June 2, 2014

Ryland's Story

The stirring story of Ryland Whittington's family. (SLYT)
posted by growabrain at 9:28 PM PST - 18 comments

Did you do that

Did dogs help drive mammoths to their graves? Prehistoric dog found with mammoth bone in its mouth. Daisy, a miniature wire-haired dachshund, finds mammoth bone on the beach.
posted by stbalbach at 9:03 PM PST - 26 comments

Alexander Shulgin: Godfather of psychedelics has died (1925-2014)

Alexander Shulgin has died at 88. Infamous for TIHKAL and PIHKAL, chemistry manuals for psychonauts, the chemist pioneered psychedelic research primarily through self-experimentation. He is survived by his wife Ann.
posted by bodywithoutorgans at 9:00 PM PST - 75 comments

I mean, I guess that is how it has to work

This video of a GoPro in a dishwasher does what it says on the tin. [SLYT]
posted by sparklemotion at 8:52 PM PST - 77 comments

all that is gold does not glitter

Quasi-medieval illustrations from a Russian edition of Lord of the Rings (part 2, part 3, part 4.)
posted by michaelh at 7:17 PM PST - 36 comments

The Big Game.

These Spelling Bee Champions Can Teach Us an Important Lesson About Race in America "In the past few years, the 89-year-old competition has seen a striking pattern in which Indian-American contestants have lifted the winner's trophy eight consecutive times and in 13 of the past 17 outings. Their streak feeds into years of conversation around race, achievement and immigrant success — all tied to problematic notions of what it means to be "American."
posted by sweetkid at 6:58 PM PST - 71 comments

Can't Say I Don't Sympathize

This dog does not want to get up. (SLYT)
posted by Ipsifendus at 6:57 PM PST - 22 comments

That's no oomn!

ARST ARSW (LSTY)
posted by tss at 6:26 PM PST - 36 comments

Sexism and Hurricanes; or, the Dangers of Bad Science

Hurricanes with feminine names kill more people because people are sexist. Or it could be bad (social) science.
posted by goatdog at 6:00 PM PST - 63 comments

Hackers disclose how Russia employs professional internet shills

How Russia’s Troll Army Hit America. The documents show instructions provided to the commenters that detail the workload expected of them. On an average working day, the Russians are to post on news articles 50 times. Each blogger is to maintain six Facebook accounts publishing at least three posts a day and discussing the news in groups at least twice a day. By the end of the first month, they are expected to have won 500 subscribers and get at least five posts on each item a day. On Twitter, the bloggers are expected to manage 10 accounts with up to 2,000 followers and tweet 50 times a day.
posted by shivohum at 5:47 PM PST - 39 comments

Don Juan Carlos de Borbon will step down

Juan Carlos I of Spain will abdicate in favor of his son, Felipe, Prince of Asturias. Juan Carlos may best be remembered for delivering democracy to post-Franco Spain and for defeating a 1981 coup attempt. [more inside]
posted by Ranucci at 5:35 PM PST - 46 comments

What we talk about when we talk about sex (with kids)

What if we admitted to children that sex is primarily about pleasure?
I realized why my son was confused. He was thinking “accidentally getting pregnant” was like accidentally burning yourself because you didn’t realize the stove was on. “Sweetie,” I explained, “most of the time that people have sex, they’re not having it to have a baby. They’re having it because it feels good. So you can get accidentally pregnant if you’re having sex for pleasure and you don’t use effective birth control.”
The consequences of talking honestly with children about sex, by Alice Dreger. [more inside]
posted by medusa at 3:35 PM PST - 107 comments

TenBall - Its snooker - For the '90s!

This video shows highlights of the inaugural (and only) Tenball tournament. Hosted by Phillip Schofield with 6 time World Snooker Champion Steve Davis. (The action starts at 16:50 but in the first few minutes Steve Davis explains the differences between Tenball and Snooker) [wiki][slyt]
posted by marienbad at 1:02 PM PST - 7 comments

The Two Electorates

How the Democrats Can Avoid Going Down This November: The new science of Democratic survival
"Accordingly, field operations have been transformed from busywork for volunteers into the most rigorously scientized corner of the trade."
posted by davidstandaford at 12:30 PM PST - 65 comments

A day in the life of Everyday Astronaut

In November of 2013, I found myself the lone bidder of a Russian high altitude space suit on an auction website called RRauction. Since then, I’d been scheming how to best use the suit. I have been revisiting my childhood love for space and my obsession was growing stronger and stronger. It was only natural to use this suit to project the inner child in me, still dreaming about space. With that, I present to you: "A day in the life of Everyday Astronaut".
posted by Lexica at 12:30 PM PST - 14 comments

The search for psychology's lost boy

"He pictured sitting down with Albert—who would have been in his 80s when Beck started searching for him—and watching the Little Albert video together." [more inside]
posted by Catseye at 11:50 AM PST - 7 comments

This Boots was made for Cirque du Soleil

Double amputee Boots the cat walks down the stairs on her front paws. [more inside]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:24 AM PST - 27 comments

“It is the year 2001. You’re on your way to a space station…"

2001: A Space Odyssey -- A Look Behind the Future. In 1966, Look magazine released a documentary on the making of Stanly Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and the science featured in the film. Vernon Myers, the publisher and president of the magazine, bookends the documentary, announcing that Look would feature the film in its magazine to coincide with its then-1967 release date. If you remember, Kubrick got his start in photography working for the magazine as a young man, so it makes sense that his former-employer would want to feature his upcoming film.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:15 AM PST - 3 comments

"50 Cent Believes In Us," I reassured her.

50 Cent says: Make a vision board. Do it tonight, when you get home. Open your laptop. Create a new folder. Think about the things you want for your future. "I want you to Google pictures and put everything you want in this folder," 50 Cent says. "Everything. All right?" 50 Cent Is My Life Coach.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 10:43 AM PST - 22 comments

Determining the risk of harm or neglect

Should a Mental Illness Mean You Lose Your Kid? [more inside]
posted by zarq at 9:36 AM PST - 32 comments

Net Neutrality: Cats, Comcast, Cost and Comments

John Oliver and Last Week Tonight do an extended piece on Net Neutrality.
posted by Wordshore at 9:20 AM PST - 55 comments

Weekend at Sri Ashutosh's

Indian court asked to rule on whether Hindu guru dead or meditating: Since January 29 of this year, Sri Ashutosh Maharaj, founder of the Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan religious sect, has been residing in a freezer in his ashram in Punjab. His followers claim he is in a "deep meditative state (samadhi)." Doctors, however, have declared Maharaj clinically dead and his family have sued to have his death be investigated and to have his body released for cremation. The guru's son also alleges that Maharaj was murdered and that his followers are trying to gain control of his estate, said to be worth $170 million. While traditional yogis have claimed extraordinary powers, including the power to stop one's heart, the evidence for these claims has been lacking.
posted by Cash4Lead at 9:18 AM PST - 43 comments

Who stole my pi.

Man trademarks pi sign π. Hires attorney, submits takedown request letter to online DIY merchandiser Zazzle. In knee-jerk response, this past week Zazzle removed all merchandise bearing π sign. [more inside]
posted by Mike Mongo at 8:23 AM PST - 78 comments

when I wear a skirt, it makes them think about gender and not jumping to

agender: portraits of young people who identify as neither male or female. (first two links NSFW: nudity) [more inside]
posted by and they trembled before her fury at 7:57 AM PST - 85 comments

Now reunited with Allan Melvin

Ann B. Davis, known as Schultzie from the Bob Cummings Show, and even better known as Alice from The Brady Bunch, has died. TV Land Remembers Davis.
posted by Melismata at 7:48 AM PST - 31 comments

"I can't believe how big a deal they're making over me."

Last year, Harriette Thompson was battling an oral cancer. Yesterday, she became the world record holder in her age group at the Rock 'n Roll San Diego Marathon, clocking in a 7:07:42, the fastest time ever recorded for a woman over the age of 90. Today, she and her husband are celebrating their 67th anniversary.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:06 AM PST - 13 comments

"[R]oyalty stacking is not merely a theoretical concern"

A working paper (short(er) overview from FOSS patents; full 69 page paper in pdf) by an Intel in-house counsel and two WilmerHale lawyers has recently been published analyzing royalty demands for smartphone components. Using publicly available data, the authors estimate "potential patent royalties in excess of $120 on a hypothetical $400 smartphone--which is almost equal to the cost of [the] device's components". [more inside]
posted by daniel_charms at 5:21 AM PST - 34 comments

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