Neatorama

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• Alice's Restaurant
• A Video Game Thanksgiving
• Booba's New Shoes
• New Squid Worm Found
• Native American Sailed to Europe With Vikings?
• Skull Stein
• Glass Door Knob Lets You Peek Inside Rooms
• Flying Snakes (Not on Planes)
• This Lincoln Penny Just Sold for $1,700,000
• A Proposal to Classify Happiness as a Psychiatric Disorder
• Hot + Interesting = Awesome
• Little 12-Legged Robot Can Transport 175 Pounds
• Using Drugs to Erase Traumatic Memories
• Diagrams That Changed the World
• Star Trek-Style Home Automation System
• Gamer Paid $15,000 to Play MMO on 7,500 Square Meter Screen
• Punch-Out!! Cross-Stitch

Alice's Restaurant Posted: 25 Nov 2010 05:01 AM PST There aren’t many Thanksgiving songs, but some folks don’t consider it a holiday until they’ve listened to Arlo Guthrie’s epic 1967 song “Alice’s Restaurant” (or watch the movie). The song follows the events of Thanksgiving 1965, when Guthrie did a favor for Alice and her husband Ray and hauled off their trash, which led to a criminal investigation and a strange experience later with the draft board. Metafilter has the epic internet version, with all the lyrics to the 18-minute song peppered with relevant links throughout. It could take all weekend to explore the post properly, but if you’re not going to wait in line for Black Friday sales, you might be looking for something to do. You’ll meet the real-life people and see the places referenced in the song, learn a bit about the Vietnam War, and see clips from the 1969 movie that the song inspired. Link

A Video Game Thanksgiving Posted: 25 Nov 2010 03:25 AM PST In this version of the Thanksgiving story, Mario fled a famine to try raising power-ups in the New World. He had a hard time until he and his people made friends with the natives, which, of course, eventually leads to a feast. Link -Thanks, Scott!

Booba's New Shoes Posted: 24 Nov 2010 09:01 PM PST (YouTube link) A few days ago, Allie Brosch described in detail the confusion her dogs went through when wearing their first shoes. So you can witness that sort of thing yourself, here is Booba, a presumably normal Shi Tzu wearing his new yellow shoes. He doesn’t appear to be accustomed to wearing shoes. -via Buzzfeed

New Squid Worm Found Posted: 24 Nov 2010 03:43 PM PST A new species of “squid worm” has been found 3,000 meters below sea level in the Celebes Sea east of Borneo. Not only is it is previously unknown species, it has its own newly coined genus as well. Researchers, from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts and the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in California named it Teuthidodrilus samae – a new genus and species. They said: “This illustrates how much we have to learn about even the large, common inhabitants of deep pelagic communities.” In a series of exploration dives, researchers spotted the worm, slowly rising and falling in the water around 100m above the seafloor, where it feeds on passing plankton. The worm swims or treads water by waving hundreds of bristles that run along the length of its body on either side. The 10 slender arm-like appendages that give the worm its unusual appearance are a combination of elongated gills and sensory organs. They are probably used to pick scraps of food from the “marine snow” of organic detritus that constantly falls to the seabed from above. Each is as long or longer than the whole of the worm’s body. Watch the creature swim in a video at the Guardian. Link -via Metafilter

Native American Sailed to Europe With Vikings? Posted: 24 Nov 2010 02:43 PM PST A genetic study of Icelandic natives found a genetic variation in 80 people similar to a variation found mostly in Native Americans. The genetic code was traced back to four women who lived around 1700. But the history of Iceland leads experts to believe the gene must’ve entered the population hundreds of years earlier. The simplest answer so far that fits the facts is that some Viking brought back a Native American wife from North America, who then bore the first Viking-American child in Iceland. “We know that Vikings sailed to the Americas,” said Agnar Helgason of deCODE Genetics and the University of Iceland, who co-wrote the study with his student Sigrídur Ebenesersdóttir and colleagues. “So all you have to do is assume … that they met some people and ended up taking at least one female back with them. “Although it’s maybe interesting and surprising, it’s not all that incredible,” Helgason added. “The alternative explanations to me are less likely”—for example the idea that the genetic trait might exist independently, undiscovered, in a few Europeans. Link -Thanks, Marilyn! (Image credit: Robert Harding Picture Library, Alamy)

Skull Stein Posted: 24 Nov 2010 01:37 PM PST Skull Stein – $9.95 Don’t drink beer out of a boring ol’ beer stein – show ‘em your deadly serious about your love for your favorite brew with this Skull Stein from the NeatoShop! Link | More fun and unusual Glassware and Drinkware

Glass Door Knob Lets You Peek Inside Rooms Posted: 24 Nov 2010 01:09 PM PST Architect Hideyuki Nakayama designed a globular glass door knob that lets people look through it into the next room. There are three more pictures at the link illustrating how it works. Link via Gizmodo | Designer’s Website | Photo: Spoon & Tamago

Flying Snakes (Not on Planes) Posted: 24 Nov 2010 01:00 PM PST (Video Link) The paradise tree snake (Chrysopelea paradisi) can glide over long distances. It does so in order to jump from tree to tree in its native habitat. Jake Socha of Virginia Tech dropped snakes from a 15-meter tower in order to examine this ability under controlled conditions: Rather than a smooth, even glide (known as equilibrium gliding, as executed by airborne birds), these snakes seemed to slither frenetically through the air. But all of their thrashing worked to reduce their fall speed (from about six meters per second to four meters per second) and gliding angle (from 32-48 degrees to 18-32 degrees). “The snake is pushed upward—even though it is moving downward—because the upward component of the aerodynamic force is greater than the snake’s weight,” Socha said in a prepared statement. The new research suggests that the snakes’ soaring might be due to specifically tuned undulations which could create vortex-induced lift, Socha and his colleagues noted in a study, to be published November 24 in Bioinspiration & Biomimetics. Link via io9 Previously: Jake Socha’s Flying Paradise Tree Snake

This Lincoln Penny Just Sold for $1,700,000 Posted: 24 Nov 2010 11:56 AM PST This is a one-of-a-kind penny, resulting from a production error at the U.S. mint in Denver.  It was struck in bronze rather than the zinc-coated steel normally used during the WWII era. About 20 such errors are known from the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints, but this is the only one known from the Denver mint. The anonymous collector who formerly owned the coin "donated it to a charitable organization so they could sell it with all of the proceeds going to the charity," according to Andy Skrabalak of Angel Dee's Coins and Collectibles in Woodbridge, Virginia who acted as agent on behalf of the former owner. The new owner is an anonymous businessman who plans to exhibit the penny at various venues around the country. Link.

A Proposal to Classify Happiness as a Psychiatric Disorder Posted: 24 Nov 2010 09:34 AM PST In 1992, psychiatrist Richard Bentall wrote an article in the Journal of Medical Ethics proposing that happiness be classified as a psychiatric disorder. Here’s his abstract: It is proposed that happiness be classified as a psychiatric disorder and be included in future editions of the major diagnostic manuals under the new name: major affective disorder, pleasant type. In a review of the relevant literature it is shown that happiness is statistically abnormal, consists of a discrete cluster of symptoms, is associated with a range of cognitive abnormalities, and probably reflects the abnormal functioning of the central nervous system. One possible objection to this proposal remains–that happiness is not negatively valued. However, this objection is dismissed as scientifically irrelevant. Link via J-Walk Blog | Photo by Flickr user thephotographymuse used under Creative Commons license

Hot + Interesting = Awesome Posted: 24 Nov 2010 08:12 AM PST The man your man could smell like meets the most interesting man in the world. Isaiah Mustafa (the Old Spice Guy) posted a picture of his meeting with Jonathan Goldsmith, the Dos Equis beer guy. And somehow the space/time continuum remained intact. Link -via reddit

Little 12-Legged Robot Can Transport 175 Pounds Posted: 24 Nov 2010 08:09 AM PST (Video Link) Land Crawler xTreme weighs about 27 pounds and moves on 12 legs. The operator can ride on it, provided that s/he weighs no more than 175 pounds. Unloaded, it can move for 3 hours without recharging. Official Website (Google Translate) via Popular Science

Using Drugs to Erase Traumatic Memories Posted: 24 Nov 2010 07:56 AM PST Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have discovered the neurochemical process that leads to memory formation, opening up the possibility of developing a pharmaceutical treatment for traumatic memories: By looking at that process, Huganir and postdoctoral fellow Roger L. Clem discovered a “window of vulnerability” when unique receptor proteins are created. The proteins mediate signals traveling within the brain as painful memories are made. Because the proteins are unstable, they can be easily removed with drugs or behavior therapy during the window, ensuring the memory is eliminated. Link via MArooned | Image: Columbia Pictures

Diagrams That Changed the World Posted: 24 Nov 2010 07:20 AM PST At BBC News, Professor Marcus du Sautoy of the University of Oxford writes about diagrams that have substantially changed the way people look at the world or processed information. Pictured above is one created by Florence Nightingale, depicting fatalities among British forces from April 1854 through March 1855 during the Crimean War: Although better known for her contributions to nursing, her greatest achievements were mathematical. She was the first to use the idea of a pie chart to represent data. Nightingale had discovered that the majority of deaths in the Crimea were due to poor sanitation rather than casualties in battle. She wanted to persuade government of the need for better hygiene in hospitals. She realised though that just looking at the numbers was unlikely to impress ministers. But once those numbers were translated into a picture – her Diagram of the Causes of Mortality in the Army in the East – the message could not be ignored. A good diagram, Nightingale discovered, is certainly worth 1,000 numbers. On the chart, blue areas represent deaths by preventable diseases, red areas represent deaths by wounds, and black areas represent deaths by other causes. Link via The Presurfer | Image: Dynamic Diagrams

Star Trek-Style Home Automation System Posted: 24 Nov 2010 06:59 AM PST (Video Link) YouTube user klapstoelpiloot created a home automation interface in the visual style of modern Star Trek (TNG, DS9, VOY). He writes: Shown in this video are: - Agenda/Calendar - Shopping list (Groceries) - Rain radar - Train departure times (because the train station is nearby) - Library & Media player (connected to home cinema set) - Internet browser Not shown, but also operational is bluetooth support (notice the Transfer button to send the shopping list to your telephone) via CrunchGear Previously: Star Trek Fan Went Bankrupt & Got Divorced Turning Home into Spaceship

Gamer Paid $15,000 to Play MMO on 7,500 Square Meter Screen Posted: 24 Nov 2010 06:50 AM PST There’s an overhead screen in Beijing that measures 250 meters long and 30 meters wide. On November 21st, one man rented it to play a massively multiplayer online game (MMO). He probably paid about $15,000 to do so: It is Asia’s largest and the world’s second largest LED screen at present. According to understanding, as the guild leader of a famous online game, the mentioned man spent a large sum of money playing the game via this giant sky screen for the sake of distinguishing gaming experiences. Video at the link. Link via DVICE | Screenshot: DVICE

Punch-Out!! Cross-Stitch Posted: 24 Nov 2010 06:44 AM PST Flickr user Sewsew-a-Gogo made a large, detailed cross-stitch sampler inspired by the classic video game Punch-Out!!: After about two years and almost 80,000 x’s, my Super Mega Punch Out Project is finished. It measures about 12″ by 28″ so it’s pretty big and I have yet to find a frame that will actually fit it. I really don”t want to spend $150 to custom frame it so I’m not sure where it’s going to go yet. I’m kind of sad to see it finished because now I have nothing to do. Link via Make

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