What sort of personal information would be stored on a newer model car's computer that was used for 2 or 3 years, totaled, and then sent to the junk yard? Has anyone researched or begun to address the security risks of more complicated car computers, if they exist at all?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by codacorolla at 10:48 AM on July 7, 2014 (5 comments)

Can you recommend some good blogs with a Buddhist perspective?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by meese at 10:55 PM on July 4, 2014 (13 comments)

What methods would you recommend to someone looking to develop a sense of self and a more accurate sense of their own value if they've spent most of their life defining themselves and their worth through their grades, their job, and their partner?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Hermione Granger at 3:58 PM on June 28, 2014 (23 comments)

I take everything seriously and overthink every last thing. How can I lighten the f- up? [Long, drawn out, unfun, over-thought more inside.]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Gucky at 9:19 PM on June 24, 2014 (36 comments)

I'm not a survivalist, but I don't feel good about the world. I feel like conversations (around the lunch table, with friends and family, etc) are all sort of hovering slightly above desperation, with regards to things like the financial system, wars, politics, surveillance, technology, depression, etc. It feels like every room is full of elephants and nobody knows what to say about them. Sometimes I feel like I'm draining the joy from the situation -- though I mostly keep all my fears to myself, I worry that I somehow remind everyone of "the darkness." It has something to do with suppression. I don't think I'm alone in feeling like this, so I wonder if there are any intelligent resources for the psychological and social aspects of it.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by mbrock at 7:04 AM on August 31, 2013 (31 comments)

Assuming nothing goes catastrophically wrong (which might not be a good assumption to make, unfortunately), I should be getting a PhD in about 18 months. I'm about 90% sure that I don't want to stay in academia. What steps can I start taking now to have a smoother career change?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 10:38 AM on June 20, 2014 (11 comments)

People tend to think of me as cute, sweet, and other infantilising adjectives. I feel that this is a problem at work. How can I amend my behaviour and appearance to be less cute and more serious?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by sockandawe at 10:52 AM on June 17, 2014 (37 comments)

I just received a master's degree and am looking to move into the technical field I trained for. Over the years, I have increased my profile in the creative fields I pursue part-time (writing, theatre, etc). This poses a challenge to my "by day" career, which sustains my creative work, and the new direction I want to take. How do I separate my professional identities so that they don't conflict, and interfere with my goals? Yadda yadda snowflake after the cut.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by mitschlag at 3:04 PM on June 17, 2014 (6 comments)

"While the problem of consciousness is far from being solved, it is finally being formulated mathematically as a set of problems that researchers can understand, explore and discuss.

Today, Max Tegmark, a theoretical physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, sets out the fundamental problems that this new way of thinking raises. He shows how these problems can be formulated in terms of quantum mechanics and information theory. And he explains how thinking about consciousness in this way leads to precise questions about the nature of reality that the scientific process of experiment might help to tease apart.

Tegmark’s approach is to think of consciousness as a state of matter, like a solid, a liquid or a gas. 'I conjecture that consciousness can be understood as yet another state of matter. Just as there are many types of liquids, there are many types of consciousness,' he says."
posted to MetaFilter by Strange Interlude at 7:14 AM on June 12, 2014 (234 comments)

(1942, B&W, Horror) -- Young brides are spontaneously dying at the altar, deaths engineered by the mad scientist Dr. Lorenz, who then steals the bodies to extract youth juice to inject into his aged wife. YouTube A Bela Lugosi "classic," and one of the oldest movies MST ever did. Riffing quality level isn't as high as 104, but is improved over 103.
posted to FanFare by JHarris at 7:42 PM on June 11, 2014 (5 comments)

So I've always been attracted to both genders. But I get strong crushes mostly on men. However, unfortunately I'm mainly sexually attracted to women. I thought maybe it wasn't a big deal, but I really can't orgasm without thinking of myself with a woman. This sucks because I haven't ever met a woman that really gave me the butterflies the way men do. What the hell am I supposed to do relationship-wise?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by idle at 10:13 AM on June 8, 2014 (16 comments)

I've been reading Godel, Escher, Bach and I want to find more mind-expanding concepts that give the sense of understanding some fundamental truth.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by StephenF at 3:57 PM on June 8, 2014 (14 comments)

I could really use some tips on networking and well, not panicking. Difficulty: I'm pretty strongly introverted and have some social anxiety as well, although I can fake it for a few hours if I have enough energy. I'm a senior PhD student who is expected to be better at this than I am.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 8:04 PM on June 6, 2014 (11 comments)

”Practicing openness and making oneself radically vulnerable is not only scary, it is the opposite of what we are taught to do within the logic of the contemporary university (and society more generally). Our marginalization, meager pay and lack of job security, along with the attacks on professors by students and the administration’s refusal to back up even tenured professors, all contribute to a culture of paranoia and enmity (among administration and faculty, among tenure-track faculty and adjuncts, among professors and students). Even when we manage to maintain our commitment to our students (and we do), the university seeks to capture this affective relationship and use it to further exploit us when we ask for fair wages or better conditions with the reprimand that ‘we are doing this for the students and not the money.’ Just as the practitioners of modernity gutted the erotic and sold us the pornographic, administrators attempt to gut the material and affective conditions of teaching and sell us ‘passion.’” Dr Priya J. Shah: "My Last Day as a Professor."
posted to MetaFilter by koeselitz at 4:08 PM on June 6, 2014 (40 comments)

I need new clothes, and I would like, for once, clothes that look good. Significant bonus points if they signal modesty and I can do some physical work in them.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by The Gaffer at 5:55 PM on June 2, 2014 (7 comments)

I love wild birds and am lucky enough to have several types of wild bird nesting in my backyard this season. First to leave the nest was a fledgling robin, some research has informed me that unlike many other fledglings which seem to get up and out of the back yard quickly robins stay fledgling for a while, running around the ground hiding and being fed and trained in the ways of being a robin by their parents but I can't find any info for how long it will be at this stage.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by wwax at 11:05 AM on June 2, 2014 (6 comments)

Any suggestions for a good apartment plant? Minimal light and minimal fuss preferred.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by kittensofthenight at 11:39 AM on May 18, 2014 (19 comments)

Highlights of a four-month time-lapse taken from a cottage overlooking Lake Huron, during an absolutely epic winter. We planted a double-Raspberry Pi camera on Dcember 27th and recovered it in early May, and were somewhat surprised to find that the board hadn't frozen or been eaten by raccoons. And indeed, the more-reliable Pi had taken over 42,000 photos. Including the lake freezing and thawing, icicles forming right in front of the camera (and then miraculously breaking off just three days later, before they get boring), killer storms, and ghostly single-frame shots of deer passing by. Hope you like it!
posted to MetaFilter Projects by kaibutsu at 9:48 AM on May 16, 2014 (4 comments)

Based on my dysfunctional upbringing, it finally occurred to me that a lot my anxiety comes from being concerned that I will get "in trouble" a disproportionate amount for doing something that I didn't know was so wrong as to be deserving of the punishment. I have just recently started therapy again and will certainly bring this up, but I'm sure some of you will have some advice for me.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by inmyhead at 11:52 AM on May 15, 2014 (15 comments)

Currently, I'm in grad school in DC. I feel like I'm putting my foot in it at every turn, especially toward people in positions of authority, like professors and bosses. At this point, I think there are probably lots of things I'm doing wrong that I don't even know about! Please tell me what the unwritten rules are for being a nice, friendly, pleasant person in this milieu, because I can't figure them out.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by rue72 at 7:08 PM on April 6, 2014 (31 comments)

How do I handle an opposite-sex friendship that feels like it is shading into an emotional affair? No contact? Clear communication about boundaries? Something else?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 7:23 AM on July 14, 2012 (29 comments)

NBC’s Hannibal is the subject of significant critical acclaim as its second season draws near to conclusion, with many describing it as the best show on TV. It’s been called better than True Detective, better than American Horror Story and The Walking Dead, and even better than The Silence of the Lambs. However, despite the confidence of the show's creator in a renewal, the show’s fate on NBC is in question due to low ratings.
posted to MetaFilter by dogheart at 9:02 PM on May 1, 2014 (2088 comments)

UN Climate Report: We Must Focus On 'Decarbonization', and It Won't Wreck the Economy - "The basic message is simple: We share a planet. Let's start acting like it."
posted to MetaFilter by kliuless at 12:13 AM on April 23, 2014 (49 comments)

I'm in a PhD program pursuing a degree in conservation biology. When I finish (and possibly after completing a postdoc or two) I'd like to end up in a job where I can maximize my real-world conservation impact. I'd like to hear some suggestions on how I can do that; lots more detail to be found inside, as well as my reasoning on the subject so far.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Scientist at 5:50 AM on March 18, 2014 (5 comments)

"If you want to be cosmopolitan, you’ll buy star anise, kimchi, and coconut oil. If you want to prevent cancer, buy collard greens, blueberries, and omega-3 eggs. If you want to eat food free of pesticides and high fructose corn syrup, buy organic meat, flour, and dairy. Compound all of these seemingly innocuous exercises in American Dreaming with diet fads like “clean” eating, Westernized veganism, or the paleo diet, and you’ll get a supermarket full of people staring at labels, searching the copy for proof of ideological and medical purity. I need to buy this if I want to be good, if I really want to take care of myself and my family. As it turns out, this moralistic way of framing choice is extremely profitable for food processors, restaurants, and produce retailers: we’ve been effectively held captive by our own consciences."(slBitchMagazine)
posted to MetaFilter by Kitteh at 1:46 PM on March 13, 2014 (143 comments)

Rather than being oblivious, autistic people take in too much and learn too fast. While they may appear bereft of emotion, the Markrams insist they are actually overwhelmed not only by their own emotions, but by the emotions of others. Consequently, the brain architecture of autism is not just defined by its weaknesses, but also by its inherent strengths. The developmental disorder now believed to affect around 1 percent of the population is not characterized by lack of empathy, the Markrams claim. Social difficulties and odd behavior result from trying to cope with a world that’s just too much.
posted to MetaFilter by latkes at 10:24 AM on December 15, 2013 (22 comments)

This is The Big Picture, an official television report of the United States Army, produced for the armed forces and the American people. Now to show you part of The Big Picture here is Master Sargent Stuart Queen

The series consists of ~822 documentaries produced by the United States Army Signal Corps Army Pictorial Service from 1951 to 1971 to educate both soldiers in uniform and the American public about military concerns as well as things like historical battles, world geography, famous soldiers, the latest weapons, space exploration, strategic objectives, peaceful initiatives, and the life of a soldier. Being a product of the Federal Government it belongs to the the American people, and is thus freely available to all to copy and distribute. Most can now be viewed on archive.org

posted to MetaFilter by Blasdelb at 11:05 AM on December 10, 2013 (6 comments)

Hall Pass: An Oral History of Kids In The Hall
posted to MetaFilter by Optamystic at 7:08 AM on December 5, 2013 (47 comments)

"On a sunny day in 1998, Maura Gillison was walking across the campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, thinking about a virus. The young oncologist bumped into the director of the university's cancer centre, who asked politely about her work. Gillison described her discovery of early evidence that human papillomavirus (HPV) — a ubiquitous pathogen that infects nearly every human at some point in their lives — could be causing tens of thousands of cases of throat cancer each year in the United States. The senior doctor stared down at Gillison, not saying a word. “That was the first clue that what I was doing was interesting to others and had potential significance,” recalls Gillison."

Human papillomavirus is causing a new form of head and neck cancer— leaving researchers scrambling to understand risk factors, tests and treatments.

posted to MetaFilter by Blasdelb at 4:25 PM on November 22, 2013 (37 comments)

The Point! (1971) is the animated TV adaptation of singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson's fable about a boy named Oblio, the only round-headed person in the Pointed Village, where by law everyone and everything had to have a point. Despite his round head, Oblio has many friends. But an evil count, jealous that Oblio is more popular than his own son, says that without a pointed head, Oblio is an outlaw. Along with his faithful dog Arrow, Oblio is exiled to the Pointless Forest. There, he has many fantastic experiences (including encounters with a 3-headed man, giant bees, a tree in the leaf-selling business, and a good-humored old rock). From his adventures, Oblio learns that it is not at all necessary to be pointed to have a point in life. Directed by Fred Wolf and narrated by Ringo Starr, the film features all the original songs from Nilsson's album of the same name.
posted to MetaFilter by Room 641-A at 9:29 PM on November 12, 2013 (41 comments)

Accidental Rewilding - In places once thick with farms and cities, human dispossession and war has cleared the ground for nature to return

The forest had entered a cycle Tomaž had not seen before, in which many of the giants had perished. Some had died where they stood, and remained upright, reamed with beetle and woodpecker holes, sprouting hoof fungus and razor strop. They looked as if a whisper of wind could blow them down. Others now stretched across the rocks and craters, sometimes blocking our path, sometimes suspended above our heads. Among the trunks lying on the ground, some were so thick that I could scarcely see over them. Where they had fallen, thickets of saplings crowded into the light. Seeing the profusion of fungus and insect life the dead wood harboured, I was reminded of the old ecologists’ aphorism: there is more life in dead trees than there is in living trees. The tidy-minded forestry so many nations practise deprives many species of their habitats.

by George Monbiot
posted to MetaFilter by the man of twists and turns at 4:16 PM on October 25, 2013 (30 comments)

Ladies: what are your sources for cool and/or geeky t-shirts these days?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Sara C. at 10:47 AM on October 23, 2013 (28 comments)

So, I have about an hour before bed that I use to fold laundry or do the dishes. I like to listen/watch dumb procedural/medical/light scifi dramas, as I do so. Or, science/history documentaries that I can listen to, and not have to actually watch.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by ulfberht at 7:53 PM on October 21, 2013 (43 comments)

I want to find an adventure game that's easy to become obsessed with and has tons to discover and explore.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by good day merlock at 1:25 PM on October 9, 2013 (23 comments)

The Encyclopedia Brown Encyclopedia. Every Encyclopedia Brown mystery, described and analyzed.
posted to MetaFilter by kenko at 4:29 PM on September 19, 2013 (17 comments)

I recall reading an article (written by an academic, I think) about a method of getting through a textbook quickly by analyzing the most frequent entries in the index. Pretty sure it was linked from MetaFilter. Does anyone remember?
posted to MetaTalk by paleyellowwithorange at 6:07 PM on September 18, 2013 (5 comments)

You know those people who have a knack for entertaining? Not so much people who plan elaborate events and always make sure there's guest towels in the bathroom and enough ice when they host parties (although that's great) I’m talking about the folks who you have a great night hanging out with even if you've just turned up semi-unexpectedly and wind up staying for take-away pizza? How do they do that? What are the best ways to create a sense of occasion and make guests feel welcome?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by rockpaperdynamite at 1:32 AM on September 11, 2013 (26 comments)

My tests are normal but I'm having classic gallbladder pain symptoms - please help!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by shrimpsmalls at 6:57 PM on September 11, 2013 (15 comments)

How the Wild West really looked: Gorgeous pictures show the landscape as it was charted for the very first time 150 years ago. Previously.
posted to MetaFilter by nickyskye at 11:48 PM on September 1, 2013 (13 comments)

I am just wondering what the long-term affects are in regards to tagging mammals & animals in the wild? Does anyone ever analyze or study what effects the tag itself will have on that particular animal or the nearby respective animal community that has not been tagged? Do other animals recognize the tags as foreign objects or do most species accept the tag as a normal bodily feature after it has been attached? Is there a species where the tags were deemed "wierd" or foreign enough to cause that animal to be ousted by others?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by dope_feeny at 10:55 AM on August 30, 2013 (7 comments)

I can't keep up with the process of buying and cooking a variety of vegetables. I need a specific few that I can build a repertoire around and buy/eat repetitively without thinking about it. Otherwise everything will keep dying in the fridge. What are the three (subjectively) smartest vegetables I can choose if I am limiting myself to three, with regard to nutrient density (not versatility, and disregarding seasonal aspects.)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by thegreatfleecircus at 12:16 PM on August 29, 2013 (52 comments)

"My name really is Michael Jackson. But I don't sing and I don't drink Pepsi. I drink beer. That's what I do for a living." -- This is how the Beer Hunter introduced himself in the first episode of his 1990 television series. In six episode he introduced the viewer not just to the world of Belgian beers or the best of British, but also the then new and quickly growing world of American craft brewing. Early August 2007, only a few weeks before he passed away, Daniel Shelton had the last ever interview with the Beer Hunter, which is now up in its entirety on Youtube.
posted to MetaFilter by MartinWisse at 1:42 PM on August 6, 2013 (26 comments)

Women's urban clothing. I'd like to find more brands of clothing like G-Star Raw and Triple 5 Soul. I particularly like this jacket and this shirt and this blazer. What are other retailers or brands that sell kinda tough, kinda sexy, kinda rugged apparel, specifically for women?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by barnone at 10:28 AM on October 6, 2007 (11 comments)

I'm trying to build a small wardrobe of versatile, well made, neutral basics(who isn't?), with a twist. I have work clothes provided by my employer, so I only need happy fun time clothes. I have nice plain T's. I need some shirts that are a step up but not button downs; I have to wear them at work and hate them. I'm a woman, mid-forties, 5'3", pear shaped, size 4/6/8 depending on the brand. I have a small waist and enjoy emphasizing it in a fully covered, non-binding way. My budget is about $100 a piece. Suggestions?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by 1066 at 12:27 PM on July 21, 2013 (7 comments)

I'm a very deliberate, risk-averse individual when it comes to big decisions. I make pro/con lists and spend days researching topics only to be stifled with indecision when I think the future is unpredictable. I see people who make the same decision easily, but when I question them about it, it's clear they haven't even thought about any of the factors I did. They seem to be blissfully ignorant over the possible ramifications of their decisions, and in some ways I am jealous that they can go through life so easily. Does this feeling have a name, and how can I get over it?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by RobotNinja at 11:15 AM on July 25, 2013 (41 comments)

I would like to start wearing scarves with my outfits, but I feel totally lost. Please share your advice on how to buy, wear, tie, and style scarves! Additional challenges: I'm short, big-busted, tomboyish, and I have long hair which I usually wear down.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Vatican Cameos at 4:56 AM on July 23, 2013 (14 comments)

I have an annoying tendency to go to bed very late, like 3 or 4 am and wake up at lunch hour. I've tried to change this by getting used to wake up when the sun comes up but I'm always breaking this habit and going back to sleep with the windows covered. I think I got this annoying habit because I procrastinate during the day and when the day comes to an end I don't want to go to bed because I didn't do what was most important during the day. So I try to do that important thing until like 4 am and them go to sleep. I want to break this cycle but it's so difficult!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by tsuwal at 9:16 AM on July 21, 2013 (27 comments)

I have two little boys ages 5 and 3. The five-year old won't put his face in the water, so it is hard to teach him to swim correctly. The younger one is just starting to go in the water, so I would like to do what I can to make him comfortable. What advice can you give me to help teach my children to swim? How can I help my older one get over his dislike of water in the face?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by carpographer at 8:02 AM on July 16, 2013 (27 comments)

I am constantly monitoring other people's tone, actions, facial expressions, etc. for signs of anger, frustration, irritation, etc. I am not conscious of it until something happens, and then I tense up, feel some adrenaline hit, and generally become really conscious of it until the situation is resolved. How do I reduce this impulse?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 5:53 PM on July 8, 2013 (17 comments)

I am a science teacher creating a professional development workshop for other science teachers. The topic is along the lines of "getting real scientific data and measurements from the web for your students to work with". The goal is to find "real" scientific data from the world beyond the classroom, that might make for more compelling classroom activities and investigations in high school and middle school science classes, such as biology/ecology, earth sciences, astronomy, physics, chemistry, etc. The data can be in the form of videos or images to be measured and analyzed, or raw numbers to crunch, or whatever. The data needs to be freely available on the web. Examples inside...
posted to Ask MetaFilter by chr1sb0y at 4:01 AM on July 8, 2013 (16 comments)