Neatorama

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• Circulatory Systems
• The Heartbreaking Story of Artificial Limbs
• Amazing Football Play Looks Like Basketball
• The Long, Strange History of Los Angeles’ Coldest Cold Case
• Japan’s Love-Hate Relationship With Cats
• This Choir Rehearsed In A City Pool
• What Happens When You Chase A Tornado?
• Singapore Airlines Plans to Launch "Flights to Nowhere" That Just Circle the Airport and Then Return
• This Man Got Shipwrecked On A Cannibal Island
• The True Fruit Ninja Master
• Hey, Coffee Can Make Your Mental Health Worse
• Airlifted Out of the Creek Fire

Circulatory Systems Posted: 14 Sep 2020 03:27 AM PDT Circulatory Systems is an experimental short film described as "The major highways, the arteries and veins of our cities." Busy streets are layered in beautiful kaleidoscopic, even fractal, patterns. It's traffic, but it's pretty! -via Boing Boing

The Heartbreaking Story of Artificial Limbs Posted: 14 Sep 2020 03:27 AM PDT Only two days after teenager James Hanger enlisted to serve in the Civil War, he was shot on the battlefield. To save his life, medics cut off his leg, making him the very first amputee of the war. He would not be the last- around 60,000 soldiers suffered limb amputation -most without anesthetic- before the war ended in 1865. Hanger went home and retreated to his bedroom, where his parents feared he was succumbing to depression. Meanwhile, the sheer number of soldiers coming home missing an arm or leg spurred improvements in prosthetic limbs. Dr. Douglas Bly developed America's first articulated prosthetics, designed to replace the standard peg leg of earlier times.   What made Dr. Bly's prosthetic limb superior to earlier designs was his knowledge of human anatomy and specifically the way the leg works at the ankle. His limb allowed for side motion instead of simply forward and backward, and mechanisms at both the ankle and the knee allowed for more natural bending and flexing. In fact, Dr. Bly was credited with inventing the first curved knee. The ankle movement was obtained through the use of a polished ball inside a socket of vulcanized rubber. Unfortunately, Dr. Bly's invention was considered too expensive for a government contract. Entered James Hanger — the 18-year old engineering-student-turn-soldier who had his limb shattered after just two days. It turned out that when he retreated to his room, he was not wallowing in self-pity, as his parents had feared. Rather, he took to heart the oft-said phrase "necessity is the mother of invention" and went to work fashioning a practical prosthetic limb. Three months later, by November 1861, he had developed The Hanger Limb. Like Dr. Bly's prosthetic, it contained a hinged knee and ankle that allowed for greater mobility. The most important innovation of the Hanger Limb was that it was affordable for the veterans who needed it. Read that story and the development of artificial limbs both before and afterward at 3 Quarks Daily.  -via Nag on the Lake (Image credit: Flickr user National Museum of Health and Medicine)

Amazing Football Play Looks Like Basketball Posted: 14 Sep 2020 03:27 AM PDT One fan in the video says, "What are we doing?" It doesn't look like football. But the complicated play does end in a touchdown that secures victory for Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa over Wetumpka (Alabama high school football teams) with only 2.9 seconds left on the clock. Believe it or not, this is actually what the coach planned. AL.com reports: The play "Bronco" is named after Adams saw Boise State run a similar scramble play years earlier. The play started with quarterback Ethan Crawford passing in the left flats to running back Marcus Wilkins. Nine laterals later, Crawford picked up a fumbled ball and ran untouched the final 46 yards for the game-winning touchdown. -via Dave Barry

The Long, Strange History of Los Angeles’ Coldest Cold Case Posted: 14 Sep 2020 03:26 AM PDT Larry Harnisch has spent the past 24 years researching the Black Dahlia murder case, in which the body of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short was found nude and dismembered. That was in 1947, and the case has never been solved. While researching the story for the 50th anniversary of the murder, Harnisch ran into so many loose ends, he couldn't let the story go. He found that the published accounts were so rushed by the journalists of the day that they often filled in the blanks with speculation and titillation.    Some writers claimed she was lured to Hollywood from the East because she was an aspiring actress. She wasn't. Others wrote that the newspapers gave Short the sobriquet. They didn't. A few have intimated she was a hooker. She wasn't.  Or that, at the very least, she was promiscuous. She wasn't.  Some writers contended the original detective team was inept. They weren't. She'd been called a war widow. She wasn't. Will Fowler, a reporter for the Examiner at the time, told Harnisch that he had been the first reporter at the scene and had arrived before the police. Fowler claimed there were no officers to prevent reporters and photographers from tromping through the crime scene and interfering with the evidence.  Shortly before police arrived, Fowler, who wrote a memoir, Reporters, told Harnisch that he had closed Short's eyes and later helped load the bottom half of Short's body into the coroner's vehicle. Later, Harnisch tracked down retired LAPD patrol officer Wayne Fitzgerald who, along with his partner, were the first cops on the scene. He contradicted almost every element of Fowler's account.  During an interview Fowler quoted Napoleon: "History is an agreed upon lie." Fitzgerald contended that when he arrived there were no reporters or photographers. Harnisch's research over the years led him to a suspect he is convinced was guilty. "Was" guilty, because almost all the principles of the story are now dead. Harnisch is still researching the murder of Elizabeth Short for a book that has yet to be finished, but you can get a taste of what he found at The Delacorte Review. -via Strange Company (Image source: Los Angeles Police Department)

Japan’s Love-Hate Relationship With Cats Posted: 14 Sep 2020 02:27 AM PDT There's no doubt that Japan, as a whole, loves cats. That's where we see Hello Kitty, Maneki Neko, cat cafes, cat shrines, and young girls wearing cat ears without a special occasion. The earliest written account of a cat in Japan was from the Emperor Uda, who wrote about a gift of a cat in 889 CE, where he proclaims "I am convinced it is superior to all other cats." But cats are also demons, shapeshifters, and tricksters, taking up lots of space in Japanese folklore. Japan has long held a folk belief that when things live too long, they manifest magical powers. There are many old stories explaining why this is true of foxes, tanuki, snakes, and even chairs. However, cats seem to be somewhat unique in the myriad powers they can manifest—and their multitude of forms. Perhaps this is because they are not indigenous to Japan. Whereas Japanese society evolved alongside foxes and tanukis, cats possess that aura of coming from outside the known world. Combine that with cats' natural mysterious nature, their ability to stretch to seemingly unnatural proportions, how they can walk without a sound, and their glowing eyes that change shape in the night, and it's the perfect recipe for a magical animal. The first known appearance of a supernatural cat in Japan arrived in the 12th century. According to reports, a massive, man-eating, two-tailed cat dubbed the nekomata stalked the woods of what is now the Nara prefecture. The former capital of Japan, Nara was surrounded by mountains and forests. Hunters and woodsman regularly entered these forests around the city for trade. They knew the common dangers; but this brute monster was far beyond what they expected to encounter. According to local newspapers of the time, several died in the jaws of the nekomata. Massive and powerful, they were more like two-tailed tigers than the pampered pets of Emperor Uda. In fact, the nekomata may have actually been a tiger. There's speculation today that the nekomata legends sprang from an escaped tiger brought over from China, possibly as part of a menagerie, or it was some other animal ravaged by rabies. Read a history of Japan's magical folklore cats at Smithsonian.

This Choir Rehearsed In A City Pool Posted: 13 Sep 2020 12:15 PM PDT Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, closed-room rehearsals aren't feasible. Luther College's choir opted to rehearse in a pool instead of cancelling all practices. The choir are using an empty Decorah Municipal Pool for rehearsals, as KCRG details:  "I was driving past the city pool trying to contemplate where we were going to rehearse outdoors," Mark Potvin, instructor of music and conductor at Luther College, said. "I noticed they were draining the pool so I called our friends at Decorah Park and Rec and said 'Hey any chance that once that pool is empty we can start using it for choir rehearsals?' and without a second thought they said absolutely, no problem." The outdoor pool is easily accessible for the college due to its location next to campus. Luther College's COVID-19 precautions include using outdoor venues and having conductors and singers wear face coverings at all times. The conductor uses a personal amplification device to be heard by all the choir members. Additionally, singers are spread out 7.5 to 12 feet and some of the larger choir ensembles are split into smaller groups during rehearsal. Image via KCRG

What Happens When You Chase A Tornado? Posted: 13 Sep 2020 12:15 PM PDT Now, don't go and face the actual tornado head on, no! It's possible for us (with the right precautions) to shadow or follow a tornado's movement. In fact, some have made it into a business. Outside's Linda Logan spent a week with Extreme Chase Tours to see if she can actually spot a tornado from up close. Check her full piece on her storm chasing experience here.  Image via Outside

Singapore Airlines Plans to Launch "Flights to Nowhere" That Just Circle the Airport and Then Return Posted: 13 Sep 2020 10:59 AM PDT Singapore Airlines has been financially devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. Working with the Singapore Tourism Board, it plans to, by the end of October, launch a series of flights that will take off from Changi Airport, stay airborne for about three hours, and then return home. It's a government subsidy program. The Singaporean national government will give tourism credits to passengers. The Straits Times reports: Mr Stefan Wood, director at aircraft charter firm Singapore Air Charter, told ST that he had approached SIA about the possibility of setting up a joint venture to provide such flights to nowhere using the Airbus A-350 planes from SIA. [...] "We will make an announcement at the appropriate time if we go ahead with these plans." Several airlines worldwide, including EVA Air in Taiwan, have piloted flights to nowhere in an attempt to cope with the drastic fall in demand for air travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. -via Marginal Revolution | Photo: Steve Lynes

This Man Got Shipwrecked On A Cannibal Island Posted: 13 Sep 2020 10:59 AM PDT No, it's not like the cannibal show you see on TV. Carl Emil Pettersson, an average Swedish sailor, was shipwrecked and washed ashore on an island called Tabar (now part of New Guinea's New Ireland province) in 1906. Upon waking up on the shore, he and other survivors were met by a group of hostile cannibals. Don't worry, Pettersson didn't end up becoming dinner, as Cracked detailed: They took him to meet the ruler of the island, King Lamry, and when Carl was asked to justify his existence, he said that he had plenty to offer. He could bring Tabar great wealth, he said, if they just gave him a chance. He had some knowledge from his education in Sweden that could be of use to them. Carl wasn't able to, say, wire a working phone network for the island, or build a steam engine from scratch. But he did know a thing or two about orchards. So he dug up and moved some palm trees in a way that produced a lovely bunch of coconuts. Promise delivered! This went a long way toward pleasing King Lamry, and also toward earning the favor of the king's daughter, Princess Singdo. She and Carl fell in love. A few years after he'd arrived on the island as a Grubhub delivery, Carl and Princess Singdo got married and had nine children. When Lamry died, Carl Pettersson became King Carl. His subjects gave him the nickname "Strong Charley," and he made good on his promise to bring wealth to Tabar again, after discovering a gold deposit on the nearby island of Simberi. Image via Cracked

The True Fruit Ninja Master Posted: 13 Sep 2020 10:59 AM PDT Watching this video can make you scrunch in pain seeing the cat claw at the screen, or admire the cat for perfectly slicing the falling fruits in Fruit Ninja. Hopefully, its claws are not sharp enough to scratch the iPad's screen, or maybe the owner has a screen protector on it. At least a screen protector is a cheaper option than a new iPad! What do you think about the cat's masterful swipes?  pic.twitter.com/EYuAMFUcxR — out of context cats (@catoutofcontxt) September 11, 2020 Image screenshot via Twitter

Hey, Coffee Can Make Your Mental Health Worse Posted: 13 Sep 2020 10:58 AM PDT We aren't living in the happiest of times right now, and most of us are just trying our best to get by. Some self-help media will recommend exercises, activities, hobbies, or meals that can help us a little. But did you know that some of those recommendations can aggravate underlying mental health issues? Take drinking coffee as an example. Who doesn't love drinking coffee (or any caffeinated drink)? This refreshing drink can impact our mental health on the negative side, as Discover magazine details:  "When we're talking about caffeine and about alcohol and their impacts on mental health, the topic that you start focusing on is sleep," says Alexander Blount, a psychologist and professor emeritus of family medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Sleep has a big impact on how people manage their mental health and feel about themselves generally, says Blount. Loss of sleep contributes to the development of some psychiatric conditions, like depression and bipolar disorder. People struggling with their mental health are more likely to struggle with sleep, too. In fact, 50 to 80 percent of patients in treatment for mental health issues also report sleep problems, says Blount. Caffeine in moderation acts as a mood brightener, says Blount. There's a difference between drinking a cup of coffee or two in the morning to get started and feel a little sharper and drinking eight cups or more over the course of the day, he says. Even if you're able to fall asleep after drinking that much caffeine, your sleep quality is probably poor. Poor sleep quality can cause problems for people struggling with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and attention deficit disorder in particular, says Blouth. Too much caffeine can also increase existing feelings of stress and anxiety. Most people are familiar with the energy boost and jitters that can accompany getting a sudden shot of espresso or an energy drink. The substance increases your body's alertness and in doing so can make someone already struggling even more anxious. Image via Discover magazine

Airlifted Out of the Creek Fire Posted: 13 Sep 2020 10:58 AM PDT On Labor Day weekend, more than 200 campers were trapped at Shaver Lake near Fresno, California, when wildfires surrounded them. The California Army National Guard, who had been called up to fight the flames, took two helicopters over mountain crests and through thick smoke to rescue them.   Emergency crews on the ground from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, radioed to Rosamond that it was too risky. The Creek Fire in the Sierra National Forest was out of control and they should put down at a nearby ranch miles away and wait for the smoke to clear, they were told. "I was listening to the radio calls when the Chinook approached restricted airspace" near the lake, said Army Maj. Gen. David S. Baldwin, adjutant general of the California National Guard. "Chief Rosamond told them, 'Just tell us where the people are. We're going to go get them,'" Baldwin said in a video conference call Monday with the aircrews and defense reporters. And so they did. Chief Warrant Officer 5 Joseph Rosamond piloted a Chinook and CWO 5 Kipp Goding took a Black Hawk into the campground three times Saturday night. They and their crews loaded up 214 campers, twelve of them injured, and airlifted them to safety in Fresno. Read the story at Military.com and see a video of the Chinook approaching here. -via Fark (Images credit: 40th Combat Aviation Brigade)

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