Archive
The Adventure of Links: Feb. 19, 2011
Since I’ve been slacking on my links, this will be a big one. Within you will find that sex in space would be tricky, a statue of Robocop, thundersnow, proof of “unintelligent design” and a genetically modified jalapeno.
Physics/Astronomy
Tesla vs. Edison Mad Lib. Yes, you read that correctly.
A biopic about Einstein is in the works.
Scientists smash giant granite balls together to simulate asteroid impacts (w/video)
Its been 10 years since Fox tried to convince people the moon landing was a hoax. Fox has not improved much in the last decade.
Learn physics from an NFL cheerleader. Science rules!
How Vikings navigated using crystals and polarized light.
Health
How long is a severed head conscious for?
Why beer batter is better for fish and chips.
You mean Nutella isn’t really healthy? Whaaa?
Sugary soda may increase efficiency of brain activity.
A jalapeno genetically altered to hold more cream cheese for jalapeno poppers. I feel fatter already.
Fun/Funny
Fantasy casting posters re-imagine classic sci-fi films. Tim Curry as the Joker? Weird…
Ancient humans used skulls as goblets. Mmmmmm…
The Angry Birds finally settle their disagreements.
Detroit to erect a statue of Robocop.
The mystery of which Cubs game Ferris Bueller went to has been solved!
Lions and Tigers playing with an iPad.
A piece of cake from Charles and Diana’s royal wedding sold at auction. Some people have WAY too much money.
Winston Churchill’s false teeth sold at auction. Seriously, TOO MUCH MONEY!
Sexy Stuff
Space sex would be tricky, says NASA.
Best Science headline I’ve read in a while: Two Timing Spacecraft has Date with Another Comet (w/video)
Why girls moan during sex. Sorry guys, turns out we aren’t THAT good….
Folk Myth : Can shoe size predict penile length?
Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome. Yes, it’s a real thing.
Girls like monkey sex. Literally.
Internet/Technology
Internet users more likely to volunteer
New device uses EM pulses to detonate IEDs from a safe distance.
A robot that can hear you breathing. Through walls.
Want to have a confession but don’t want to talk to an actual priest? There’s an app for that.
Amazon adds real page numbers to the Kindle.
Mexican cops seize a home-made marijuana hurling catapult near U.S. – Mexico border.
We’ve run out of IP addresses! Run!
Nature
Japanese researchers plan to resurrect the Woolly Mammoth in 5 years. Don’t get your hopes up.
The essentials of bear hibernation
Natural selection limits how many attractive males can exist in a population
The mystery of how fleas jump has been solved.
Thundersnow. What else needs to be said?
Polar bear swims 9 days straight.
Skepticism
An explanation for why people hold on to irrational fears.
In India, Astrology is a science. I know, right? *FACEPALM*
The Adventure of Links: January 17, 2010
After a long break, the Adventure of Links is back. This week, an anti-pirate laser, the largest molecule ever made, and the most pornographic study ever. Enjoy!
Physics/Astronomy
Thunderstorms throw anti-matter into space. If I tried, I couldn’t come up with a cooler sentence than that one.
Playboy photo that was in the Apollo 12 spacecraft is up for auction. Dude, didn’t you know you can get porn for free now on the interwebs?
An astronomical portrait with 1 TERApixel resolution.
A little girl from Canada discovers a supernova. What am I doing with my life?
Astronomer reveals the Zodiac is out of whack. Loyal astrology followers ask him what they should do…
Sex is part of the problem if we are going to colonize Mars.
Health/Biology
Your weekly stoopid: Jenny McCarthy responds to the BMJ calling Andrew Wakefield a fraud. (He falsified his data. His work is a fraud.)
What do sex, drugs, and rock & roll have in common? Dopamine!
Listing nutrition information at fast food joints doesn’t discourage patrons from ordering the Double Quarter-Pounder.
The largest molecule ever made. Hint: It’s carbon-based.
Homeopaths show their nasty side. As opposed to their anti-science woo-loving side, which is closely related.
Fun/Funny
A device that blocks the noise from a dental drill.
The runways at Tampa airport need to be renumbered because the Earth’s magnetic pole is moving.
How to cut the top off a champagne bottle with a knife (with video!).
Trouble with pirates? Blast ’em with a laser!
Discovery of the world’s oldest wine-making facility.
Changes in climate correlate with the fall of the Roman Empire. Scientists once again try to explain the difference between “correlation” and “causation”.
Watson, the IBM supercomputer, beats two human champions in a game of Jeopardy!
NCBI ROFL finds the most pornographic study abstract of all time. Gotta love science!
Florida woman arrested for slapping a horse. And you thought YOU were having a bad day!
The Adventure of Links: Dec. 6, 2010
In this week’s Adventure of Links you’ll find a supernova in a jar, mercury turning birds gay, and injecting pee into yourself to lose weight (yeah, seriously).
Astronomy
Size doesn’t matter. For stars I mean. No seriously, I was talking about stars…
Supernova in a jar. It’s actually not AS cool as it sounds (of course) but it’s still pretty cool.
A boomerang shaped galaxy. I guess if you stare at them long enough they start to look like anything.
The amount of stars in the Universe has tripled. Interesting, but not life changing is it?
Creating a wheel for driving around on the surface of the moon is a pretty cool job.
Russia applied $2 billion to help clean up space junk.
Physics
Bank of Montreal gives the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics a hefty bit of funding. Wish I were smart enough to do that.
Canada boosts University research funding. Go Canada!
A dash on cinnamon is not only great in mashed potatoes (trust me) but can also help make gold nanoparticles.
Health
Huge fail found by Skeptic North. Story in the Globe and Mail (they have a high fail rate) about people injecting pregnant women’s pee into themselves to lost weight. Ewwww…
Large scale study shows obesity shortens your life span. I know, we knew that already, but its nice to have more data to back it up.
Harvard scientists reverse ageing in mice. But don’t get your hopes up about eternal life just yet.
Fun/Funny
Restoring the Diamond Sutra, the world’s oldest book.
Professor surgically installs a camera in the back of his head. Sounds comic-bookish, therefore it’s awesome.
Mercury turns birds homosexual. Umm…weird?
It was -30 here a couple of weeks ago. This is what happens to water when it’s that cold out.
Pink Floyd movie. Sweeeeeeet.
Women like romantic music. Thanks science.
Woman in Spain claims to own the Sun. Unsurprisingly, she’s full of crap.
Skepticism
A theme park about Creationism. Not only is it stupid, it doesn’t even sound like fun.
Are you a nerd or a geek? Find out here.
Climate change denial comes almost exclusively from Republicans. Oh America, you are screwed.
The Adventure of Links: Nov. 1, 2010
In this weeks Adventure of Links, we have accidental condom inhalation, water on Mars, a Star Trek cat fight, and a time traveller in an old silent movie. Happy reading!
Health
Accidental condom inhalation during fellatio: A Love Story Case Study
Homeopathic teething tables have been recalled. Apparently, they hadn’t diluted the poison enough so that it was useless, like most homeopathic remedies.
Are health drinks as good as they claim? The answer will not surprise you.
Unregulated Naturopaths putting lives at risk.
Physics/Astronomy
The Physics of how a wet dog shakes (with video).
Pumpkins pulverized, in the name of science of course.
NASA Mars rover finds evidence of subsurface water, while it was stuck!
The Laws of Physics explained, in comic form.
Fun/Funny
Star Trek Cat Fight. Yes, it’s as awesome as it sounds.
“Our Differences make us interesting, not enemies.” The Rally to Restore Sanity was held this past weekend.
10 useful things you can do with your body after you’re dead. Being a zombie is not on the list.
This weeks “You needed a study to know that?!?”: Bullying Widespread in Schools.
A neurological explanation of why the new Gap logo sucked.
Smart people drink more. Science says so.
Skepticism
Is there a time traveller in a 1928 Charlie Chaplain film? I’m not sure, but I am pretty sure it was a slow news day that day.
Canadian man claims the government stole his meteorite which contained alien organisms. The RCMP (the Mounties) say there is no evidence to support his claim.
Scientists find “proof” of psychic abilities. Note: if you have to put “proof” in quotation marks, it’s probably not true.
The Adventure of Links: October 18, 2010
I know, I know. I missed last weeks Adventure of Links. And the week before too…but theres some great stuff this week so check it out.
Health
More anti-vaccine crap disguising itself as “Vaccine Safety Activism” on the Huff Po. Now they are trying to portray themselves as the underdogs to gain public support.
Acupuncture can apparently cure 461 diseases. It won’t be long before it can cure-all of them!
Anti-vaccination Network stripped of its charitable status.
Why weight loss supplements are not always “all-natural”.
First human clinical trial using stem cells begins.
Cool
The T-rex was a cannibal. They were probably easy prey, what with those tiny arms and all.
Worlds longest tunnel (57 km) being completed in Switzerland.
Khagendra Thapa Magar was crowned as the worlds smallest man, measuring up at 26.4 inches tall.
The epic 10 000 km journey of a single humpback whale is documented.
Fun/Funny
Michael J. Fox reshoots the original Back to the Future trailer.
What do you get the person who has everything? Why, an $8 million iPhone of course.
On why opening beer bottles with your teeth may not be a good idea.
A cool little demo of how the abrupt change in direction of a baseball during a curve ball is a bit of an optical illusion.
Women like to cuddle after sex. Men don’t. They needed a study to show this.
Physics and Astronomy
NASA photographs the aftermath of two asteroids colliding.
Physicists observe an electron being ejected from an atom for the first time.
The Universe could end in 3.7 billion years. Better hook up with that cute neighbour now before it’s too late.
Why does spaghetti always break in 3 or more pieces? Why do these problems give physicists such problems?
Science is self-correcting, as proven in this slide show of some scientific announcements that may have jumped the gun a bit.
The Adventure of Links: Sept. 20, 2010
Health
Bad news for geeks. Teens with bad acne are more than twice as likely to develop mental health problems.
Good news for geeks. Popular kids get the flu first.
Yet another psychological study which tells us stuff we already knew.
Banning CFCs seems to have worked, and the ozone layer should be restored by ~2050.
“Just let me finish this level…” Video game addictions are on the rise, and data may suggest they relate to attention problems.
What to do if you cut off a body part. Remember, the greatest treatment is prevention.
Belly Armor, clothing designed to protect your in utero baby from completely harmless non-ionizing radiation, now being sold in the US. Fear really does sell. Terrible.
An increase in Canadian air quality could be linked to less smog from the U.S. due to the economic downturn.
Physics and Astronomy
Amazing panoramic photo of the Northern Lights. Taken from the Northwest Territories, Canada.
They have books now for all types of dummies. Enter “String Theory for Dummies”.
The Canadian government censoring publically funded researchers. This information, in my mind, belongs to the public and they should have full access to it.
Woohoo! Yahoo! Calculates pi to the 2 quadrillionth digit.
I’m a big proponent of mixing entertainment with science in order to teach kids, and heck even adults! Behold, the Science of Football.
Fun/Funny
Germans know how to party, as will be demonstrated by upcoming Oktoberfest. But an enterprising German has also come up with a bacteria which, he claims, should be able to clear the smell of beer and bratwurst. Will it work? I doubt it, but it’s just cool we’re trying stuff like that.
My two most hilarious heroes, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, are hosting “conflicting” rallies in Washington, D.C. next month. The Rally to Restore Sanity and the Keep Fear Alive rally will be held on Saturday October 30th. If you are in the area, its sure to be a lot of fun.
Spray on clothes. Seriously? Seriously.
Body heat from a Paris subway station is going to be used to heat a public housing project nearby. Those warm-blooded French…
Luke Skywalker’s replacement hand may not be too far off in the future. Scientists are developing so-called “robotic skin”.
Using dog poop to light dog parks.
The Adventure of Links: Sept. 13, 2010
Ed Yong of Not Exactly Rocket Science posts a weekly summary of interesting links. Since this is one of the posts I most look forward to reading, I thought I would start my own version.
Welcome to The Adventure of Links for Sept. 13 2010.
Health
The weaknesses of the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Health Check Program.
Doctors warn against homeopathic “vaccines” which may leave patients vulnerable to fatal diseases.
Yet another study which shows absolutely no association between thimerosal and autism.
Crap about electromagnetic hypersensitivity in the Winnipeg Free Press. Once again, they refuse to interview anyone who actually knows what they are talking about but instead opt for scare tactics to increase readership.
More alternative medicine propoganda from the Huffington Post.
Study suggests that when parents are more accepting of children’s sexual habits, it results in a reduction in teen pregnancy.
Astronomy
Large solar flare from September 8 caught in photos.
The ancient Greeks may have documented Halley’s comet back in 467 BC.
Special relativity could explain the origin of galactic magnetic fields.
Physics
“The Physics of Mud and Hair Gel”
The future of nuclear energy could rest on the use of Thorium for fuel. Thorium is theoretically more energy efficient and less likely to produce materials which could be used in weapons.
How breakfast cereal can help physicists explain the universe.
Australian scientists developing a real life tractor beam. It can only move tiny particles about a meter, but its a start.
Researchers at MIT announce they are creating self-repairing solar cells.
Stephen Hawking said some stuff in the past week which had nothing to do with god, but is much more important to our development as a species.
Fun/Funny
Playboy magazine for the blind.
Ways to reduce the amount of cow farts which contribute to global warming.
The first ever Klingon Opera. Yup, Klingon Opera.
Sony Playstation turns 15 this year. Let us celebrate all the wasted hours I’ve spent on mine.
Vancouver using a 3D image of a girl chasing a ball on the road to get drivers to slow down.
You thought we had put this one to rest, but no. “Galileo Was Wrong: The Church Was Right”, the first annual Catholic Conference on Geocentrism is being held in November. I don’t think I’ll go, but I might get myself a mug.
A Quantum of Knowledge 