Now I Am Wasting Your Time: science

Showing posts with label science. Show all posts

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Crows Make Tools: BOW DOWN BEFORE YOUR CROW OVERLORDS!!!

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Maybe This is the Best Thing Ever

From the TED talks: a pretty nifty new gadget.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Really, really, really, really, really, really old trees

Scientists have found 8,000-year-old trees in Sweden.

Comb-Jellies: We're Number One, We're Number One!

Looks like scientists found a new candidate for the first animal on earth. Neat!

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Cougars in Wisconsin

Earlier this week, I read about a sighting of a big cat in Milton, Wisconsin, which isn't that far from here. Here is an article from today's Wisconsin State Journal confirming that genetic testing on the animal's sundry residues suggest it is in fact a cougar (and, in my favorite part of the ongoing story, that it is a wild cougar, not an escaped pet . . . who keeps cougars as pets?!?).

People have been seeing these things for years, though. This article is from 2003, for instance. And here is a Cryptomundo post from last year that details some of the work being done to prove that these animals are running around up here.

I'm an Ape Man, I'm an Ape Ape Man, I'm an Ape Man

Monster Quest, a fun cryptozoology show on The History Channel, is running an episode this week focused on an alleged plan of Stalin's to create an army of ape men, which it turns out didn't really happen. However, the show is absolutely fascinating anyway, especially if you're not in the habit of keeping up with all the COMPLETELY INSANE things scientists have tried to do over the past century or so.

Here is the article that kick-started the "Stalin tried to create an army of ape-men" story, which was published in The New York Times and got picked up with some distortions by The Scotsman.

Here is a site devoted to ape-like cryptids, including the Alma, which are also discussed in this show.

The Monster Quest episode also covers other crazy stuff I wasn't aware of, including the doctor who semi-successfully performed a head transplant (the show includes very disturbing footage of this) and of course the Soviet scientist who really did try to cross-breed chimps and humans.

Anyway, this show is awesome. Watch it.

Sociology in Space

Interesting little piece about alien sociology over at space.com.

Monday, March 24, 2008

So Crazy It Might Be True!

A couple of interesting stories I saw on Boing Boing today:

The more believable one first: this dude is preggers. Is this a first? It seems like it would have happened before, since I assume it has been technologically possible for some time. And, no, you can't count Arnold Schwarzennegger.

I find this story about a dude who regrew his severed fingertip a bit hard to believe, though it is from a reputable news source. If this one's true, then, wowee zowee! People will be like Swamp Thing in the future! Just chop off an arm, sprinkle on some piggy dust, and it sproings right back. Awesome!

Saturday, March 22, 2008

1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Fish can count. It's kinda cool right now, but when they become our Fishy Overlords, will it seem so nifty? Who will be laughing then? Probably not the fish, cause fish can't laugh. They can count, though.

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Subliminable

An interesting post on Althouse about a possibly intentional, racist, subliminal message in the "3 A.M." ad got me thinking a bit about subliminal messages in other contexts.

A short subliminal roundup:

* Other campaign ads.

*Info on a subliminal message controversy surrounding Disney movies (see Snopes.com for more on this).

*A number of subliminal (and not-so-subliminal) images.

*A piece on research from New Scientist.

*An article from the BBC.

* A skeptical view.

Clearly, further research is needed.