Physics Sex Scandals

"5 Of Physics's Greatest Sex Scandals".

I don't know if one can say whether Schroedinger did or did not cheat on his wife until he was observed. (Via Sam K.)

Turning Escher Drawings into Real 3D Models

"3D Print the Impossible! Turning Escher Drawings into Real 3D Models". (Via Vik Rubenfeld.)

Facebook Plus Wolfram Alpha

"What Facebook and Wolfram Alpha can tell you about yourself"

Win Nobel Prize, Get Free Beer

Alex Knapp: "For Winning The Nobel Prize, Niels Bohr Got A House With Free Beer"

Awesome Anamorphic Optical Illusions

Awesome Anamorphic Optical Illusions:


From the video description:

I've included the images in this video for you to download and try yourself. Print them on 8.5 X 14. Cut the paper any way you'd like to add more of an effect.

Rubiks - http://i.imgur.com/ffAnX.jpg
Tape - http://i.imgur.com/GUU2b.jpg
Shoe - http://i.imgur.com/J8VNL.jpg

Wireless Network of Cows

"Wireless network of cows to keep burps under control". (Via MR.)

Musk Mars Colony

Ari Armstrong: "SpaceX Founder Musk Envisions Mars Colony: Potential Value is Immense"

Olfactory White

Oldfactory white is the olfactory equivalent of "white noise". (Via Instapundit.)

Fooled By The Onion

9 examples of mainstream news outlets fooled by The Onion.

Combining Human Brain with Computer Vision

"Sentry System Combines a Human Brain with Computer Vision"

Driverless Cars and Robot Morality

Driverless cars and robot morality.

10 Things To Do When You Win The Lottery

"10 Things To Do When You Win The Lottery"

Self-Filling Water Bottle Skepticism

Some skepticism: "Is it possible to create a self-filling water bottle?"

Munchausen By Internet

"Why Would Someone Want to Fake a Serious Illness on the Internet?"

Related: How to spot "Munchausen by internet"

Extinction-Level Near-Collision in 1883?

Did the Earth nearly have an extinction-level "Deep Impact" collision in 1883?

Dr Seuss Does Malaria

"Dr. Seuss Does Malaria".

WWII-era US government pamphlet illustrated by Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss), explaining malaria precautions to the troops.  Click through to see the rest. (Via Dr. Amesh Adalja.)

Misplaced Decimal Point Creates Spinach=Strength Myth

The origin of the spinach=strength myth was a misplaced decimal point:

In 1870, German chemist Erich von Wolf analyzed the iron content of green vegetables and accidentally misplaced a decimal point when transcribing data from his notebook. As a result, spinach was reported to contain a tremendous amount of iron -- 35 milligrams per serving, not 3.5 milligrams (the true measured value). While the error was eventually corrected in 1937, the legend of spinach's nutritional power had already taken hold, one reason that studio executives chose it as the source of Popeye's vaunted strength...

Breast Milk Exchange?

No, I did not realize there was a barter market for breast milk. (Via Marginal Revolution.)

Cyberforensics Update

"The Real Cyberforensics Used To Snoop On Petraeus (And You)"

3D Printing and Military Logistics

"3D printing revolution in military logistics".  (Via James Joyner.)

Why Don't We Eat Turkey Eggs?

Why don't we eat turkey eggs?

Combat Kitchenware

 Combat kitchenware.  (Another Kickstarter project).

Self-Filling Water Bottle

Invention of the day: Self-filling water bottle.

Simberg Kickstarter Book Project on Space Safety

Rand Simberg has a new Kickstarter project for his book on space safety. 

(I've already donated!)

Realistic Space Combat

Memphet'ran: "Essay on Realistic Space Combat". (Via Kottke.)

Related: "The Physics of Space Battles"

Shatner Turkey Frying Safety PSA

Classic William Shatner deep fried turkey safety PSA.

Just remember: "Fire, metal, oil, and turkey are glorious when in harmony".

Thanksgiving Menu for ISS

Alex Knapp: "What Space Station Astronauts Will Eat For Thanksgiving"

Microsoft Surface Reviewed

Scathingly negative review of the Microsoft Surface.

3D Photo Booths Make Mini-Me's

CNN: "3-D photo booth makes a miniature you"

The Dangers of No Pain

NYT: "The Hazards of Growing Up Painlessly"

No Hoverboards

I hope he's proven wrong: "Let's Face It, We're Never Getting Our Hoverboards"

African Teen Innovator

Self-taught African teen builds own batteries, starts own radio station broadcasting news/music. (Via Maximizing Progress.)

Gene Predicts What Time of Day You Will Die

"Study: A Gene Predicts What Time of Day You Will Die"

This adds new meaning to the phrase, "I'm not a morning person."

The 10% Neuromyth

WSJ: "Using Just 10% of Your Brain? Think Again"

(FWIW, I'm not convinced that the "learning styles" concept is a mere "neuromyth".)

The Earthquake Rose

"When a magnitude 6.8 earthquake shook Olympia, Wash., in 2001, shopowner Jason Ward discovered that a sand-tracing pendulum had recorded the vibrations in the image [below]."  (Via Doug W.)

Don't Trust Your First Guess On A Test

"When taking a test, should you change that answer or stick with what you put down first?"

Hollywood Fake Products

Best Hollywood fake products.

Eternal Flame Falls

Geological oddity of the day: Eternal Flame Falls.

3D Printers and Skyfall

"How 3D printed cars were created to spare the priceless original while filming Skyfall". (Via Marginal Revolution.)

4G Vulnerability

"One Simple Trick Could Disable a City's 4G Phone Network".

Faster Computer

"The world has a new fastest computer, thanks to video games"

Reverse Big Brother

WSJ: "China's Online Vigilantes Challenge Officialdom"

Kill The Password?

"Kill the Password: Why a String of Characters Can't Protect Us Anymore"

Cloaking Update

BBC News: "Invisibility cloaking in 'perfect' demonstration".

Princess Bride Lines On ESPN

Last week on ESPN's "NFL Kickoff", Trey Wingo, Mark Sclereth, and Tedy Bruschi jammed as many Princess Bride references as they could into their half hour show. Hilarious!

Hater's Guide To Williams-Sonoma Catalog

"The Hater's Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog".

(Note: Contains some mildly NSFW language.  Via Kelly V.)

Self-Assembling Polymer Increases Hard Drive Capacity 5X

"Chemists create self-assembling polymer that increases hard drive capacity by 5X"

Modern Day Big Brother

"The Broadwell saga illustrates just how vulnerable our e-mail is to warrantless government snooping"

[Off topic] Hsieh Forbes OpEd On Protecting Yourself Against ObamaCare

[Off-topic:] The 11/13/2012 Forbes has published my latest OpEd: "5 Ways To Protect Yourself Against Obamacare". 

(And thanks, Instapundit, for the link!)

Hot Steamy Sodium Ethyl Xanthate

"10 Chemical Compounds with Immature Jokes for Names".

Awesome Animal Portraits

"More than Human: Animal Portraits by Tim Flach"

Why Online Education Works

Alex Tabarrok: "Why Online Education Works"

Ten More Bets You'll (Almost) Never Lose

"Ten more bets you'll (almost) never lose:

When You're Visited By A Copy Of Yourself, Stay Calm

Good advice from NPR: "When You're Visited By A Copy Of Yourself, Stay Calm"

The Man Who Saved Tennis From Bad Line Calls

"The Man Who Saved Tennis From Bad Line Calls"

Robotic Hands

"Evil, high-speed robot hand proves humans doomed servants of our coming cyborg overlords"

How Does the Queen Answer the Phone?

"How does the Queen answer the phone?"

Bizarre Legal Loopholes

"Lawyers of Reddit, What are Some Interesting Laws/Loopholes?"

Distinguishing Real Vs. Fake Science

"10 Questions To Distinguish Real From Fake Science". (Via Alex Knapp.)

Pacemaker Powered By Heartbeat

"Perpetual motion: A piezoelectric pacemaker that is powered by your heartbeat".

Of course, it's not truly "perpetual motion".  But it is a clever way to eliminate surgical battery changes.

Related: "MIT devises biobattery that could allow the human ear to power its own hearing aid".

Proteins Made to Order

"Proteins made to order"

Stuxnet Hits Chevron

WSJ: "Virus Aimed at Iran Infected Chevron Network"

Death Star Trash Compactor.

McSweeneys: "On the Implausibility of the Death Star’s Trash Compactor". (Via Aeon Skoble.)

Old People Versus Babies, In One Graph

"Populations are aging mainly because people are having fewer and fewer babies, not because life expectancy is increasing".

Click through to see the interactive graph.

In-Flight Phone Cals

"Internet calls spur clash over talking in the air"

Bad Idea of the Day: CyberDraft

Today's bad idea: "'Cyberdraft' Would Press-Gang Geeks Into Government Service".

Hey, let's entrust critical cybersecurity to smart-but-unwilling draftees!  (Via Meredith Patterson.)

Curing Colorblindness

Curing colorblindness.

Bacteria Turn Sugar Into Jet Fuel

"Combined bacterial/metal catalysis turns sugars to jet fuel"

A Holographic Microscope for Just $250

"A Holographic Microscope for Just $250"

S3xbot Musings

"Musings On Robot Sex Dolls and Companions". (Via Rand Simberg.)

My Electoral College Prediction

In the interest of intellectual honesty and to close the loop, I'll freely acknowledge: Boy, was I wrong in my EC prediction.

(Basically, I banked on an "enthusiasm edge" for GOP supporters that wasn't there or had evaporated.)

For the record, here was my prediction:

Gas for Sex Trades in NY, NJ

Gasoline price controls in NY and NJ have led to this inevitable secondary market: "13 People Trying To Trade Gas For Sex On Craigslist". (Via Marginal Revolution.)

MS Marketing Genius

Microsoft: Hey, let's release Halo 4 on Election Day! We'll totally dominate the news cycle!

Famous Trials

Famous trials.

Iron Man Exoskeletons?

"Will we ever have Iron Man exoskeletons?"

Abacus Championships

"World's fastest number game wows spectators and scientists"

I was especially impressed by the "Flash Anzan" (imaginary abacus) competition:

...[I]t requires contestants to use the mental image of an abacus. Since when you get very good at the abacus it is possible to calculate simply by imagining one. In Flash Anzan, 15 numbers are flashed consecutively on a giant screen. Each number is between 100 and 999. The challenge is to add them up. Simple, right? Except the numbers are flashed so fast you can barely read them.

Is Scotch The New Wine?

"Liquid Assets: Is Scotch The New Wine?"

Behind the Scenes at NASA's Mission Control

"Going boldly: Behind the scenes at NASA's hallowed Mission Control Center". (Via Howard R.)

Robot vs. Human Race Car Driving

"Human 'Only Just' Edges Out Robot Car On The Racetrack". (Via Marginal Revolution.)

Kids Are Smart

"Ethiopian kids hack OLPCs in 5 months with zero instruction"

Related from MIT Technology Review: "Given Tablets but No Teachers, Ethiopian Children Teach Themselves"

British Invasions

"British have invaded nine out of ten countries - so look out Luxembourg"

The article notes, "Britain has invaded all but 22 countries in the world in its long and colourful history".

My favorite quote:

The only other nation which has achieved anything approaching the British total, Mr Laycock said, is France -- which also holds the unfortunate record for having endured the most British invasions...

How Cork is Made

"How cork is made: An illustrated guide to the cork production process". (Via Gus Van Horn.)

Shatner Talks Shatoetry, Star Trek and Apple

Yes, there's now an Apple iTunes app that lets you create sentences using William Shatner's voice (e.g., for voicemail messages, poetry, etc.)

Android version coming soon.

Brendan Loy Electoral College Contest

BTW, you can still enter Brendan Loy's Electoral College Contest.

Here's my prediction.  (Like with any good NCAA basketball pool, I predicted a few unlikely upsets, which by definition go against the conventional wisdom).

Behind-the-Scenes Photos From 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'

"Awesome Behind-the-Scenes Photos From 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'"

The Future of Space Flight Under the Next President

Rand Simberg was interviewed by Glenn Reynolds (aka "Instapundit") on "The Future of Space Flight Under the Next President"

Dental Floss As A Weapon

"Jailers worry about dental floss as a weapon". (Via MR.)

Intro Reddit Slang

"Reddit -- and 'Random Acts of Pizza'"

First Amazon Book Sale?

"Is this the very first book bought by an Amazon customer?"