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2010/10/30

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I Have a Bad Case of the Pon Far ...

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 11:10 PM PDT


I Have a Bad Case of the Pon Farr And You’re The Cure! – $19.95

Quick! Get this Pon Farr T-shirt from the NeatoShop before the blood fever sets and death is inevitable. Who knows, it may help geeks find their mates during Star Trek conventions …

Link | I’m Giving Her All She’s Got T-Shirt (Oh, Scotty! You cad!) | More neat Star Trek stuff

3G Network Service Now Available on Mount Everest

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 07:54 PM PDT

Until recently, people in the Mount Everest area were restricted to satellite phones and a voice-only mobile network. But a Nepalese telecommunications company has now extended 3G wireless service to Mount Everest:

The coverage would reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain, company head Pasi Koistinen, said.

He added that this had not been tested yet.

The 3G network will help climbers and trekkers stay in touch with their families and trip organisers, Mr Koistinen said.

It will also enable them to receive weather reports and safety information while they are climbing.

Link via CrunchGear | Photo by Flickr user Rupert Taylor-Price used under Creative Commons license

What Are the Most Popular Books in a Prison Library?

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 06:05 PM PDT

Avi Steinberg, a former prison librarian, has written a memoir about his experience. In it, he recounted the books that were the most popular among prisoners, and why:

The prisoners’ book choices are suggestive: Anne Frank was effectively coping with incarceration in her Amsterdam attic, and Plath is an obvious choice for those less than contented with their lot. Participants in Steinberg’s women’s writing group insisted on checking out an author’s photo before they would read the book, with interesting reactions. Flannery O’Connor’s portrait got a positive verdict – “She looks kind of busted up, y’know? She ain’t too pretty. I trust her” – but the judgment on Gabriel García Márquez was blunt: “That man is a liar”.

Crime fiction was also very popular.

Link via Marginal Revolution | Author’s Website | Photo (unrelated) via Flickr user jvoss used under Creative Commons license

LBJ Was Almost Shot Hours after the JFK Assassination

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 05:40 PM PDT

A retired US Secret Service agent named Gerald Blaine said that on the evening after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, he almost accidentally shot President Lyndon Johnson:

Blaine heard footsteps approaching. He picked up his submachine gun and, in the darkness, pointed it at the chest of a man who turned out to be Johnson.

Blaine writes that the enormity of what had almost happened left him chilled. He realized that, 14 hours after losing one president, the nation had almost lost another one by his hand.

Link via Joe Carter | Photo: Cecil Stoughton/US National Archives

New Suits May Help Astronauts Retain Bone Mass

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 04:45 PM PDT

Astronauts can lose 1-2% of their skeletal mass for each month that they spend in very low gravity. After a several months, this loss can become a serious health problem. But a new MIT-designed outfit called the Gravity Loading Countermeasure Skinsuit may help counteract this problem:

With stirrups that loop around the feet, the elastic gravity skinsuit is purposely cut too short for the astronaut so that it stretches when put on—pulling the wearer's shoulders towards the feet. In normal gravity conditions on Earth, a human's legs bear more weight than the torso. Because the suit's legs stretch more than the torso section, the wearer's legs are subjected to a greater force—replicating gravity effects on Earth.

The prototype suit testing took place on parabolic flights that created brief periods of weightlessness. Results showed that the suit successfully imitated the pull of gravity on the torso and thighs, but it did not exert enough force on the lower legs. Researchers are now refining the suit's design to address this; they also plan to test the suit to see how it performs when worn overnight.

Link | Photo: MIT/James Waldie

Scientists Make Progress in Growing Giant Insects

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 02:36 PM PDT

John VandenBrooks of Arizona State University in Tempe examined how changing levels of oxygen in the atmosphere may effect the size that insects grow:

The team raised cockroaches, dragonflies, grasshoppers, meal worms, beetles and other insects in atmospheres containing different amounts of oxygen to see if there were any effects.

One result was that dragonflies grew faster into bigger adults in hyperoxia.

Experimenting with giant insects — what could possibly go wrong?

Link via DVICE | Image: Warner Bros.

Dinosaur Skull Found in Church Wall

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 02:03 PM PDT

A slab of marble in the Cathedral of St. Ambrose in Vigevano, Italy, appears to contain a cross-section of the skull of a dinosaur:

"The rock contains what appears to be a horizontal section of a dinosaur's skull. The image looks like a CT scan, and clearly shows the cranium, the nasal cavities, and numerous teeth," Andrea Tintori, the University of Milan paleontologist who spotted the fossil near the altar, told Discovery News.

Measuring about 30 cm (11.8 inches), the skull was cut in sections as slabs of the marble-like rock were used to build the Cathedral between 1532 and 1660.

Link via Geekosystem | Photo: Andrea Tintori, University of Milan

You Can Live to 100. There's Just One Catch...

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 12:00 PM PDT

Thomas Kirkwood writes in Scientific American about why women live longer than men. Fellas, the good news is that you might be able to increase your lifespan by fourteen years. The, uh, bad news:

As many dog and cat owners can attest, neutered male animals often live longer than their intact counterparts. Indeed, the evidence supports the notion that male castration might be the ticket to a longer life.

Might the same be true of humans?[...]

The historical record is not good enough to determine if eunuchs tend to outlive normal healthy men, but some sad records suggest that they do. A number of years ago castration of men in institutions for the mentally disturbed was surprisingly commonplace. In one study of several hundred men at an unnamed institution in Kansas, the castrated men were found to live on average 14 years longer than their uncastrated fellows.

Link via Glenn Reynolds | Photo: NIH

Dog Born without Eyes Uses Echolocation to Navigate

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 10:57 AM PDT

Rowan, a German Spitz, was born without eyes. But he’s able to navigate by barking and listening to the echo:

Mrs Orchard who breeds dogs at Spilmah Home Boarding in Potton, near Biggleswade, Beds added: “‘When he’s running around in the open it’s just as if he were the same as the rest of my dogs.

”When he first started going out there were no leaves on the trees but when the leaves grew there was the rustling and we noticed the change in his behaviour.

‘He would go out and to find his direction he would use his bark. It really does seem to be a form of echolocation.

You can watch a video of the dog at the link.

Link via Urlesque | Photo: Express.co.uk

The War on Suffrage

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 10:26 AM PDT

It’s hard to believe today, but less than 100 years ago, there was a great debate about whether women should be able to vote. The anti-suffragists declared that voting women would abandon their families, they would become ugly and mean, and society would collapse.

This attitude was reflected in the suffragette caricatures drawn in newspapers and magazines. According to Tickner, depictions of spinster suffragettes were normally slender in a time when curves were celebrated; their faces likewise were severe and gaunt, "the lines of disappointment etched deep by the illustrator's pen." The spinster suffragette's clothes and physical appearance emphasize that she is a failed woman and wannabe man. The lady wants to vote because she couldn't get a date.

Read more about the anti-suffrage movement and see more cartoons and caricatures from the debate at mental_floss. Link

Toaster Towel

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 10:17 AM PDT

Tired of the old, ugly toaster in your kitchen? Here’s a new concept design that will make your metal toaster throw in the towel. Burcu Bag, Amalia Monica and Vinay Raj Somashekar has created a super-flexible toasting device called "Halo" that uses a sheet of heating element to do its job.

Weird? Well, if you think about it, electric sleeping blanket works pretty much the same way, right? Link

Bad Actors That Are Actually Surprisingly Talented

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 10:16 AM PDT

Is the actor really that bad or is it just a bad movie? Weird Worm shines the light on 5 actors who you thought were bad, but are actually quite talented. Take, for instance, Nicolas Cage:

Mr. Cage is the man that inspired this article. Never before has Hollywood seen an actor who is has such immense talent but is pretty content with doing movies like “Bangkok Dangerous”, “Ghost Rider” and “The Wickerman”.

Nick Cage is an Academy Award winner for Best Actor. That’s right. Those aren’t like Golden Globes, which everyone has – he’s won the real deal. He earned it for his performance in “Leaving Las Vegas” where he systematically drinks himself to death and befriends a prostitute along the way. This is the same actor in “Con Air” and “G-force” mind you. After doing a couple more blockbusters and a few more flops, the real Nick Cage returned in 2002 with “Adaptation”. Again he was nominated for “Best Actor”- as if to remind everyone that the joke is on us. In short, Nick Cage is like a mythical Chinese Dragon that appears every thousand years, except when Nick Cage resurfaces he doesn’t herald the end of the world, he just behaves like a talented actor.

Link (Photo: nicogenin [Flickr] via Wikipedia)

Scariest Haunted Houses in the USA

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 10:15 AM PDT

Wanna go to a haunted house this Halloween? Wild Ammo has a list of 13 scariest haunted houses in the United States – this one above is from the 13th Gate in downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana:

The 13th Gate has consistently been recognized as one of the top haunted attractions in the country, rated best by Hauntworld.com. This 40,000 square foot haunted house will take you on a journey through 13 frightening themed indoor/outdoor sets where your worst nightmares come true and anything can happen. Award-winning scenic artists, set carpenters, lighting and sound technicians, and special effects artists are just a few of the many crewmembers that make The 13th Gate a great haunted experience. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget, IF you survive The 13th Gate!

Check out the rest of the selections: Link

Prequel to The Birds

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 10:00 AM PDT


(YouTube link)

Finally, a film that explains everything! This trailer for a prequel to the Alfred Hitchcock horror classic The Birds comes from NYSUfilms. -via b3ta

Can You Sue a 4-Year-Old for Negligence?

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 07:45 AM PDT

Apparently you can, according to a New York judge:

The suit that Justice Wooten allowed to proceed claims that in April 2009, Juliet Breitman and Jacob Kohn, who were both 4, were racing their bicycles, under the supervision of their mothers, Dana Breitman and Rachel Kohn, on the sidewalk of a building on East 52nd Street.

At some point in the race, they struck an 87-year-old woman named Claire Menagh, who was walking in front of the building and, according to the complaint, was "seriously and severely injured," suffering a hip fracture that required surgery. She died three weeks later.

Her estate sued the children and their mothers, claiming they had acted negligently during the accident. [...]

In legal papers, Mr. Tyrie added, "Courts have held that an infant under the age of 4 is conclusively presumed to be incapable of negligence." (Rachel and Jacob Kohn did not seek to dismiss the case against them.)

But Justice Wooten declined to stretch that rule to children over 4. On Oct. 1, he rejected a motion to dismiss the case because of Juliet's age, noting that she was three months shy of turning 5 when Ms. Menagh was struck, and thus old enough to be sued.

Link

What do you think? Should we be able to sue little kids for negligence?

For more baby and kid-related stuff, don’t miss our blog NeatoBambino!

DIY Vasectomy Magnet Set

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 07:41 AM PDT


DIY Vasectomy Magnet Set – $10.95

All it takes is a steady hand, and a mere few dollars to get yourself this handy dandy DIY Vasectomy fridge magnet set from the NeatoShop!

Link | More Fun and Unusual Magnets| New Items from the NeatoShop

LEGO Relief Map of Europe with Monuments

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 07:30 AM PDT

Bruno Kurth and Tobias Reichling. Vanessa Graf, Tanja Kusserow-Kurth, and Torsten Scheer built an enormous relief map of Europe topped with models of famous monuments. They used 53,500 pieces to create a structure that measures 12.5 feet on a side. 44 monuments lie on the surface of the map.

Link via Make | Photo: Tobias Reichling

Suspended Nest Chair

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 07:23 AM PDT

Luxury furniture maker Dedon sells Nestrest. This chair designed by Daniel Pouzet and Fred Frety can sit on the floor or be suspended from an overhead hook.

Link via Born Rich | Photo: Dedon

Using Yahoo Answers To Cheat Doesn't Always Work

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 07:17 AM PDT

Note to cheating students: teachers aren’t as naive or as technologically illiterate as you think they are.

Link via Geekologie

Star Wars Retro Travel Posters

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 07:11 AM PDT

Illustrator Steve Thomas created a series of beautiful retro posters for locations, transportation facilities, and events featured in the Star Wars movies. They may be available to purchase as prints soon! Link -via Buzzfeed

Kipling Tale Photographed in South Africa

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 06:50 AM PDT

In the Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling, the explanation for how the elephant got its trunk involved a crocodile that pulled on a baby elephant’s nose until it stretched out. That same scene was photographed recently in South Africa. A baby elephant was taking a drink when a crocodile, hidden under the surface of the water, clamped down on the juvenile’s trunk!

Hearing the baby's calls of distress, the herd of elephants immediately went to its rescue, scaring off the crocodile by trumpeting and stamping the ground. After the attack the herd stayed with the youngster.

When the baby had recovered the herd crossed the waterhole together in safety, only yards from where the crocodile had been hiding.

These pictures were taken by amateur photographer Johan Opperman in the Kruger National Park in South Africa.

Experts said crocodiles don’t normally attack elephants. Link -via Fark

(Image credit: Johan Opperman/Solent News and Photo Agency)

Name That Weird Invention!

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 06:45 AM PDT

Just because we like to keep you on your toes, this week we have a second round of the Name That Weird Invention! contest. Steven M. Johnson comes up with all sorts of wacky inventions in his weekly Museum of Possibilities posts. Can you come up with a name for this one? The commenter suggesting the funniest and wittiest name win a free T-shirt from the NeatoShop.

Contest rules: one entry per comment, though you can enter as many as you’d like. Please make a selection of the T-shirt you want (may we suggest the Science T-shirt, Funny T-shirt, and Artist-designed T-shirt categories?) alongside your entry. If you don’t select a shirt, then you forfeit the prize. Good luck!

Miniature Robocop

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 06:39 AM PDT

Almost three-year-old Gram wanted to be Robocop for Halloween, so his dad went to work and made this costume. They went out for a photo shoot and met some real Detroit police officers!

They even let him sit in the police car. He in awe during the whole encounter. Detroit’s finest were there to help protect a movie or TV Show that was filming on that block. While we were talking, some Hollywood-type rushed over to take a picture of the kid with his camera phone. “I’m good friends with Peter Weller, the guy who played Robocop on the movie,” he said. “He’s gonna get a kick out of this.” The guy proceeded to e-mail the photo to Weller, so chances are the real Robocop has seen my little Robocop. Then we headed back to the first precinct for some repairs (after such an eventful shift, the paint was peeling off the suit and parts were falling off).

The post includes many more pictures, and how the costume was created. Link -via Metafilter
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