Philtrum works – the place under your nose where your face comes together
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
- Vacation Deprivation: Who’s got it?
- Have a Coke and a Smile
- The Latest in Frugal Lodging: Camping in Somebody Else’s Backyard
Keep Asking
- Why can a 5 foot 8 inch man dunk a basketball on a 10 foot rim while some people of taller stature can’t?
- What happens to our sun once it runs out of fuel?
- How do we know the age of the universe?
Stuff Mom Never Told You
- Who invented the Christmas card?
- How the Kinsey Report Fueled Whiskey Sales
- How to Get Your Wedding Announcement into The New York Times
Stuff to Blow Your Mind
- Space Music: DJ Food and ‘The Search Engine’
- Stuff to Blow Your Mind: Hug it Out
- Space Music: Jay-Z and Beyoncé to Film Music Video in Orbit
Stuff You Should Know
- The Southern Death Cult, the Maya and Georgia
- Deformed Baby Spider Brains
- Amazing Medical Conditions: Maple Syrup Urine Disorder
The Stuff of Genius
CarStuff
- Why is NASA studying car safety?
- Tips for in-car Navigation Systems
- Tips for Using Bluetooth in the Car
How-to Stuff
- How to Swim with Dolphins (When Deep Water Terrifies You)
- How to Cure a Homemade Cookie Craving Without Turning on the Oven
- How to Know When It’s Time for a New Pet
PopStuff
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 36: Now Available in 3-D
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 35: Let’s do brunch!
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 34: Play it again, Sam
Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
Stuff to Change the World
- Who will own the Arctic?
- Obesity: The New Global Crisis
- Bill Gates Makes For A Pretty Decent Cartoon
Stuff You Missed in History Class
- Butch Cassidy: Should we read between the lines?
- Are we rooting for D.B. Cooper?
- Party Time: A Look at Unconventional Politics

