Neatorama |
- The 24/7 Lectures
- Watch Mark Hamill’s Original Screen Test for <i>Star Wars</i>
- The Biggest Health Food Misconceptions According to Nutritionists
- Tango Of Death - Mercenaries Make Terrible Dance Partners
- A Brief History of PG-13
- University Creates "Puppy Room" for Stressed-Out Students
- How To Have The Perfect Royal Baby Party
- Degree-Off
- Worm Shoots Its Appendage over Man’s Hand
- Photographer's Series Celebrates the Beauty of Redheads
- Hedgehog and Hamster Hang out at a Tiny Cafe
- Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' Played in Reverse
- Twenty of the Best Multiplayer Games From Your Past
- Robin Williams’ Final Film
- Wonderland - Where The Spirit Of Animation Resides
- Cheetos Popcorn Could Be A Thing Soon
- A Three-Year-Old's Unbelievable Skills at the Pool Table
- Empathy Cards For Serious Illness
- Grieving Mama Cat Who Lost All Three Babies Matched With Three Abandoned Kittens
- 15 Far Out Facts About <i>Space Ghost Coast To Coast</i>
- Neil deGrasse Tyson's "Astounding Fact" in Comic Form
- Whodunut: Maria's Last Clue
- 37 <i>Star Wars</i> Facts in Honor of <i>Star Wars</i> Day
- Star Wars Day Cosplay Portraits
- May The Fourth Be With You When You Wear One Of These 30 T-Shirts (And Win One Too!)
- Where The Heart Is - The Anatomy Of Revenge
- <i>Star Trek</i> Actor Explains <i>Star Wars</i> Day
- 10 Awesome Ways to Celebrate Star Wars Day
- 7 Fictional Cockroaches
| Posted: 05 May 2015 05:00 AM PDT The following is an article from The Annals of Improbable Research. Transcribed by David Kessler
As part of the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, four of the world’s great thinkers were invited to give 24/7 Lectures. Each 24/7 Lecture was on an assigned topic. The lecturer was asked to explain that topic twice: FIRST, a complete technical description in TWENTY-FOUR (24) SECONDS; and THEN a clear summary that anyone can understand, in SEVEN (7) WORDS. The time and word limits were enforced by the Ig Nobel referee, Mr. John Barrett, and by the Ig Nobel V-Chip Monitor, Melissa Franklin. Here are the complete transcripts of this year’s 24/7 Lectures.
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| Watch Mark Hamill’s Original Screen Test for <i>Star Wars</i> Posted: 05 May 2015 04:00 AM PDT Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford sit in the control room of the Millennium Falcon. Their destination, Alderaan, is nothing but radioactive debris. They’re not in costume nor on a proper set. They’re just sitting in chairs and convincingly performing a selection from an early draft of Episode IV. At the 4:01 mark, you can hear George Lucas voicing his approval. Obviously Hamill is the right man to save the galaxy and revive the Jedi Order. -via Uproxx | ||||||||
| The Biggest Health Food Misconceptions According to Nutritionists Posted: 05 May 2015 03:00 AM PDT
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| Tango Of Death - Mercenaries Make Terrible Dance Partners Posted: 05 May 2015 02:00 AM PDT When you dance with Wade you never know what kind of deadly dance moves he's going to bust out with on the dance floor. Sometimes he's in the mood for a sloppy slam dance, other times he's doing the wakizashi waltz and slicing up the competition, but Mr. Wilson reserves the tango for special occassions. Dancing the tango, you see, requires him to lift his mask so he can clench a rose between his teeth, and when the other dancers in the club see his horrifying face they often drop dead from fright! Get into the geeky groove with this Tango Of Death t-shirt by JP Perez, it's a surefire way to make your fellow fans say "Ole!" Visit JP Perez's Facebook fan page, official website, Twitter and Tumblr, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more mighty geeky designs:
Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama! | ||||||||
| Posted: 05 May 2015 02:00 AM PDT There’s no argument that the MPAA ratings system for movies has wandered far afield of what was intended when it was first introduced in 1968. At the time, most movies were rated G and the whole family went to see them. Now, a G-rated movie is pretty much aimed at young children, and PG is almost there. The rating modern movies want is PG-13, the new rating introduced in 1984, so the lucrative teenage market can get into the theater and know they will see the the maximum adult content allowed for them. This video from Pitchfork explains how we got to this point. You’ll find a more involved article about the PG-13 rating at The Dissolve. -via Metafilter | ||||||||
| University Creates "Puppy Room" for Stressed-Out Students Posted: 05 May 2015 01:00 AM PDT
For many college students around the world, it's time to take final exams for the end of semester or quarter. It can be an incredibly stressful time for students, so some schools offer special events that help relieve stress. The University of Central Lancashire in the UK thinks that playing with puppies can help. That's why this Wednesday, the University has a designated Puppy Room. Research shows that playing with puppies can relieve stress, so the school invites students to visit and play for a bit. Students have to make appointments in advance in order to limit the number of interactions. Otherwise, the puppies themselves might get overwhelmed and stressed. -via Nothing to Do with Aborath | ||||||||
| How To Have The Perfect Royal Baby Party Posted: 05 May 2015 12:00 AM PDT Princess Kate just dropped a baby like it’s hot, so the time has come for all you fans of the Royals (the British monarchs, not the major league baseball team) to throw your very own royal baby party and get bizarre in the name of Britannia! Check out this video by Chris (Simpsons artist) for helpful advice on- how to get Daniel Radcliffe to go to your party, how to tell your mum about the impending party, and the best newborn baby themed games to play at such a posh party. Follow Chris's advice to the letter and you'll be celebrating the fact that the British royal family is capable of producing offspring in no time! | ||||||||
| Posted: 04 May 2015 11:00 PM PDT Three scientists are in a competition to show off their disciplines and put forth their case for which is best. Biology goes for the jugular. If physics tries to make himself look better with space exploration, she’ll counter with birth control, which has surely changed more lives for the better. I am afraid the guy representing chemistry will have little to say out of sheer terror. This is the latest comic from Randall Munroe at xkcd. | ||||||||
| Worm Shoots Its Appendage over Man’s Hand Posted: 04 May 2015 10:00 PM PDT
This is a marine ribbon worm. It has a proboscis, which is a prehensile tentacle-like appendage that it uses to seize prey and draw it into its maw. In this case, that’s a human hand. A cursory Google search suggests that there is little in the way of a marine ribbon worm recipes. This is disappointing. What should I do if I catch a dozen and can’t find a tested means of cooking them? This is obviously an animal idea for human consumption. -via Geekologie | ||||||||
| Photographer's Series Celebrates the Beauty of Redheads Posted: 04 May 2015 09:00 PM PDT
View Yakovlev's series in its entirety here, and check out his portfolio at Behance. | ||||||||
| Hedgehog and Hamster Hang out at a Tiny Cafe Posted: 04 May 2015 08:00 PM PDT The Cute Critter Cafe has lattes and free WiFi (provided that you purchase a drink--don't be that guy). Humphrey J. Hedgehog and his friend Coco the hamster visited recently. They snacked on nuts and sipped coffee-like drinks. The Cute Critter Cafe is perfectly sized for them. A grande-sized frap is only the size of a thimble. The price, alas, isn't reduced to fit the volume. But you expected that. -via That's Nerdalicious | ||||||||
| Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' Played in Reverse Posted: 04 May 2015 07:51 PM PDT There's song covers and then there's YouTube star Rob Scallon covering Metallica's "Enter Sandman," in reverse. Perhaps this should be called, "Exit Sandman"? Ok, now watch his backwards cover, forward: | ||||||||
| Twenty of the Best Multiplayer Games From Your Past Posted: 04 May 2015 07:00 PM PDT
This article mentions 20 multiplayer games from "back in the day" that made for hours and hours of entertainment (and sometimes serious player versus player challenges)! See which ones bring back memories for you. I know I loved Mario Kart in various versions; I also played multiplayer Quake until I couldn't see straight. | ||||||||
| Posted: 04 May 2015 06:00 PM PDT Absolutely Anything is the final film with Robin Williams in it -as a talking dog. A snarky, hungry dog.
Absolutely Anything will open nationwide August 14th, a year and three days after the actor’s death. -via Mashable | ||||||||
| Wonderland - Where The Spirit Of Animation Resides Posted: 04 May 2015 05:00 PM PDT Wonderlands come in all shapes, sizes and styles of animation, but they all have one thing in common- they're simply magical! With moving castles, mad hatters, playing cards come to life and yokai creatures lurking in every corner it's easy to get spirited away when you cross over into one of these Wonderlands, but be careful you don't lose your head! Add some animated awesomeness to your geeky wardrobe with this Wonderlands t-shirt by Saqman, it's the perfect attire for every kind of cartoon fan! Visit Saqman's Facebook fan page and official website, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more delightfully geeky designs:
Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama! | ||||||||
| Cheetos Popcorn Could Be A Thing Soon Posted: 04 May 2015 05:00 PM PDT There are plenty of cheddar popcorns out there, but nothing compares to the cheese-tastic flavor of Cheetos. That's why I'm so excited to see that Cheetos is experimenting with launching movie theater popcorn -it's the cheesiest, butteriest snack you could ever hope to see at the teater. It's only in its concept stage now, but we can all hope that tests will go smoothly and we will soon get our salty, cheesy snacks. | ||||||||
| A Three-Year-Old's Unbelievable Skills at the Pool Table Posted: 04 May 2015 04:00 PM PDT Three-year-old Adam Wynne of Ireland is a snooker prodigy who can school just about anyone on the game. Adam started playing snooker (similar to pool) when he was one. The footage above shows him at three making practically every shot he attempts. This kid looks destined to be a championship winner. Via Elite Daily | ||||||||
| Empathy Cards For Serious Illness Posted: 04 May 2015 03:00 PM PDT Emily McDowell is an illustrator, greeting card designer, and a cancer survivor. Now she’s put her experience to work in creating a line of greeting cards that cancer patients and survivors say really hit the mark. The line of eight greetings are called Empathy Cards.
You can order yours here. And continue reading to see the rest of the collection. One contains NSFW language. The last one is my personal favorite. -via Metafilter | ||||||||
| Grieving Mama Cat Who Lost All Three Babies Matched With Three Abandoned Kittens Posted: 04 May 2015 02:00 PM PDT Mikey is an eight-month-old cat who was in a deep depression after losing her three kittens, which were born prematurely. After the last of Mikey's kittens died, she kept searching for her babies and was obviously despondent. Mikey's human Hillary was hearkbroken watching her suffer, so she called a Houston cat rescue organization called Dori's Darlings. Amanda Lowe was fostering three kittens through Dori's Darlings. Lowe was presented with the kittens days before Mikey's last baby passed away. Amanda and another foster, professional photographer Kelli Nicole, cared for the kittens around the clock, naming them Teddy, Abby and Lily. But when Amanda received the call from Dori about Mikey losing her brood of kittens, she knew her fosters were the perfect solution. Read more about Mikey's introduction to the kittens and see some wonderful pictures of them here. | ||||||||
| 15 Far Out Facts About <i>Space Ghost Coast To Coast</i> Posted: 04 May 2015 01:00 PM PDT Considering Space Ghost's original run from 1966-67 consisted of only 20 episodes, and less than 90 minutes of animation, Space Ghost should hold his cowled head up high and celebrate the success he had as a talk show host. Space Ghost: Coast To Coast made it possible for Adult Swim to blossom into the animation juggernaut it is today, and even though he's now a big man on Williams Street campus series creator Mike Lazzo started the show with a budget of zero. So how was the first episode made? With a tape-to-tape VHS editing system and a Radio Shack mic, the episode consisting of clips from a Denzel Washington interview on CNN and old Space Ghost clips. The show has such a high quality look that you can hardly tell! Read 15 Things You Might Not Know About Space Ghost Coast To Coast at mental_floss | ||||||||
| Neil deGrasse Tyson's "Astounding Fact" in Comic Form Posted: 04 May 2015 12:00 PM PDT In 2012, celebrity physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson was asked in an interview what he regarded as the most astounding fact in the universe. He's an astrophysicist, so he necessarily thinks on a grand scale--one that intersects his discipline with that of philosophy. His answer resonates with many people as it connects the basic chemical and physical origins of the universe with the individual human experience. Gavin Aung Than, the artist behind Zen Pencils, takes quotations of famous people and presents them in comic form. It took him a while to work out how he would express Tyson's astounding fact, but he found a way to show a visual expression of Tyson's expression. You can read it all here. -via Geek x Girls | ||||||||
| Posted: 04 May 2015 11:00 AM PDT The following is a Whodunit by Hy Conrad. These mysteries are from The Little Giant® Book of Whodunits by Hy Conrad and Matt LaFleur. Can you solve the mystery before you read the solution? Sergeant Vacca had been on the homicide squad for eight years and had never once run into a deathbed clue. Not once had he heard a dying man blurt out the name of his killer or seen him grab at his St. Christopher medal in order to incriminate a suspect named Chris. Even though he was a devout mystery fan, Sergeant Vacca had begun to seriously doubt that such things ever really happened. Until now. The police had found Maria Consuela alone in her downtown office cubicle. The attractive legal secretary had stayed late to finish typing up a brief and had been rewarded with a blunt object to the head and ribs. There was no sign of forced entry and little sign of struggle—an indication that she had known her attacker. A pool of blood trailed away from the cubicle's doorway and ended in Maria's collapsed body, right under the edge of her desk. "It must have taken her last ounce of strength to crawl over here," Sergeant Vacca theorized. "She must have had some reason." He gazed again at the computer screen. The last thing typed was a line of legal jargon transcribed from her boss's legal pad. The line ended abruptly in mid-sentence and was followed by two nonsensical words: "48dy 28oo8qjw." "Forget the gibberish," ordered the captain. "Let's concentrate on her male co-workers. Office gossip says Maria was having an affair with one of them." He checked his notepad. "We have Richard Williams, Gary Hallardi, and Paul Cattalgo. Check on 'em." "Wait a minute," Vacca said as he stared at the names. "I know who it was. Good old Maria did leave us a message." Whom does Vacca suspect and what does the message mean?
In addition to his work in mystery and crime puzzles, Hy was also one of the original writers for the groundbreaking TV series Monk. Currently, Hy is working on mystery novel series "Abel Adventures" as well as the Monk series of novels, starting with Mr. Monk Helps Himself (published by Penguin, order from Amazon here Check out Hy's official website and Facebook page - and stay tuned for more whodunits puzzlers on Neatorama from the master of whodunit mysteries himself! | ||||||||
| 37 <i>Star Wars</i> Facts in Honor of <i>Star Wars</i> Day Posted: 04 May 2015 10:00 AM PDT
Lucas and the other principal filmmakers were able to get Guinness to come around, yet not without granting him the strict conditions he imposed for his involvement. Guinness would work one day only, a day consisting of exactly 4.5 hours of work, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. In exchange for his 4.5 hours, Guinness would be paid one-fourth of a percent of the total gross of the movie. Thus, Sir Alec made out like a bandit with millions of dollars for a half day of his time. Read thirty-six other Star Wars stories here. | ||||||||
| Star Wars Day Cosplay Portraits Posted: 04 May 2015 09:00 AM PDT Photographer Antti Karppinen put together a gallery of Star Wars cosplay portraits specifically for Star Wars Day (all with light sabers). Most were taken at Cardiff Film & Comic Con 2015 in March. See Karppinen’s portraits of other awesome cosplayers from the Welsh con here. And May the fourth be with you. -Thanks, Antti Karppinen! | ||||||||
| May The Fourth Be With You When You Wear One Of These 30 T-Shirts (And Win One Too!) Posted: 04 May 2015 08:00 AM PDT The force is strong with this fourth day of May, and this year we have something amazing to look forward to in our fan future- a new sequel, aka episode VII! Wanna get geared up for the return of your favorite sci-fi franchise for less? Head on over to the NeatoShop, where you'll find an amazing array of t-shirts featuring characters and scenes from that war in the stars. From now until May 10th you can get up to 20% off shirts in the store, and if its a free shirt you seek read to the bottom of this post for a chance to win your very own NeatoShop t-shirt! May the fourth is a special day Guess What Day It Is by DC Visual Arts A day created by fans, for fans Alfbacca: Cat Wars by Shawn Porter A day when we celebrate our favorite sci-fi characters And the war they wage among the stars of a long, long time ago Our favorite sci-fi franchise is coming back to the big screen With new characters, new combatants and cool new tech Captain Phasma by ALIENBIKER23 The reveals have been driving fans wild We're Home #1 by Marinasinger Designs And everybody's getting geared up for the premiere Some fans are worried things will get weird in the new movies But most got a healthy feeling of nostalgia from the new trailers 8 Bit Charter by Warbucks Design Realizing that there's plenty of room for interpretation in their favorite sci-fi universe Keith Haring- Star Wars by Theduc And it's not like our love of those classic characters will ever wane Galactic Empire- The Trooper by markwelser Because they're just too awesome to forget You Killed My Father by dutyfreak With their larger-than-life personalities Wooking Kong by Manny Peters Art + Design Crazy cool sci-fi style The Darth Knight by Rocky Davies And storylines that make a bold impression Fight The Power! by Diablo Productions We feel like booing when the Imperial forces enter the scene Move Along by B.C. Art & Design And cheer when we see our favorite rebels run into the fray Because these epic movies aren't just about that war in the stars Born To Panic by KARMADESIGNER They're not just about the battle between the light and dark sides of the force Stair-Wars To Heaven !!! by Adrian Filmore They're about compelling characters Solo For President by Grady Graphics Far out philosophies And far flung planets Welcome To Tatooine by Raki Martinez We watch because we love seeing interstellar dogfights Porkins Escapes The Tie Fudder by Bleee and Cubik Intergalactic intrigue Born To Be Your Father by eltronco And interweaving storylines that keep things interesting That's All Fett! by Nora Evergla True fans love everything about the original trilogy, including the music The funky gear And the epic scale of the storylines Because there's nothing better than a movie franchise that can make us stand up and cheer nearly forty years after the premiere of the first film! Show up to the premiere of Episode VII in style with one of these amazing t-shirts from the NeatoShop, where now until May 10th you'll get up to 20% off your new favorite t-shirts! All NeatoShop sales benefit Neatorama, where we bring you the best stuff from around the 'Net, and the amazing artists who create those geeky designs that blow your mind. Become a star among your fellow fans, pick up a NeatoShop t-shirt today! | ||||||||
| Where The Heart Is - The Anatomy Of Revenge Posted: 04 May 2015 07:00 AM PDT Where The Heart Is by Medusa Dollmaker The heart wants what it wants, it beats a rhythm into your brain that's impossible to ignore, and when you follow your heart you can rest assured the path you're on will lead you to what you desire most. For some that desire brings true love, or a throne on which to rest their royal behind, but for young Arya it holds the promise of stark vengeance and bloody retribution. It's important to know where your heart is at when you head out on an adventure, and it's important to know where your enemy's heart is when you stand poised to pierce the wretched vessel with the tip of your blade... Don't play games with your geeky wardrobe, bring home this Where The Heart Is t-shirt by Medusa Dollmaker and you'll be assured a fashion victory! Visit Medusa Dollmaker's Facebook fan page, official website, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr, then head on over to her NeatoShop for more mighty cool designs:
Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama! | ||||||||
| <i>Star Trek</i> Actor Explains <i>Star Wars</i> Day Posted: 04 May 2015 07:00 AM PDT May the Fourth be with you. What does that mean? Today, you will encounter many Star Wars fans expressing this sentiment to you. Why? To find out, you need to consult someone closely associated with the Star Trek science fiction franchise. UCB Comedy recruited Tim Russ, who played the Vulcan officer Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager. Russ explains:
-via The Presurfer | ||||||||
| 10 Awesome Ways to Celebrate Star Wars Day Posted: 04 May 2015 06:00 AM PDT If you somehow missed everyone talking about it on the net, today is Star Wars Day, aka May the Fourth Be With You. While we all have our own ways to celebrate the big holiday (including buying sweet Star Wars tees), if you aren't sure how to get your Forth on, this Information Week article can give you some ideas. Of course, if you really want to celebrate the big holiday in a big way, you can always get a tattoo like this epic one on Flickr user Teri Solow. | ||||||||
| Posted: 04 May 2015 05:00 AM PDT
The stories behind several pretend cockroaches you may or may not be acquainted with. (And one that might not even be a cockroach at all.) The 1987 Hiroaki Yoshida anime/live-action film Twilight of the Cockroaches is about a community of intelligent cockroaches who live peacefully in the apartment of a human slob named Seito. (The cockroaches are anime; the humans are live-action.) But when Seito’s girlfriend moves in, she begins exterminating, and the cockroaches’ paradise becomes a nightmarish struggle for survival. According to Yoshida, the film’s cockroaches are a metaphor for the Japanese people, whom he deems a “hated species.” Washington Post reviewer Richard Harrington wrote that the film “could do for cockroaches what The Secret of NIMH did for rats: humanize them in ways you’d never have thought possible.” (That didn’t happen, as you may have noticed.) One of the strangest scenes: The teenage cockroach heroine, Naomi, almost loses her life in a rainstorm, but is saved… by a pile of talking dog poop. Twilight of the Cockroaches was the inspiration for the 1996 musical film Joe’s Apartment, about a guy whose apartment is inhabited by singing, dancing cockroaches. In the 1972 film Godzilla vs. Gigan (the 12th in the Godzilla series), aliens known as “Nebulons” invade Earth. They appear to be human, but they’re not human— they’re giant alien cockroaches disguised as humans! The Nebulons control the minds of two monsters— Gigan, a huge cyborg with a buzz saw in his belly, and King Ghidora, a three-headed dragonlike beast— and send them to destroy Tokyo. Luckily for the earthlings, the monsters are defeated by Godzilla. (Whew!) In the end we learn that the giant alien cockroaches only wanted a new home because their planet was destroyed by pollution created by that planet’s human inhabitants. Moral: Stop polluting Earth, humans. On March 29, 1916, writer Don Marquis told readers of his daily newspaper column, “The Sun Dial” in New York’s Evening Sun, that when he arrived at the office one morning a few weeks earlier, he’d discovered a “gigantic cockroach jumping up and down upon the keys” of his typewriter. The cockroach did this for an hour, after which he scampered off. Marquis then looked at what the cockroach had written. It started like this:
The cockroach went on to request that Marquis leave a sheet of paper in the typewriter each night so that he (the cockroach) could continue writing. And he said they should call him “Archy.” So was born Archy the poet cockroach, whose philosophical observations of life (in free verse) would become a regular— and very popular— part of Marquis’s writing at the Sun, then at the New York Tribune, then at Collier’s magazine, and then in books (along with Archy’s best friend, an alley cat named Mehitabel) until Marquis died in 1937. But Archy and Mehitabel didn’t die with Marquis. The characters were adapted into songs in 1954, a Broadway musical in 1957, a TV show in 1960, an animated film titled Shinbone Alley, written by Mel Brooks in 1971. More than 75 years later, the books (with illustrations by George Herriman, creator of the Krazy Kat comic strip) are still in print. In a 1996 episode of The X-Files, Agent Fox Muldur investigates the deaths of several people in a Massachusetts town who appear to have been killed… by cockroaches! Muldur meets a voluptuous entomologist named Dr. Bambi Berenbaum, who happens to be conducting experiments on cockroaches. He shows her a cockroach he found at one of the crime scenes. She looks at it through her microscope, and tells Muldur that the cockroach he found is a robot cockroach. Muldur thinks it’s actually an alien robot cockroach. (There’s more, but we thought revealing spoilers might bug you.) This one is a quiz; answer at end of the article. This 11-foot-tall alien cockroach crashes his spaceship into a pickup truck on a farm somewhere in America. He then kills the farmer, uses the guy’s dead body as a disguise, and goes on a mission to find the Arquillian Galaxy. In the end, the cockroach tries to escape in another spaceship— but is shot down. Emerging from the wreckage, he rips off his human (dead body) disguise, and, now plainly an enormous cockroach, eats one of his assailants, who then shoots the big bug… from inside his stomach. The end. Now: Name that cockroach. In fact, Kafka never says what kind of insect. People assume he meant cockroach, and many English translations of the book refer to Gregor as a cockroach. But critics argue that this is wrong— and they have some fairly serious support: Author Vladimir Nabokov, best known for his 1955 novel, Lolita, was also a trained lepidopterist— an expert on butterflies and moths. Nabokov insisted that Gregor hadn’t turned into a cockroach— but a beetle. “A cockroach is an insect that is flat in shape with large legs, and Gregor is anything but flat,” he wrote in a lecture for his literature students at Cornell University in the 1940s. “He is convex on both sides, belly and back, and his legs are small. He approaches a cockroach in only one respect: his coloration is brown.” Nabokov even made sketches of the bug, based on Kafka’s descriptions, and noted that an old woman in the book called Gregor a Mistkäfer— a “dung beetle.” (Although Nabokov said he thought that was incorrect.) So there’s a very good chance that the most famous fictional cockroach of all time wasn’t a cockroach at all. (Which, of course, would make him a fictional fictional cockroach.) ANSWER TO NUMBER 6: Edgar the Bug, the bad guy in the 1997 film Men in Black, played by Vincent D’Onofrio. (Edgar’s cockroach brother, Edwin the Bug— voiced by D’Onofrio— appeared in several episodes of the animated Men in Black: The Series, which ran on the WB Network from 1997 to 2001.) _______________________________
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Four Nobel laureates enjoy their first taste of Soylent. Photo: David Holzman.
Carol Greider, Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine
Rob Rhinehart, founder, Soylent
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The whodunit above was provided by American mystery fiction author 
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The following is an article from the book 
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Probably the most famous fictional cockroach is the one in Czech author Franz Kafka’s 1915 novel, The Metamorphosis. But is it really a cockroach? The story opens with the lead character, Gregor Samsa, waking from a fitful night’s sleep to discover, to his horror, that he has turned into an ungeheures Ungeziefer, usually translated into English as “monstrous insect.” But that’s a very loose translation. Ungeheures means “huge” or “enormous,” and Ungeziefer literally means “vermin.” Vermin could mean many things, including “bug” or “rat,” but we know Kafka meant “insect” because he describes the metamorphosed Gregor as having a carapace (an insect’s hard exoskeleton) as well as several legs (although he never says “six”).
The article above is reprinted with permission from 
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