mathowie is featured on the flickr blog today as part of "8 Years, 8 Members, 8 Stories".
posted to MetaTalk by blaneyphoto at 10:42 AM on February 10, 2012 (22 comments)

One of the delights of the books and the blog is the authors’ willingness to play with ideas and consider alternative explanations. But unquestioning trust in friends and colleagues combined with the desire to be counterintuitive appear in several cases to have undermined their work. They—and anyone who wishes to convey economics and statistics to a popular audience—just need to take the next step and avoid, in any given example, privileging one story over all other possibilities.

Freakonomics: What Went Wrong?
posted to MetaFilter by RogerB at 1:07 PM on December 13, 2011 (52 comments)

Safe places in Oakland to live?
posted to Ask Metafilter by tessalations999 at 12:04 AM on September 5, 2010 (22 comments)

We are putting up a black interstitial about SOPA/PIPA for the next 24hrs or so. If you click away from it, you'll get a cookie stored so you won't see it again in the same browser, but what follows is my reasons for doing it.
posted to MetaTalk by mathowie at 9:06 PM on January 17, 2012 (547 comments)

Don Hong-Oai (1929 - 2004), was a master of creating artwork which appeared to be Chinese ink illustrations, but were actually photographs. [gallery]
posted to MetaFilter by quin at 8:24 PM on January 6, 2012 (18 comments)

How the Dutch got their cycle paths (Youtube). How Paris decided to become a bicycle friendly city. How Copenhagen became a cycling city (PDF). How San Francisco became a cycling city. How London tried (and failed) to become a cycling city. How Sevilla, Spain is becoming a world-class bicycling city (more: Seville's lesson and Seville's remarkable transformation). How Ciclovia came to Bogotá (Streetfilms). How Portland plans to become the first world-class bike city in America; how expanding Portland's inexpensive bicycle network led to an exponentially expanding amount of bicycling (Streetfilms). How Janette Sadik-Khan is transforming New York City streets (Streetfilms).
posted to MetaFilter by flug at 10:55 AM on January 5, 2012 (33 comments)

"Although there is a great deal of psychological research on misinformation, there's no summary of the literature that offers practical guidelines on the most effective ways of reducing the influence of myths. The Debunking Handbook boils the research down into a short, simple summary, intended as a guide for communicators in all areas (not just climate) who encounter misinformation." Direct PDF link.
posted to MetaFilter by brundlefly at 2:39 PM on January 3, 2012 (33 comments)

Does your profession or hobby have a pithy saying that encapsulates the work or its ethics? For example, "Make no little plans" (Daniel Burnham) resonates with city planners. Perhaps "First do no harm" (or Primum non nocere) might be an example related to physicians and other health care workers... or is it just outsiders who think so? What about "Serve and protect" for law enforcement? The quotes can be funny, ironic or sincere... it doesn't matter so long as they are short (think something that could be engraved on a charm) and people in the profession recognize the phrase as somehow emblematic of their work. Thanks in advance!
posted to Ask Metafilter by carmicha at 9:23 AM on December 29, 2011 (134 comments)

I am going to read a novella* a week in 2012. Lay em on me.
posted to Ask Metafilter by holdkris99 at 1:34 PM on December 29, 2011 (74 comments)

What is it like to have an understanding of very advanced mathematics? A naive Quora question gets a remarkably long, thorough answer from an anonymous respondent. The answer cites, among many other things, Tim Gowers's influential essay "The Two Cultures of Mathematics," about the tension between problem-solving and theory-building. Related: Terry Tao asks "Does one have to be a genius to do maths?" (Spoiler: he says no.)
posted to MetaFilter by escabeche at 1:07 PM on December 24, 2011 (56 comments)

What do you pay for online that you really feel is money well spent?
posted to Ask Metafilter by mcstayinskool at 8:59 AM on December 23, 2011 (63 comments)

My cups of tea teach me things. Can the carpets, or the plates, or the cushions?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Fen at 5:19 PM on December 21, 2011 (20 comments)

I'd like to respectfully ask everyone to please clean up their Google search URLs.
posted to MetaTalk by ob1quixote at 8:39 AM on December 10, 2011 (86 comments)

I want to spend less time and effort on "maintenance" activities. What are some good not-widely-known methods, or (cheap/small) products, to get this stuff done more quickly and get back to the more interesting parts of your day? (Examples in the extended explanation...)
posted to Ask Metafilter by SpiralT at 10:25 PM on November 28, 2011 (25 comments)

I want to learn about mindfulness, to be more mindful. Also known as witnessing or distancing. The ability to be both within and outside a given situation, not to be overwhelmed but to have a part of your mind observe yourself and others all the time. I think this is what very expensive education can teach you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by slimeline at 4:35 AM on November 26, 2011 (19 comments)

10 Myths About Introverts: "Myth #2 – Introverts are shy: Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite." [via a comment at this similarly accurate post from Diamond Geezer].
posted to MetaFilter by feelinglistless at 4:59 AM on November 27, 2011 (172 comments)

Meanwhile, 6th and Mission St is in the center of city. If you've ever walked it, it's like stepping into the another world, not a pleasant one either. On a rainy night, wandering into Tu Lan, it's famed Vietnamese restaurant, is the closest experience I can recommend to feeling like you're in Blade Runner in America. I work between 5th and 6th on Mission and have wondered and despised how such a place like this came to be. Here's an answer from someone that lives there, which really has me thinking.
posted to MetaFilter by straight_razor at 3:23 PM on November 4, 2011 (106 comments)

Monty Python's Terry Gilliam explains his cutout animation technique. The technique itself doesn't really matter -- whatever works is the thing to use. And that's why I use cutout. It's the quickest and easiest form of animation that I know. (SLYT)
posted to MetaFilter by swift at 11:42 AM on November 22, 2011 (23 comments)

"How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Discussing Race". Recent talk from Jay Smooth presented at a local TED conference meet up at Hampshire College. Previously.
posted to MetaFilter by catchingsignals at 11:06 PM on November 17, 2011 (27 comments)

I proposed a meetup earlier this year and then screwed up moving dates and such, and couldn't make it happen. I'm hoping to make it right this time though... is anyone up for a meetup November 18 or 19? Or perhaps the following weekend?
posted to MeFi IRL by gursky at 10:10 PM on November 7, 2011

Between August and October this year the crew of the ISS used a special low-light HD camera to visually capture the earth as it passed beneath them. The result, edited together by Michael König and set to music, is jaw-droppingly spectacular.

It may be redundant to tell you to set Vimeo to full-screen mode before playing, but do so - you won't regret it. Post intended as something of a sequel to this. Some related channels on Vimeo: The World In HD, HDTime, Slow Motion & Timelapse Theatre.
posted to MetaFilter by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 10:41 AM on November 13, 2011 (74 comments)

Allas creates surprisingly novel highlight clips of FC Barcelona, perhaps the most talented football/soccer team of the moment. This fifteen minute video illustrates Barcelona’s tactics, and serves as an introduction to aspects of the beautiful game that were previously invisible to novices like me.
posted to MetaFilter by ferdydurke at 11:08 AM on November 8, 2011 (35 comments)

Three Principles of Self-Defense, by Sam Harris
posted to MetaFilter by rollick at 3:45 PM on November 9, 2011 (157 comments)

What's the best chocolate available in the USA?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Marky at 8:45 PM on November 8, 2011 (49 comments)

Hacked! James Fallows writes in the Atlantic Monthly on how his wife's Gmail account was hacked, and years of email were deleted. Summary: if you have Gmail, you should be using its new 2-step verification; use strong passwords; don't re-use passwords.
posted to MetaFilter by russilwvong at 5:45 PM on November 5, 2011 (97 comments)

Calling all non-USAans: Can you give me some examples of tiny, weird things you discovered about the United States only when you got here?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Diablevert at 10:06 PM on November 5, 2011 (291 comments)

The Strange World of Gurney Slade was a "sitcom" starring Anthony Newley (previously). Airing on British television in late 1960, the show's self-reflexivity, bizarreness, and deep experimentation was truly ahead of its time for television. All six episodes are available on YouTube.
posted to MetaFilter by Pope Xanax IV at 11:11 PM on October 17, 2011 (12 comments)

in 1994, Gary Larson's Far Side came to life on television in the form of an animated Halloween special like no other. Tales From The Far Side only aired once, and the television version differs from the not-easily-located DVD version. You can read more about this dark and hilarious animated classic courtesy of Vinnie Rattolle's, and find a copy of the television version for your very own holiday viewing.
posted to MetaFilter by hippybear at 7:03 PM on October 29, 2011 (28 comments)

I have forgotten basically all of math, and I want to learn it again from the ground up.
posted to Ask Metafilter by showbiz_liz at 8:37 AM on October 19, 2011 (28 comments)

What are your favorite "insider" movies?
posted to Ask Metafilter by marsha56 at 9:02 AM on October 21, 2011 (47 comments)

60 Second Adventures in Thought is an animated series exploring famous thought experiments. More on: Hilbert's Paradox of the Grand Hotel, Schrödinger's cat, the Grandfather Paradox, the Chinese Room Argument, the Twin Paradox, and Achilles and the Tortoise.
posted to MetaFilter by bluefly at 3:19 AM on October 22, 2011 (70 comments)

I love to walk the streets observing and experiencing. Recent I discovered the French term "flaneur" which loosely translated, means "someone who walks the city in order to experience it". I was wondering if anyone knew of any essays (historical or modern) written about the joys of being a flaneur or a flaneuse?
posted to Ask Metafilter by zaebiz at 3:24 PM on October 24, 2011 (37 comments)

I'm in a rut. Professionally and personally, I have long lists of projects that I need or want to get done and have made little to no progress on. I've made lists. I've made plans. I've made schedules. I've thought about why it is that I'm not doing what I know I should do. When I think about all the things I want to do and am not doing I feel ill.
posted to Ask Metafilter by bunderful at 6:26 PM on October 12, 2011 (15 comments)

"Google+ is a knee-jerk reaction, a study in short-term thinking, predicated on the incorrect notion that Facebook is successful because they built a great product." "Last night, high-profile Google engineer Steve Yegge mistakenly posted a long rant about working at Amazon and Google’s own issues with creating platforms on Google+...The most interesting part to me, though, is Yegge’s blunt assessment of what he perceives to be Google’s inability to understand platforms and how this could endanger the company in the long run." It's quite long, but there's some interesting insight - all the more because it wasn't initially intended to be made public. (via SiliconFilter/via G+)
posted to MetaFilter by flex at 10:26 AM on October 12, 2011 (174 comments)

"As a black woman, I don’t identify with and relate to most of the non-black characters I see on TV, much less characters of my own race. When I flip through the channels, it's disheartening. I don’t see myself or women like me being represented. I’m not a smooth, sexy, long-haired vixen; I’m not a large, sassy black woman; an angry Post Office employee. I’m an awkward black girl."
posted to MetaFilter by lesli212 at 11:31 AM on September 14, 2011 (186 comments)

Episode 65 is just me and Jessamyn shooting the breeze about the last month and a half of posts to the sites. Enjoy.
posted to MetaTalk by mathowie at 3:17 PM on September 19, 2011 (33 comments)

How do I "do what I love" if I have no idea how to even figure out what the heck that is? Steve Jobs has thrown me into an existential crisis and I need the hive mind to set me on the right path.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Elminster24 at 9:51 PM on October 5, 2011 (51 comments)

According to a press release issued by Apple, co-founder Steve Jobs has passed away.
posted to MetaFilter by ancillary at 4:47 PM on October 5, 2011 (1524 comments)

Can a New Yorker live happily in Vancouver?
posted to Ask Metafilter by dantekgeek at 10:00 PM on September 25, 2011 (27 comments)

What information do you consider essential to being a resident in Oakland? This isn't just a "which neighborhoods are safe/ghetto" question (although I'd like to hear about that, too), I'm also wondering about things like the cost of utilities, how cold does it get in the winter/hot does it get in the summer, local events and attractions like Art Murmur, how efficient AC Transit is (I don't drive or ride a bike so I'll be relying pretty heavily on public transit and my own two feet), how important is it to rent a parking space, and anything else you wish you'd known before moving to Oakland.
posted to Ask Metafilter by foulowl at 3:31 PM on March 19, 2009 (24 comments)

How does it feel to fly over planet Earth from the perspective of the ISS? A timelapse movie by James Drake, compiled from pictures drawn from the incredible Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Place the video in HD and fullscreen for the full effect. via
posted to MetaFilter by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 11:38 PM on September 17, 2011 (29 comments)

Say you are not able to find an intimate/romantic/sex partner. Ever. What would you do? I mean, you actually want one, maybe not the "love of your life" but at least something temporary. And let's say everyone you approach about this rejects you. What do you do with the rest of your life?
posted to Ask Metafilter by cupcake1337 at 9:18 PM on September 8, 2011 (158 comments)

I know what will make my life better. So why don't I do what it takes?
posted to Ask Metafilter by miltoncat at 10:10 PM on September 12, 2011 (35 comments)

Avoid the News: Towards A Healthy News Diet. (large-ish PDF) Go without news. Cut it out completely. Go cold turkey. Make news as inaccessible as possible . . . . After a while, you will realize that despite your personal news blackout, you have not missed – and you’re not going to miss – any important facts. If some bit of information is truly important to your profession, your company, your family or your community, you will hear it in time – from your friends, your mother-in-law or whomever you talk to or see. When you are with your friends, ask them if anything important is happening in the world. The question is a great conversation starter. Most of the time, the answer will be: “not really.”
posted to MetaFilter by jason's_planet at 4:58 PM on April 20, 2011 (113 comments)

Of course all my hoping didn't work, and I'm ageing. The people I love also are, to my dismay.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Tarumba at 7:09 AM on September 7, 2011 (65 comments)

Today we're introducing a new way to find travel questions at Ask MetaFilter: Travel Locations.
posted to MetaTalk by pb at 8:27 AM on September 7, 2011 (114 comments)

"Pro tip for comic book artists: No human being alive sits like that as a way of relaxing. This is beyond ridiculous.".
posted to MetaFilter by griphus at 8:46 PM on September 2, 2011 (231 comments)

Going to the store. [Vimeo]
posted to MetaFilter by ardgedee at 11:19 AM on September 2, 2011 (72 comments)

Dune Week is CANCELED!
posted to MetaTalk by curious nu at 2:12 PM on September 2, 2011 (125 comments)

The many covers of the Dune series. / Dune fan art found on deviantart, and other, different fan art, and some even more fan art. (Dune art previously)
posted to MetaFilter by curious nu at 1:44 PM on September 1, 2011 (32 comments)