August 3, 2022
"I hadn't given sufficient thought to the reverse operation."
Climate scientist John Kennedy explains via an anecdote involving himself, an orange, and hubris that the phrase "some scientists think" should be taken with a shaker of salt. (SLTwitter)
All hail a new record
The Northern Hail Project (also on Twitter), is a "spinoff" of the Northern Tornadoes Project. It has announced the recovery of "A Canadian record-breaking hailstone [...] following a storm earlier this week near Markerville, Alta. The record-breaker weighs 292.71 grams, eclipsing the previous title holder – a hailstone weighing 290 grams, collected nearly 50 years ago in Cedoux, Sask. on July 31, 1973. With a diameter of 123 millimetres, the hailstone has a slightly larger span than a standard DVD (120 mm)." See also: "Grapefruit-sized hail" fell Monday in Alberta, and it may break a record.
Resilience, staffing, succession planning, and changes for our era
"Today, when someone is sick, they’re often sicker, or sick for longer than we are used to." "The new normal of staffing, conferences, and work" is a post by Heidi Waterhouse (disclaimer: a friend). "We have to change how we think about staffing and add in a lot of expensive redundancy. I thought about this originally in the context of in-person events, but it’s honestly true for every part of work and life."
The Minds of Bumblebees
"...The observation that bees are most likely sentient beings has important ethical implications. It’s well known that many species of bees are threatened by pesticides and wide-scale habitat loss, and that this spells trouble because we need these insects to pollinate our crops. But is the utility of bees the only reason they should be protected? I don’t think so. The insight that bees have a rich inner world and unique perception, and, like humans, are able to think, enjoy and suffer, commands respect for the diversity of minds in nature. With this respect comes an obligation to protect the environments that shaped these minds..."
Bumblebees can create mental imagery, a 'building block of consciousness', study suggests [more inside]
Bumblebees can create mental imagery, a 'building block of consciousness', study suggests [more inside]
I found my mouth had a sticky, horrible flavor that permeated everything
SIX DAYS WITH A BIG LOLLIPOP: I completed America's most disgusting treat
"By this point in my journey, it was clear to me that my best bet for finishing the lollipop sooner rather than later was to continue to work on it while doing activities that didn’t require my hands. On Sunday afternoon, I brought the SWIRL POP™ to a 2:45 p.m. showing of Stanley Kubrick’s 1962 Lolita at the movie theater. I did this not because Lolita is a noted part of the lollipop canon, but because I had made a devil’s deal to eat a giant lollipop that was ruining my life." [more inside]
"By this point in my journey, it was clear to me that my best bet for finishing the lollipop sooner rather than later was to continue to work on it while doing activities that didn’t require my hands. On Sunday afternoon, I brought the SWIRL POP™ to a 2:45 p.m. showing of Stanley Kubrick’s 1962 Lolita at the movie theater. I did this not because Lolita is a noted part of the lollipop canon, but because I had made a devil’s deal to eat a giant lollipop that was ruining my life." [more inside]
“Sort of the opposite of a tombstone.”
She imagined transforming human remains into soil, “ready to nourish new living beings.” "If we begin to imagine ourselves as beneficial contributors to the earth in death, rather than as agents of sickness and damage, maybe we can start to see that possibility for our lives." Lisa Wells writes about death, compost, climate change and life. [more inside]
Baby Mantis Shrimp Strikes Captured in Slow Motion
Baby Mantis Shrimp Strikes Captured in Slow Motion "A behind the scenes look at how the ultra-fast strikes of larval mantis shrimp are filmed and studied" [bonus video: cavitation bubbles]
The Most Insane Dance Craze to Ever Exist
Todd in the Shadows' One Hit Wonderland gives a not-necessarily fond retrospective of the 1996 global phenomenon that was "Macarena" by Los Del Rio. It includes vintage footage of people of all walks of life dancing to the Macarena, and he was very right that "there was nowhere safe." There is also some much needed background context of the Spanish artists Los Del Rio and Fangoria, remixers The Bayside Boys, and the unforgettable dance. But if you are reading this and are over 30 years old, you already know the song and know it all too well. (SLYT)
This is Vin Scully, wishing you a very pleasant good afternoon.
"You and I have been friends for a long time, but I know in my heart that I’ve always needed you more than you’ve needed me, and I’ll miss our time together more I can say.
But you know what — there will be a new day, and eventually a new year. And when the upcoming winter gives way to spring, rest assured it will be time for Dodger baseball.
So this is Vin Scully, wishing you a very pleasant good afternoon, wherever you may be."
[more inside]
Along with the chicken and the banana...
The Elusive Origin of Zero Maybe a Southeast Asian civilization originated this numeral, instead of an Indian one? [more inside]
Atoms and Bits
The story so far: So until some random assortment of matter and energy somehow arranged itself into what we think of as 'life', the universe was just that: a random assortment of matter and energy. After life, life began to arrange matter and energy, according to life -- creating life (and death) at least on the third rock from some star... [more inside]
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