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2020/06/25

Neatorama

Neatorama

The Science Behind Our Perception

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 10:44 PM PDT

The reality we see isn't something we directly perceive; it is a result of our brain making sense of the sensory signals we receive from our environment. Our experience of reality is not perfect. It's somehow like a story created for us, as Vox explains: 

"It's really important to understand we're not seeing reality," says neuroscientist Patrick Cavanagh, a research professor at Dartmouth College and a senior fellow at Glendon College in Canada. "We're seeing a story that's being created for us."
Most of the time, the story our brains generate matches the real, physical world — but not always. Our brains also unconsciously bend our perception of reality to meet our desires or expectations. And they fill in gaps using our past experiences.
All of this can bias us. Visual illusions present clear and interesting challenges for how we live: How do we know what's real? And once we know the extent of our brain's limits, how do we live with more humility — and think with greater care about our perceptions?
Rather than showing us how our brains are broken, illusions give us the chance to reveal how they work. And how do they work? Well, as the owner of a human brain, I have to say it's making me a little uneasy.

image via Vox

Is The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Worth It?

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 10:44 PM PDT

The newly-released Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is Samsung's second generation of foldable phones. The Z Flip might resemble the old flip phones, but the new phone model doesn't resemble the old flip phone's simplicity. Priced at $1,380, IGN details the full specs of the Galaxy Z Flip: 

Display: 6.7-inch Foldable Dynamic AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
Processor: Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855+
Internal Storage: 256GB
Memory: 8GB RAM
Battery capacity: 3300 mAh battery
OS: Android 10.0; One UI 2
Cameras: Dual rear camera setup with 12MP (Wide) + 12MP sensors; 10MP (wide) selfie camera
Ports: USB type C
Dimensions: Unfolded: 167.3 x 73.6 x 7.2 mm; Folded: 87.4 x 73.6 x 17.3 mm
Weight: 183 grams

image via IGN

Japan Now Has The Fastest Supercomputer In The World

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 10:35 PM PDT

For the first time in nine years, Japan finally secures the top spot for the world's fastest supercomputer with their Fugaku System, which is developed by Fujitsu and the research institute RIKEN.

Installed at the RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R – CCS) in Kobe, Japan, the Fugaku System marks the successor to the K computer, which was previously crowned the world's fastest back in 2011. As reported by TOP500, the new Fugaku scored a linpack (HPL) result of 415.5 petaflops, which is 2.8 times faster than the nearest competitor, Summit, that achieved 148.6 petaflops. powered by Fujitsu's 48-core A64FX SoC, Fugaku has also become the first number one supercomputer to utilize ARM processors. furthermore, on HPCG (high performance conjugate gradient), fugaku reached 13,400 teraflops using 138,240 nodes, and on HPL-AI (the convergence of high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence), the system scored 1.421 exaflops, which is the first time a computer has even earned an exascale rating on any list, using 126,720 nodes (via RIKEN).

The supercomputer is stated to be fully operational by April of next year, but now it is already being used to help in current scientific issues by running simulations on how the coronavirus spreads.

(Image Credit: RIKEN/ DesignBoom)

Dog Retiring From TSA Surprised With Tennis Balls

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 10:35 PM PDT

It was TTirado's final day at work at the Indianapolis Airport, and his handler, Keith Gray, knew just the perfect way to give him a proper send-off towards his retirement — by surprising him with his favorite toy: tennis balls, which are given to dogs as a reward for doing a job well done at the airport.

"It's a coveted item during their career," Keith Gray, TTirado's handler, told The Dodo. "They know that they have to work for it to get it and that's what keeps them going and keeps their motivation up."
[...]
To surprise the pup on his special day, Gray ordered 200 tennis balls online and set up a special final search for him. 
"We had a couple of handlers that were behind the scenes ready to drop the balls when he showed up," Gray said. "The handlers knew what to do when the dog alerts, which is basically him coming around the corner, sniffing that bag like he's supposed to and dropping his butt to sit down."

And when TTirado sat down after sniffing the bag, lo and behold, the tennis balls dropped from the sky, and he was very happy.

 TTirado served faithfully at the airport for eight years.

(Image Credit: Mark Howell/ Twitter)

It’s Ezio Auditore’s 561st Birthday

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 10:35 PM PDT

On June 24, 1569, in the city of Florence in Italy, the cries of a baby can be heard in the house of Giovanni and Maria Auditore. The legendary Assassin, Ezio Auditore, has been born.

In 2009, the video game Assassin's Creed 2 was released, and it received much praise for its gameplay, music, and animation. The new fictional character in the game series, Ezio, also received much love from the fans of the game, because of his fun personality.

The game is very memorable because of its compelling story, as well as its beautiful soundtrack.

Image via Ubisoft on Facebook

Protect Your Laptop From The Sun By Using Cardboard

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 10:35 PM PDT

Want to get that good old sunshine while working but can't because your laptop might get damaged? Consider getting the latest breakthrough in "Work From Home Technology" — The Cardboard Box. This product will protect your laptop from sun damage, so you won't need to worry about your device while you work under the sun.

If you don't have a cardboard box at your home, you could also opt for baskets and container boxes.

Check out the photos of people who had the same idea over at Bored Panda.

(Image Credit: Bored Panda)

Coin Passes Through Two Billiard Chalk Cubes

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 10:35 PM PDT

Because there's nothing more satisfying than seeing very precise trick shots, in this case, a coin passing through two billiard chalk cubes that are a few millimeters apart.

Now that's precision to the next level!

Check out the short video on Reddit.

(Image Credit: ThatPaulaKid/ Reddit)

A Little Ditty About Sam and Diane

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 10:35 PM PDT

Cheers was a sitcom about a Boston bar that ran for eleven years, but (depending on your age) the most memorable and long-running dynamic was the five-year relationship between Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). They were complete opposites, totally unsuited for a long-term relationship, yet endured through years of sexual tension, romance, fights, regret, misunderstanding, and an entire year of flirting with matrimony.

But while the nature of the fictional couple might be unique, their onscreen history has an arc as old as time. What began as an exciting take on social opposites, capturing the precise ways in which physical attraction and emotional intelligence are often at odds, ultimately curdled into a repetitive, occasionally mean-spirited cycle, born out of the writers' boredom with the material as well as creative differences with talent. A compelling hook that secured a massive loyal audience became a narrative anchor from which Cheers would attempt to distance itself after Long's departure from the series. However, for a few glorious years, Sam & Diane was as riveting as anything the medium has ever produced. More impressive was that it was entirely predicated on the explosive chemistry, and physical vulnerability, between two young actors on the brink of national stardom.

The A.V. Club takes a deep dive into the characters of Sam and Diane, why they worked, why they didn't, and why they sucked us into their lives for so long. The article contains plenty of nostalgic Cheers clips. -via Metafilter

The Conman Who Simply Walked Out of Prison Four Times

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 02:33 PM PDT

Steven Jay Russell is serving a sentence of 144 years in solitary confinement, despite the fact that none of his crimes were violent. That's because he embarrassed authorities by escaping from prison, not once but four times! Russell suffered somewhat of a midlife crisis over the betrayal of his biological parents and losing his job for being gay. He committed several crimes and was eventually arrested for passport fraud. Russell was sentenced to ten years, which cut him deeply as the man he was dating, James Kemple, was dying of AIDS.

So how'd he escape? After observing the shift patterns of guards, Russell rustled himself up a pair of sweatpants and a tie-dye t-shirt from a room he stumbled across designed to hold the personal effects of female inmates. Realising that this outfit didn't exactly confer the air of authority needed to fool the guards, he decided to accessorize with a radio the guards typically carried. How he "acquired" this isn't clear.

A few days later, Russell patiently waited for the guards to go on their usual smoke break, put on the outfit, casually walked over to the door leading to freedom and soon found himself on the other side.

He states of this, "My first escape worked because I used that portable police radio to tap on the window of the guard's picket. The guards thought I was an undercover police officer. It was such an adrenaline rush. Those first moments of freedom felt amazing. Best of all I knew I would get to see and take care of Jimmy. He lived another 26 months after my escape."

That was only Russell's first escape. The second was by jumping bail, but the third and fourth times involved plots that would strain credulity if they were in movies. Read about the man who strolled out of prison again and again at Today I Found Out.

(Unrelated image credit: Carol M. Highsmith)

The Origins of Simon's Cat

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 01:58 PM PDT



After showing us so many of the adventures of his typically-difficult cat, Simon Tofield has gone back in time to show us how he got that cat in the first place. Apparently, he was specifically drawn to the most difficult kitten at the shelter.



And then we get to see the trying times of kittenhood. There will be more in the story of Simon's Kitten to come.

No Tears Will Be Shed If You Peel An Onion Like This!

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 01:56 PM PDT

Onions are a great addition to dishes, but preparing them is a task not many can handle well. If you haven't shed any tears while peeling one, I would applaud you for being such a strong person, or ask if you've seen @James_Rembo's onion-peeling hack. Apparently you can easily peel it with his method. Will you try it? 

image via wikimedia commons

This Fish Lives Inside A Butt

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 12:14 PM PDT

I honestly thought the title was just clickbait, and I bet you do, too. However, that fact is true. The pearl fish makes itself comfortable inside a sea cucumber, one of the strangest relationships in the animal kingdom. The fish enters the sea cucumber as it sucks in water through its anus. Strange, but true. Watch the rest of the video as Be Amazed lists facts you might not know. 

From Trash To Trolls

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 12:14 PM PDT

Not the Internet type of troll. Copenhagen artist Thomas Dambo is known for creating giant outdoor trolls from salvaged or trashed wood. The Danish sculptor and self-proclaimed "recycled art activist" creates massive troll sculptures, each four to seven feet tall with comical yet creepy expressions. His trolls will soon be displayed in Dambo's latest installation, "The Great Troll Folk Fest." National Geographic has more details: 

Over the next few months, with help from volunteers and staff (and funding via private donations), he'll assemble and install 10 figures in all. The colossal 15- to 21-foot-tall giants will be hidden in lesser-known greenspaces around Denmark, including tiny islands near Copenhagen and out-of-the-way parks. He'll release clues about their locations on social media. "It's a kind of treasure hunt, a gift for families in Denmark, who may feel sad that they can't go on vacation this summer," says Dambo. "The trolls help remind us that there are these beautiful places practically in our backyards."

image via National Geographic

Women Find Men with Cats to Be Less Desirable Than Men without Cats

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 12:14 PM PDT

Look, I'm not saying (out loud) that there's something necessarily wrong with being a cat person. But maybe keep that stuff off your dating profile. Wait until a lady friend starts to trust you before exposing a foible like that.

This handy tip is backed up by social science research. In the journal Animals, Lori Kogan and Shelly Volsche let us know that posing with a cat in your online dating profile may hurt your chances of finding female companionship:

Women responded to an online survey and rated photos of men alone and men holding cats on measures of masculinity and personality. Men holding cats were viewed as less masculine; more neurotic, agreeable, and open; and less dateable. These results varied slightly depending whether the women self-identified as a "dog person" or a "cat person." This study suggests that a closer look at the effects of different companion species on perceived masculinity and dateability is warranted.

Emphasis added. Be yourself in your dating profile, but be your best self. So put the cat aside and change out of that brony t-shirt.

-via Dave Barry | Photo: Vladimir Agafonkin

How Many Continents Are There?

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 12:14 PM PDT

The question of how may continents there are in the world may seem silly -of course there are seven, as you learned in school. But that's only true for you if you were educated in the United States. Students in other parts of the world are taught that the number is anywhere from four to seven.

For example, in Europe, students usually learn that there are actually only six continents: Africa, America, Antarctica, Asia, Australia/Oceania, and Europe. There's even a five-continent model, which lists Africa, Europe, Asia, America and Oceania/Australia. (That's why there are five rings on the Olympic flag.) And some experts think four is the way to go, using as their criteria landmasses naturally separated by water, rather than manmade canals (AfroEurasia, America, Antarctica and Australia).

Heck, as recently as the 1800s, some people says there were just two continents, the Old — including Europe, Africa and Asia — and the New, which encompassed North and South America.

You may be astonished to think that anyone combines North and South America, when Europe and Asia are much more geographically combined. And you can't just ignore Antarctica because no one lives there permanently. Read some of the thinking that goes into the definitions and distinctions of continents at How Stuff Works.  -via Digg

(Image credit: Max Naylor)
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