Magic Sand
Well, hydrophobic at any rate. Amazing stuff.
Wes Phillips
You Can Leave Your Socks On
Secrets of the orgasm: "As orgasm lasts much longer in women than in men, it is easier to study using PET—male ejaculation is over so quickly it is hard to get a reliable reading."
Get Ready to Feel Old
Beloit College publishes a "mindset" memo at the beginning of each year that reminds teachers that the new students don't have the same cultural references we oldsters do.
Everything You Know Is Wrong, Chapter 1147
One of the best books I read last year was Jared Diamond's Collapse, which argues that Easter Island is a classic tale of ecological disaster caused by overpopulation and the depletion of irreplaceable resources. Not so fast, says Terry L. Hunt.
Have A Cuppa Tea
Tea in the morning, tea in the evening, tea at supper
time,
You get tea when it's raining, tea when it's snowing.
Tea when the weather's fine,
You get tea as a mid-day stimulant
You get tea with your afternoon tea
For any old ailment or disease
For Christ sake have a cuppa tea.
time,
You get tea when it's raining, tea when it's snowing.
Tea when the weather's fine,
You get tea as a mid-day stimulant
You get tea with your afternoon tea
For any old ailment or disease
For Christ sake have a cuppa tea.
Nick Hornby on How to Read
Gosh, I love Nick Hornby. He says there is a golden rule to reading: "And please, please stop patronizing those who are reading a book—The Da Vinci Code, maybe—because they are enjoying it.
Wally Wood's "Always Work" Panels
Yes, I have posted to these before, but I didn't know the back story and the panels were poorly reproduced. Joel Johnson went out and bought Wood's memo to himself and posts high-resolution scans. He also tells us the real story behind "Wally Wood's 22 Panels That Always Work."
A Wonderful Essay on Encyclopedias
Well, actually on the 11th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, which is a delightful yard or so of bookspace. I used to have this edition, although I didn't realize that many bibliophiles consider it to be the best blend of fact and great writing ever collected. I just read it out of order on many a long winter's night. Somehow, Google just isn't the same.
The Cocktail Party Problem
No, not whether to have that extra martini, but rather how to isolate one voice out of the cacophony.
The A/V War
Ars Technica has a fascinating piece on personal electronics in the war zone. There's an image of a gunner with his iPod fastened to his Fritz helmet that's worthy of iconic status.