Chocolate Science

"The Science of Good Chocolate"

Was 'Oumuamua A Discarded Lightsail?

"'Oumuamua, Thin Films and Lightsails"

Wobbly Bridge Physics

"New study sheds more light on what caused Millennium Bridge to wobble". (Via H.R.)

Lawyers Vs. AI

"20 top lawyers were beaten by legal AI. Here are their surprising responses". (Via Tyler Cowen.)

Optical Illusions and AI

"Can Optical Illusions fool Artificial Intelligence too?" (Via A.B.)

AI Lie Detector

"Police are using artificial intelligence to spot written lies"

Hsieh Forbes Column on Nudging and Bad Science

My latest Forbes piece is now out: "When Government-Backed 'Nudgers' Go Bad".

I discuss how bad science and bad government policy may have affected the diets of millions of American school children.

Updated Trolley Problem

"Massive Driverless Car Survey Updates the Trolley Problem With a 'Moral Machine'".

I'll try to be younger and more useful to society!

Getting Your Apple Data

"You can now download your Apple user data -- here's how"

2018 Best Illusion

"Here's the winner of the 2018 Best Illusion of the Year Contest"

The Myth of The Infrastructure Phase

"The Myth of The Infrastructure Phase". (Via T.K.)

Mathematical Bar Glasses

Bar glasses for mathematicians and scientists.

Lions Vs. Buffalo

"It takes a whole lotta lions to take down a solitary buffalo".

Dr. AI

"Your next doctor's appointment might be with an AI"

No Google Mapping

"The One Place in the US Google Earth Stopped Mapping"

Intact Shipwreck

"World's oldest intact shipwreck discovered in Black Sea". (Via H.R.)

Matrix Green Code

"That Trippy Green Code in The Matrix Is Just a Bunch of Sushi Recipes"

Unhackable Internet?

"Inside Europe's quest to build an unhackable quantum internet"

Android History

"Android: A 10-year visual history"

Old Days Of The Internet

"7 Things You've Forgotten About the Old Days of the Internet"

Fossils Or Not?

"World's Oldest Fossils Now Appear to Be Squished Rocks". (Via H.R.)

Don't Destroy The Universe

"Would Traveling Back In Time Destroy The Universe?"

Let's hope not. That's where I keep all my stuff.

Recognizing Faces

"The Average Person Can Recognize 5,000 Faces"

Steno

"How can stenographers keep up with a speaker"

Malaphors

It's not rocket surgery.

Micro Electron Diffraction

"Small Molecule Structures: A New World". (Via H.R.)

Design "Crimes"

Write people up for their design crimes with this ticket book

Sommelier Scandal

"The Outrageous Master Sommelier Scandal, Explained"

IPad Tipping

"You Want 20% for Handing Me a Muffin? The Awkward Etiquette of iPad Tipping"

My favorite quote:

“You can certainly walk away without tipping, but it’s hard to do, especially if you’re Canadian,” says Keir Vallance, who is 46 and teaches law in Saskatchewa

Protecting Your Financial Accounts

"Set Up Your Financial Accounts Like You're Going to Be Hacked"

The Most Important Excel Tip

WSJ: "The First Rule of Microsoft Excel -- Don't Tell Anyone You’re Good at It"

Coin Spinning

"How to spin a coin for two minutes"

Finding Hidden Cameras

"How to find hidden cameras in your Airbnb rental"

CPR Playlist

"Music Can Save Lives: A Playlist for Perfect CPR Chest Compressions"

Light Posting Notice

Admin note: Posting may be lighter than usual this week due to external obligations.

New Zealand Border Tips

For travellers to New Zealand: "What to do if a border agent demands access to your digital device"

21st Century Crime

"Bitcoin miner sent to prison for stealing electricity from train network in China"

Reunited Identical Twins

"Twins, Separated at Birth, Reunite as Adults"

They were separated as part of an unethical scientific experiment, and found one another after a documentary about that experiment helped reunite a different set of triplets.

Fitness Tracker Glitch

"Why is Xiaomi's fitness tracker detecting a heartbeat from a roll of toilet paper?"

Can Moons Have Moons?

"Guess what scientists call the moons of moons"

Fitness Trackers And The Law

"Fitbit's heart-rate tracking helped nail down a murder suspect"

Tigers Like Humans

NYT: "Once a tiger encounters a person and kills, it may develop a taste for human flesh, which, Mr. Khan says, is sweeter than other animal meat because of all the ginger, salt and spices people consume."

Flexible Electronics Update

"Study opens route to flexible electronics made from exotic materials"

Quantum Verification

"Graduate Student Solves Quantum Verification Problem"

High Teen Dolphins

"Teenage Dolphins Get High on Puffer Fish Toxin"

The Elevator-Phobes of a Vertical City

"The elevator-phobic people of New York City"

Testing Apple Watch Fall Detection

"Apple Watch Series 4's Hyped Fall Detection Put To The Test By A Stunt Woman"

Latest Banksy

"One of Banksy's paintings self-destructed just after it was auctioned"

Michigan Meteorite Used As Doorstop For 30 Years

22 pound rock used as doorstop for 30 years turns out to be meteorite worth $100,000.

Vacuum Decay

"One way the universe might end".

Related article: "Vacuum decay: the ultimate catastrophe".

Women In Art Quota

"San Francisco Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously passed an ordinance requiring that women be depicted in at least 30 percent of the city-sponsored artwork contains non-fictional people." (Via Tyler Cowen.)

Unreliable Polygraphs

"The Lie Generator: Inside the Black Mirror World of Polygraph Job Screenings"

Auto-Automation

"The Coders Programming Themselves Out of a Job"

Oddly Satisfying Videos

"Oddly Satisfying Videos"

Space Radiation And GI Tracts

"Travelling to Mars and deep into space could kill astronauts by destroying their guts"

NZ Border Search Of Phones

"New Zealand: Hand over phone password at border or face $3,200 fine"

Under the Customs and Excise Act 2018, which came into force this week, officials will be able to demand travelers unlock any electronic device so it can be searched. Anyone who refuses can face prosecution and a fine of up to $3,200 (5,000 NZD). 

 

Officials can also retain devices and potentially confiscate them from travelers who refuse to allow a search at the border. 

 

The New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties (CCL) described the new law as a "grave invasion of personal privacy of both the person who owns the device and the people they have communicated with."

Smart Pizza Deliveryman

"A Pizza Deliveryman Saved a Woman Who Mouthed 'Help Me'". (Via S.W.)

Stop Signs

"Why Do Stop Signs Have Eight Sides?"

Chocolate Cottage

"You Can Rent This Cottage Made Entirely of Chocolate — and Yes, You Can Eat Some of It"

Möbius Strips

"The Mathematical Madness of Möbius Strips and Other One-Sided Objects"

$100 Bills

"There are now more $100 bills than $1 bills in the world"

Emperor And Scientist

"The Emperor of Japan still publishes (even though he has tenure). He also usually gets his name first." (Via Tyler Cowen.)

Ancient Roman Comics

"Painted 'Comics' with 'Speech Bubbles' Found in Ancient Roman Tomb". (Via H.R.)

Fusion Updates

"In search of clean energy, investments in nuclear-fusion startups are heating up"