While you'd never know from the US media, the US wind energy industry has breezed past a 50GW milestone. That's enough to power 13 million homes, according to the American Wind Energy Association.
posted to MetaFilter by Twang at 10:16 PM on August 18, 2012 (132 comments)

The Sharp, Sudden Decline of America's Middle Class (via The Billfold)
posted to MetaFilter by peacheater at 1:58 PM on June 27, 2012 (82 comments)

Cracked.com's posts are SPLIT INTO TWO PAGES. Also, most of their posts are nothing but linkbate. Over 31 worthless FPP posts have been made linking to this waste of time. Thank goodness so many comments in the most recent "post" saw through their evil schemes! I say we reinstitute the previously-requested ban of anyone linking to cracked.com.
posted to MetaTalk by rebent at 11:29 AM on May 1, 2012 (145 comments)

Election year politics may be cruel, cynical and disheartening, but nerdy rapper Adam Warrock's new EP reminds us that there is one candidate whose message of positivity never wavers, even while it might be at odds with her name.
posted to MetaFilter by Potomac Avenue at 7:02 AM on January 27, 2012 (18 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 (555 comments)

In the news media and on the Internet, there was a great deal of speculation about the rhyme and reason behind the crime spree, with observers often reaching the conclusion that there wasn't any.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Yuck at 7:17 PM on January 11, 2012 (32 comments)

This past August a murder charge was dismissed against Nga Truong, a young mother who had confessed to Worcester, MA Police interrogators in 2008 that she had smothered and killed her 13 month-old baby, Khyle. A judge later concluded that confession was coerced -- extracted in part by police "deception," "trickery and implied promises" -- and the case was dropped. (pdf). Her case raises questions: What coercive power do detectives have who are driven to extract confessions? Under what circumstances might someone admit to a crime they have not committed? WBUR (Boston's NPR station) investigated Truong's case and has an extensive report, Anatomy of a Bad Confession: Part One and Two
posted to MetaFilter by zarq at 8:25 PM on December 10, 2011 (27 comments)

Siri meets Furby. (SLYT)
posted to MetaFilter by sweetkid at 1:18 PM on November 5, 2011 (25 comments)

Do you, like me, ever hold your breath for no real reason, just when you are lying around?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by brenton at 11:32 PM on August 20, 2011 (24 comments)

Members often complain that we "do this badly". Well, I want to point out, we've done this well.
posted to MetaTalk by IvoShandor at 11:34 AM on January 28, 2011 (61 comments)

I've been meaning to do this for a while - and have been half intending not to announce it in any way, letting people discover it themselves. But fuck all that, I'm a fame hungry whore and you are my dreadful stage.
posted to MetaFilter Projects by Jofus at 10:13 AM on September 23, 2009 (33 comments)

Area Girl Very Amused By Webcam Special Effects
posted to MetaFilter by hermitosis at 3:35 PM on November 3, 2010 (123 comments)

Nine Planets Without Intelligent Life, a philosophically meandering webcomic, has been updated after a long hiatus. Previously
posted to MetaFilter by dubusadus at 3:32 PM on July 16, 2010 (14 comments)

What if our beloved modern devices had been invented in the past? Say around 1977? Introducing the Pocket Hi-Fi, The Laptron 64, MobileVoxx, and the Microcode 3000!
posted to MetaFilter by The Whelk at 3:28 PM on June 18, 2010 (63 comments)

Steven Chu is not considering a bomb was one of the funniest things I've seen on this site in weeks.
posted to MetaTalk by scrowdid at 4:06 PM on June 17, 2010 (63 comments)

Mefite Jaltcoh sent me a MeMail the other day reminding me of this old comment in a thread about palindromes, where I say, “Gotta say, I’m a big fan of palindromes. My entire career, marriage and life might all be very different if not for palindromes. I’ll have to tell you about it sometime, say January 2, 2010.” In the MeMail, he asks, “It's now past January 2, 2010. What's the story?” Forgot about that old post. With that big of a buildup, I wish it were a better story, but here goes:
posted to MetaTalk by etc. at 12:46 PM on June 16, 2010 (137 comments)

The phrases "Don't Drink the Kool Aid" or "Drinking the Kool Aid" are references to the 1978 cult mass-suicide in Jonestown, Guyana. Though the origin of the saying is awful and unfortunate, sometimes the current phrase as it is used now just fits the situation. What are some other widely used phrases in American culture that have their origin in an unfortunate historical event?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by angiewriter at 9:46 AM on June 12, 2010 (101 comments)

Update on K & S (and the effects of your support).
posted to MetaTalk by fake at 4:35 PM on June 11, 2010 (243 comments)

Could somebody summarise the end of Lost in a paragraph? I can't wade through the post on the green; it appears to be all reaction and not a lot of content. Assume the Wikipedia article doesn't do it for me. Take this summary of BSG (Spoiler!) as a benchmark:

posted to Ask MetaFilter by obiwanwasabi at 1:31 AM on May 25, 2010 (50 comments)

Want to learn how to play piano but can't read sheet music? Synthesia or previously known as Piano Hero. Synthesia FAQ
posted to MetaFilter by MechEng at 12:13 PM on April 9, 2010 (45 comments)

Did you take a risk and fail? How did it turn out?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 7:14 AM on April 2, 2010 (16 comments)

What does this "sleepy level" sticker on my candy mean?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by PontifexPrimus at 4:44 AM on March 29, 2010 (7 comments)

I was doing some poking around in the NY Times online archive, and found a brief article about a 'libidinous hebdomadal' known as The Town (later The Sporting Times) from 1865. The NY police were quite keen to confiscate this newspaper, apparently, which originated in Boston. Anyone heard of it or have any idea what kinda content it would contain? I'm guessing it's sort of dirty.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by tremspeed at 7:13 PM on March 25, 2010 (5 comments)

What is the best most comfortable pillow in the world?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by tracert at 10:26 PM on March 18, 2010 (21 comments)

Where's the "use the loofa!" video?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by fatbird at 10:35 PM on March 18, 2010 (5 comments)

Jerry Brown announces his candidacy for governor of California. Jerry Brown was derided as "Governor Moonbeam" during his two-term tenure as California's governor in the mid-70s and early 80s. He even had a famous fling with Linda Ronstadt. Later he became a radio-show host and mayor of Oakland, and he's currently California's Democratic attorney general. Brown contrasts his experience with current governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Republican candidiate Meg Whitman, saying:
posted to MetaFilter by Cool Papa Bell at 2:23 PM on March 2, 2010 (59 comments)

Is there evidence that the average computer user is familiar with context menus?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by emilyw at 1:56 AM on February 16, 2010 (12 comments)

My company was acquired by another. The new company has all kinds of plans that, to them, look great on paper - but we at the old company know they are going to achieve not just nothing but instead a dissolution of the group they bought at breathtaking expense. I would like help in identifying examples of plans that look good on paper, but don't work.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jet_silver at 9:40 PM on February 11, 2010 (17 comments)

Is there a term (like straddle, or strangle) where you bet that an underlying stock will outperform another stock?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by philosophistry at 6:53 PM on February 14, 2010 (4 comments)

Contemporary Geometry: does it exist?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Jason and Laszlo at 9:45 PM on January 18, 2010 (14 comments)

I was thinking the other day about "all Greek to me!" as I was reading a physics book w/equations (using the Greek symbols) And equations are a sort of language, of course. So I wondered if there's some sort of linguist who's ever looked at the grammar or syntax of math/physics equations and tried to derive, whatever the hell it is linguists derive! Does this sound like something anyone has heard of? If so, have any links?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by symbioid at 6:26 PM on January 8, 2010 (6 comments)

How to actually create "Smack My Bitch Up." (previously)
posted to MetaFilter by flatluigi at 11:07 PM on December 23, 2009 (51 comments)

Crunk/Southern Club style head banging high energy hip hop track. All vocals by my normal collaberator, Juicy Karkass, and his buddy Savior of Animal Farm
posted to MeFi Music by mediocre at 5:19 AM on August 1, 2008 (221 comments)

WE GOT THAT B ROLL
posted to MetaFilter by stresstwig at 1:02 PM on December 9, 2009 (50 comments)

What does the phrase "in the gooey" mean?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by ergibson at 3:59 PM on October 21, 2009 (28 comments)

50 years ago today, IBM announced the 1401 Data Processing System. Originally designed as a spooling system for the larger machines, the 1401 became very popular as a mainframe in its own right, eventually being called 'The Model T of Computers'. By the end of 1961, the number of 1401s installed in the United States alone had reached 2,000 - representing about one fourth of all computers installed by all manufacturers at that time. 15- 20,000 were eventually built. The Computer History Museum in Mountain View is having a 50th anniversary celebration on November 10th. Here's what $125,600 (or $2500/month rent) would get you:
posted to MetaFilter by MtDewd at 9:53 PM on October 4, 2009 (50 comments)

Single Ladies — Pomplamoose (A Beyoncé Cover) [previously]
posted to MetaFilter by nfg at 2:55 AM on September 25, 2009 (66 comments)

Functional MRI (fMRI) is a widely used technique of brain imaging in the cognitive sciences, allowing researchers to visualize what part of the brain is responding to certain stimuli, resulting in striking images of live brains. These days, fMRI is seeing more non-research use, such as forming the basis of controversial new lie detectors. Craig Bennett, a postdoctoral researcher at UCSB, submitted a whole Atlantic salmon to fMRI analysis, and found that this fish could apparently detect, and respond to, the the emotional state of human beings (poster). Remarkable science, especially considering the salmon was dead at the time.
posted to MetaFilter by Rumple at 9:33 AM on September 24, 2009 (59 comments)

How can I sharpen my skills in photographing people?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by sciencemandan at 12:32 PM on September 21, 2009 (12 comments)

A reminder: @newpeople, using @username as a form of reply is discouraged on @MetaFilter. This isn't @twitter.
posted to MetaTalk by Antidisestablishmentarianist at 8:14 AM on September 3, 2009 (130 comments)

My mom sent me an email today acknowledging for the very first time (that I am aware of) that she experiences symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder. I would like to write the best response that I can to her, with some links or information about possible next steps. I don't want to screw this up, please help me help her!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 4:50 PM on August 30, 2009 (8 comments)

What are your top 5 Android Apps?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by ekpyrotic at 4:24 PM on August 30, 2009 (17 comments)

Does anyone know of the best alternatives to a Tempurpedic matress? They are just too expensive for me to justify purchasing, but I love the way they feel. I have been researching memory foam mattresses, but it is very hard to filter out the hype and get real information. First hand accounts from the hivemind would be greatly appreciated.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by gogomickey at 5:46 PM on August 26, 2009 (13 comments)

Is there anything similar to Mechanical Turk on the Internet?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by VC Drake at 7:39 PM on August 25, 2009 (5 comments)

MovingFarAwayFilter: GF is dead-set on moving from Brooklyn to Cairo, Egypt, for at least a year. I'm pretty resistant to the idea since I love NYC and, if forced to move outside the US, there are hundreds of cities I'd rather move to. I desperately need some 1st/2nd person accounts of living in Cairo / Egypt to help make this decision.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by NolanRyanHatesMatches at 9:51 PM on August 23, 2009 (43 comments)

Has anyone had success using freelancing sites to get an iPhone app written?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by plaidrabbit at 6:42 PM on August 11, 2009 (9 comments)

Recommend online communities for thought provoking discussion.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by aTrumpetandaDream at 2:46 AM on August 11, 2009 (15 comments)

I'm in Windows XP. Whenever I manage files in various apps, like "save as" or "open file," there's that stack of location icons on the left such as My Recent Documents, Desktop, My Computer, My Network Places, etc. I want to destroy the My Recent Documents and My Network Places locations and add a custom folder or drive to that stack of location icons--or whatever the heck you call that. There must be a way! (Apologies if this has been asked, but I don't even know what that stack of icons is called so I can't search for it...)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Ky at 8:17 PM on August 5, 2009 (9 comments)

Can you point me toward some slammin' science fiction-themed hip hop?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by slappy_pinchbottom at 1:52 PM on August 4, 2009 (33 comments)

Does a principle called 'Cover Your Tracks' exist in copyright?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jfrancis at 6:25 PM on July 30, 2009 (13 comments)