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GamesArchive for January, 2011
Just a few days ago, Melissa J. Perenson of PC World covered Amazon’s most recent earnings announcement. The company said in the last quarter it sold 115 electronic books for its Kindle device for every 100 paperback books sold. In addition, Kindle books outsold hardcover books as well — though those sales numbers include titles for which there’s no Kindle edition.
The 123,000 MPH Plasma Engine That Could Finally Take Astronauts To Mars – “Veteran astronaut Franklin Chang Diaz has spent four decades developing his rocket fueled by nuclear reactors and liquid hydrogen. Now NASA just might let it fly…” Google Wins Access To “Super Wi-Fi” Broadband Spectrum – “The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken [...]
I can’t recall if I ever mentioned it in a post, but for my birthday a few months back my boyfriend got me a telescope. A pretty flipping sweet telescope if you ask me, but of course I’m a bit biased. Anyway, we’ve taken it out a couple of times since then, but it became clear pretty quickly that we didn’t actually know how on Earth to use the thing for much beyond checking out obvious easy-to-find stellar objects like Jupiter and its moons. But that’s going to change, because recently we got a firmer toehold in the world of amateur astronomy.
Last year, Cristen and I did a fun podcast about the woman behind Santa Claus. At that point, we’d been doing Stuff Mom Never Told You for about a year, and we’d learned enough about gender politics to think it was weird that we only knew the most supportive spouse in the world as “Mrs. Claus.” Now, I’m pleased to announce that another male celebrity’s wife is getting her day in the sun.
If there’s sun on February 2, that is.
Most people come into contact with olives in one of three ways: There are the olives that go on pizzas and into into dinner entrees There are the olives (with pimentos) that go into martinis And there is olive oil But it seems odd – how can the fleshy olives found in dinners and drinks [...]
Jungle gyms, see-saws, monkey bars, merry-go-rounds, balance beams, climbing walls, crawlee tubes, spinners, spring riders and slides. When was the last time you visited a playground? And standing next to the monkey bars text messaging while your 5-year-old clambers by doesn’t count.
Something jumped out at me earlier this month while I was listening to an NPR interview with Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. Discussing future plans for the 10-year-old site, Wales told NPR he wants to attract a more diverse group of contributors. “”The average age is around 26. We’re about 85 percent male, which is something we’d like to change in the future. We think that’s because of our tech-geek roots.”
The protests, looting and government response in Egypt has dominated the news recently. The Egyptian government has shut down nearly all forms of digital communication, including Internet traffic and text messaging, while attempting to resolve the situation. Egyptian citizens had been using the Internet and services like Twitter to organize protests and stay informed. The situation has prompted officials in other nations to comment on the matter, many of whom criticize the Egyptian government’s decision to hamper communication systems. But could the same thing happen in the United States?
Decapitating Rats to Determine if Decapitating Rats is Humane
by Josh Clark | January 31, 2011
I once said that if you’re wearing a lab coat you can pretty much do anything you want to a rat. This sentiment was shouted down via email by a number of lab researchers who listen to the podcast. Since the early 20th century, a number of states have had on the books laws that provide standards of treatment for lab animals and in 1966 lab animals finally came under federal protection in the U.S. Animal Welfare Act. Since then the treatment of animals used in experimentation has been defined and further regulated by successive measures over the following years.
Defeat Your Doppelgängers: Mirrored Self-misidentification
by Robert Lamb | January 31, 2011
We’ve looked at a few different delusional misidentification syndromes so far and sent the doppelgangers packing. But what if the mysterious stranger in your life happens to be that weirdo in the mirror?
You’ve probably seen this played out for laughs in everything from the Marx Brothers’ “Duck Soup” to “Shaun the Sheep.” Your reflection just doesn’t look or move quite right, so you move around till the impostor gives him or herself away. Assuming the rest of your life doesn’t resemble a slapstick farce, however, it’s probably best to seek professional help.
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
- The Latest in Frugal Lodging: Camping in Somebody Else’s Backyard
- The Painted Beauties of Bucovina
- The Cat Passageways and Track Furniture of Gillette Castle
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
