MetaFilter

Americans score low on science savvy Few Americans understand the scientific process and many believe in mysterious psychic powers and may be quick to accept phony science reports, according to a national survey There was a nice link today about logical fallacies. It looks like we need help in science as well. The National Science Foundation report it is based on is Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Public Understanding I found the section on Science Fiction and Pseudoscience particularly interesting.
comment posted at 10:50 PM on May-1-02

The Green Monster and Materialism. Do you worry that we live in a materialistic society? Do you share my concern that the extreme search for convenience, ultra-targeted products and our throw-away culture have thrust us in an illusion of pseudo-happiness that is essentially emptiness? Perhaps, the experiences described in this article will help you think about this. (Let the rare lightning from the Seattle clouds strike me! I have sinned- for I have plugged an article that was typed by these shameful hands. Yet, my desire to expose you to this creative piece is greater than my shame at self-promotion. I hope you will understand. Forgive, ye great soul and read on.)
comment posted at 3:09 PM on May-1-02
comment posted at 3:25 PM on May-1-02
comment posted at 3:34 PM on May-1-02

attention rice-boys, live in f43r. your civic has nothing on this ride...
comment posted at 3:18 PM on May-1-02

"This Index of Logical Fallacies looks like it should be required reading for anyone who wants to participate in online discussions. (Hello, Metafilterians? I'm looking in your direction...)"

This from someone named Meg Hourihan. . .I found the link useful (very) while finding the linker very condescending, in this case. I guess we can consider ourselves slapped, huh?
comment posted at 3:31 PM on May-1-02
comment posted at 3:32 PM on May-1-02

Milton would be proud! Swingline has finally seen the light and is making candy apple red staplers as is seen in Office Space. People on ebay have been making a mint repainting other colors to be the desired red color for a couple years, Swingline decided that nothing is like the real thing and has started prodcution of this color, via only the website I think. We got ours today in the mail I'm so giddy I think I'm gonna pass out.
comment posted at 12:53 PM on May-1-02
comment posted at 3:17 PM on May-1-02

Deep linking banned by DallasNews.com. "ultimately... this is our content and we should have some control about where and in what way it is used. We'll see what happens in the law and in the courts to decide how to proceed." Has the law already clarified this issue, or does the newspaper still have room to make a case? (via The Morning News)
comment posted at 12:58 PM on May-1-02

I scream, you scream, we all scream for free ice cream! Today only.
comment posted at 3:46 PM on May-1-02

Who caused the great flood?
Yesterday, Ernie posted a notice that Steve from Blue's Clues was leaving to become a rock star. Now Steve's web site seems to be down for bandwidth overages. They might be unrelated; still, it raises important questions about the possibility of accidentally overloading someone else's server. Where do burdens lie in this scenario? Does anyone have a historical perspective on this sort of situation? =]
comment posted at 2:58 AM on May-1-02

Do short men get short-changed? Any real life experiences to back up or refute this study? I found this very interesting: "If a teenage sense of social exclusion influences future earnings, it may have great implications for youngsters from minority groups."
comment posted at 9:53 AM on Apr-30-02

All coach seats are not created equal Every inch counts. Airplane coach seats with extra inches of stretching room. Print out and keep handy for when you fly.
comment posted at 9:25 AM on Apr-30-02
comment posted at 9:26 AM on Apr-30-02

It's Webby time. You may now commence (or, in some cases, continue) mocking Tiffany Shlain.
comment posted at 2:37 PM on Apr-29-02

The bone trade
comment posted at 2:21 PM on Apr-29-02

RIP: the american center for design. the acd was, at one point, the only organization to create forums in which design professionals - from information architects to typographers to materials specifications experts and back again - could discuss the cultural impacts of their disciplines, no matter the distance between their media. an era of intelligence in design ends, sadly.
comment posted at 1:12 AM on Apr-29-02

It's Mr. Nice! Something to cheer up even the grumpiest MeFite on a Friday afternoon -- dance, Mr. Nice, dance! (Requires Flash and a soundcard helps, too...)
comment posted at 3:24 PM on Apr-26-02

The Junos were last night in Newfoundland. Nickelback got Best Single, Best Rock Album and Best Group. Daniel Lanois was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
I'm stuck in Ohio, did anyone see it? I would image The Barenaked Ladies made great hosts, am I right?
Full List Of Winners.
comment posted at 10:38 AM on Apr-15-02

Antidote to the Liberal Monotone: Blogging After reading MetaFilter for a while, I would assume that blogging ticks off all people, left and right, equally. Does exposure like this on a major Op-Ed page show that blogging is on the verge of becoming something big?
comment posted at 12:12 PM on Apr-4-02
comment posted at 12:20 PM on Apr-4-02

Understanding what makes America tick "The belief that America is exceptional, in the double sense that it is superior and that it is different...The United States had a mission, a manifest destiny, to change the world in its image. This conviction echoes down through American history....Other countries—France, Britain, Russia—have from time to time in their history felt a sense of mission, of carrying their civilisation to other peoples and territories. But in their cases it has been episodic and not deeply rooted—usually limited to when their power was at its zenith and usually clearly recognisable as a rationalisation for what they were doing for other reasons. In the case of the United States, it has been constant and central." [Centre of Independent Studies in Sydney via aldaily] American Exceptionalism. Mix it with sole super power status and massive military might. Should make it quite an intoxicating ride these next few years.
comment posted at 1:00 PM on Apr-4-02

Queen & DeNiro to launch "We Will Rock You" Surviving members of Queen have teamed with Robert DeNiro to stage a musical based on Queen's greatest hits.
comment posted at 1:33 PM on Mar-26-02

Swissair reborn: "SWISS Air Lines"... "Our 'Swissness' subtly informs the way we look, operate and care for our passengers. From colour palettes that reflect our natural environment to the cleanliness of our fleet and freshness of our food, our Swiss origins inspire us in all areas of our business." Can the new airline be rebuilt around a new set of "design" principals, spearheaded by Tyler Brûlé of Wallpaper mag fame?
comment posted at 1:48 PM on Mar-26-02

ATHEIST license plate too offensive for Florida. The state has declared one man's personalized license plate as too obscene or offensive after he's had it for 16 years. This from the same state where you can buy a "Choose Life" speciality tag, which I'm sure some people also find offensive.
comment posted at 9:36 PM on Mar-14-02

Play "police sketch artist" with this Flash project. You can select from dozens of different noses, jawlines, eyes, hair, and so on to create an image of your friends or foes. It's harder to recreate someone than you'd think.
comment posted at 12:44 AM on Mar-14-02

Microsoft must include Java with XP and IE. Sun sues Microsoft for including Java, then sues Microsoft for not including Java. Fascinating.
comment posted at 12:20 PM on Mar-8-02
comment posted at 9:54 PM on Mar-8-02
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comment posted at 11:06 PM on Mar-8-02

What makes "The Simpsons" tick. Long Live The Simpsons!
comment posted at 12:32 PM on Mar-8-02
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comment posted at 9:44 PM on Mar-8-02

I'm Alan Greenspan, And I'll Be Here All Week.
comment posted at 10:58 AM on Mar-7-02

Terrorist News, helpfully split into 2 sections: "The Good News" and "The Bad News."
comment posted at 10:53 AM on Mar-7-02

Lance Bass of N'Sync is to be the youngest person ever to fly in space. The flight is expected to cost $20 million and will involve a flight on a Soyuz taxi mission to the ISS in November 2002. And no, it is not the first of April.
comment posted at 4:06 PM on Feb-20-02

Cat-Scan.com is one of the strangest sites I've seen in some time. I have no idea how these people got their cats wedged into their scanners, or why.
comment posted at 11:26 AM on Apr-9-02
comment posted at 10:38 PM on May-9-02