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2020/11/06

Neatorama

Neatorama

Blooming Jacaranda of Sydney University

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 07:06 PM PST

Today was a good sunny day and I decided to shoot the place where the most beautiful jacaranda tree in Sydney grew not so long ago. It was in the courtyard of the main building of the University of Sydney. Blooming in late spring at the end of the academic year, it became closely associated with examination time at the university. It has formed the background to many events, and the original tree was on the City of Sydney's Significant Tree Register. At the University of Sydney, students say: "Start preparing for the exams before the jacaranda blooms. Then it will be too late." No wonder the jacaranda is known here as the "examination tree".

The 2020 <i>LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special</i>

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 05:47 PM PST



This year's LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special will feature time travel, as the characters from the final trilogy go back to meet the characters from the original trilogy, plus all the other Star Wars properties. As you'll see in this trailer, we even get a paradox when Solo meets Han. Will Rey make it back to her own timeline in time to celebrate Life day? How could she not? The special will begin streaming on Disney+ on November 17. -via Geeks Are Sexy

How Do Genes Control Our Height?

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 05:47 PM PST

Researchers have discovered the genes that are responsible for governing height in related people. Researchers have identified nearly 10,000 DNA markers that explain the influence of common genetic variants over height. The geneticists involved in the study were able to amass genome data for four million people. Yes, that many! Science Magazine has more details: 

"This is a genuine landmark," says Daniel MacArthur of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia.
If the missing genetic contributors to other traits and diseases can be identified, and extended to other ancestries, the results could "inform new biology and contribute to personalized medicine," suggests Loïc Yengo of the University of Queensland in St. Lucia, Australia, whose team presented the work online this week at the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics. For example, geneticists could more accurately assess people's risk of diseases from genome scans. But the study leaves some scientists dissatisfied because it identifies only markers linked to genes that sway height, not the genes.
But it turned out that each identified marker, which may be in or just near a relevant gene, only contributes slightly to a trait or disease risk, and tallying them up didn't solve the problem. For height, the first 40 DNA markers linked to the trait explained just 5% of its variation.

Image via Science Magazine 

Rabbit Hash has a New Mayor

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 05:47 PM PST

The results of the election in Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, have been announced. The new mayor is Wilbur, the French bulldog. With 13,143 votes, Wilbur has unseated mayor Brynneth Pawltro, who has been in office since 2016. Wilbur defeated two opponents in the vote, but those also-rans will be rewarded with the title of Rabbit Hash Ambassador. Wilbur is ready and eager to assume his duties.

Since 1998, the mayor of Rabbit Hash has been a dog. Rabbit Hash's canine mayors don't make legislative decisions for the town, which is owned by the Rabbit Hash Historical Society, but their elections raise money to keep the town's historic buildings in good condition.

The new mayor already has an official Facebook page in order to update fans on the goings-on in Rabbit Hash. -via reddit

(Image credit: Mayor Wilbur of Rabbit Hash KY)

Behold the Largest Congregation of Bald Eagles in the United States

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 11:51 AM PST



Haines, Alaska, is home to 2,500 people and about 500 eagles who live there year-round. But in November, up to 3,000 bald eagles show up! A geologic anomaly means that the nearby Chilkat River is one of the last places the surface water freezes, so eagles go there to catch salmon that are no longer available elsewhere. The town makes the most of it, hosting birdwatchers year-round and hosting a festival in November.  

One of those locals is Pam Randles, a now-retired high school science teacher and naturalist guide in Haines. Randles began counting the fall eagle migration 20 years ago as part of her teaching curriculum, and can't quit.

"I watched them for so many years, I just have to go out to look," she admits. On an overcast afternoon in mid-October, Randles drives her rig roughly 12 miles out to the Chilkoot River on the other of the peninsula, one of three rivers spawning salmon swim up before ending in the Chilkat River. Her binoculars bounce over potholes on the passenger seat.

"The eagles were everywhere, sitting in the trees waiting for the tides to go down so they could get some fish," Randles recounts later that day. She laughs, describing an opportunist eagle who once snatched a fisherman's pole with pink on the line. "It's so cool to see them."

Read about the yearly bald eagle meeting at Smithsonian.

Here Comes The Sun

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 11:51 AM PST



We know from an earlier video that Maple loves music. Here he is, emerging into the sunlight as his buddy Acoustic Trench plays the Beatles hit on kalimba. There's no suspense or even a plot, but it's such a lovely moment that it should be shared. -via a comment at Metafilter

15 Brutal Reasons Characters Were Written Out Of The Show

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 11:50 AM PST

If you're fired from your job for fighting with the boss or using drugs, it rarely affects anyone outside the family or workplace. But on a successful TV show, an actor quitting or getting fired means his character must move out of town or more likely, dramatically get killed off. Or the producers may get creative, as in the case above. But there was a very important character who continued on after the actor bowed out.



Who knew that one of the main features of the Doctor was born from a practical production reason instead of an existing mythology? But that's why we still have Doctor Who today. See a pictofacts list of TV characters and the reasons they left their shows at Cracked.

Can You Pass A 1964 Literacy Test?

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 11:49 AM PST

Listen. We might pride ourselves to be more advanced and more literate than our predecessors thanks to the available resources and technology we have at our disposal, but have you ever wondered if you can actually pass a literacy test from a few decades ago? How about trying to pass a literacy that was designed to be impossible to pass? The 1964 Louisiana literacy test was a common vote suppression tactic for Black voters in the South. A sad reality, really. 

(via Flipboard) 

Image screenshot via Flipboard

Pie Art as Storyelling

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 11:44 AM PST

Every pie from Liz Joy's kitchen tells a story. She's an award winning dessert designer (a profession that I had never heard of before but can instantly admire) who markets herself as an artist who can bring unique sugary flavors to particular events and brands. You can see more of Joy work on Instagram or watch an interview about her work here.

-via So Super Awesome

A Post-Apocalyptic Library Educational Drama Series

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 11:35 AM PST

The 1985 Mississippi public television production Tomes & Talismans is a wonder to watch.

As a librarian, I can really appreciate it. One of my principles of collection development is that it should be possible to rebuild human civilization up to the level of 19th Century America from the information contained in the print collection of any mid-sized library. I have used this principle to argue for retaining old, uncirculated books, such as general encyclopedias of science and engineering, which would be essential for the reconstruction of a destroyed human society.

Thus Tomes & Talismans strikes a chord with me. The 13-episode series, which you can watch for free here, depicts an Earth conquered by alien colonizers called the Whipers. Humanity has chosen to evacuate to another star system. One librarian has remained behind in order to ensure that her library's collection has been preserved and its organization scheme made comprehensible to future generations.

I have watched only the first episode, but it appears that the show tells a dystopian science fiction story while teaching viewers how to make find available information in typical public libraries.

-via reddit

Jimi ‘Mundane’ Halloween 2020

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 11:35 AM PST

Halloween may be a day where many of us wear costumes that make us look like monsters, zombies, witches, and ghosts, but for this group of people in Japan, they wear scarier costumes. What do they wear? Mundane costumes that reflect daily life and reality. And if reality doesn't scare you, then I don't know what will.

Learn more details about Jimi Halloween, and check out the costumes, too, over at Spoon & Tamago.

(Image Credit: memedsn/ chica_1107/ purin_hayasaka/ Spoon & Tamago)

A Violin Strung with Hair Still Attached to a Head

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 11:35 AM PST

Tadas Maksimovas, an artist and art director, used 10 years of his own hair growth to string a violin while the hair was still on his head. Then Eimantas Belickas, a violinist, performed on this somewhat cumbersome but creatively designed violin. At the end, rather than unstring the violin, Maksimovas sacrificed his locks for the good of the art and music worlds.

14 Calming Works From Art History to Help You Relax

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 11:35 AM PST

Now more than ever, a lot of people are looking at art as a means to help them retain their sanity during these troubling times. If you're looking for other things to browse on the Internet to take your mind off your problems , why not stare at calming pieces of art? Check out Art Net's list of calming art works, from paintings of the ocean to a sculpture of Buddha, hopefully these artworks can help you out! 

Image via Art Net 

The Weirdest Birds On The Planet

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 11:35 AM PST

Are these actually birds? While these birds share the basic characteristics of  birds, some of their features can make people take a second glance at them. Check out this list by Fodors that features the eleven weirdest birds on the planet. My favorite odd bird is the one with the mohawk. Which one is yours?

Image via Fodors 

Is This The iPhone’s Big Epic Fail?

Posted: 05 Nov 2020 11:35 AM PST

Apple is the one tech company that almost everyone praises for its design and aesthetic prowess. But of course, the owners and managers of the company are human, and are sure to create something that the market won't like. The company's phone accessories for the new iPhone 12 range aren't as popular as they thought they would be. One accessory in particular has been catching the Internet's disdain: 

One of the main new features of the iPhone 12 is its magnet-powered MagSafe feature, which allows accessories to snap onto the back of the phone. These include chargers, cases and even card holders – but a serious design flaw with the latter suggests that even if it's one of the best camera phones, the iPhone 12 might not be the best choice of wallet.
A hands-on video by MacRumors has revealed that when it comes to protecting your credit cards, the iPhone 12 MagSafe wallet is anything but safe. While the magnets are strong enough to adhere to the back of the phone while it is "shaken vigorously," that changes when the wallet is tapped – it many cases it simply "pops right off".

Users have made their feelings known in the comments of MacRumors' video. "Could this be the worst idea for a product Apple has had in decades?" One user asks, while another adds, "That's a design failure. When did they come up with this? Two hours before the keynote?" One even goes so far as to call it the "biggest over-promise/under-deliver by Apple in a long time".

Image via Creative Bloq 
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