When industrial design major Shigeru Miyamoto went to work designing arcade cabinets for Nintendo in 1976, there was little indication he would become what TIME would later call the «Steven Spielberg of video games.» Moving into content development, Miyamoto’s creations (Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong) helped revitalize the gaming industry and … Читать далее
Dr. Mehmet Oz and his daily talk show come under fire from Canadian researchers, who say only one-third of the recommendations made on the program can be supported by medical evidence. What do real-world doctors have to say about the advice dispensed on «The Dr. Oz Show»? Less than one-third of it can be backed … Читать далее
A plane sat on 191st Street in 1956 after its wings were removed for shipment. The pilot landed the craft on St. Nicholas Avenue, rear, as part of a barroom bet. Surprise airplane landings always make headlines. Who will forget Capt. Chesley Sullenberger steering a US Airways jetliner onto the Hudson River in 2009? Then … Читать далее
The imperial system is a funny thing. Like, really funny. So funny that there is actually a unit of measurement for wine (or whiskey) casks called a «butt.» That means if you fill the barrel up, you technically have a buttload of wine-though you’d probably just call it a full butt. Are you laughing yet? … Читать далее
There are a lot of scientific papers out there. One estimate puts the count at 1.8 million articles published each year, in about 28,000 journals. Who actually reads those papers? According to one 2007 study, not many people: half of academic papers are read only by their authors and journal editors, the study’s authors write. … Читать далее
Are you bummed that you didn’t win the $640 million Mega Millions jackpot? Don’t be-it turns out winning the lottery can often be a terrible curse. From Jack Whittaker, who says he wishes’we had torn the ticket up,’ to Evelyn Adams, who won twice and gambled it all away, The Daily Beast rounds up the … Читать далее
The force is strong in the Czech Republic. In a recent census, more than 15,000 people in the Czech Republic listed their religion as «Knights of the Jedi,» the Hollywood Reporter reports. The Czech Republic’s total population is about 10 million, meaning that Jedis account for approximately.15% of the country. The «religion» takes its name … Читать далее
The most unusual colors from Harvard’s storied pigment library include beetle extracts, poisonous metals, and human mummies. Today, every color imaginable is at your fingertips. You can peruse paint swatches at hardware stores, flip through Pantone books, and fuss with the color finder that comes with most computer programs, until achieving the hue of your … Читать далее
Bruce Bridgeman lived with a flat view of the world, until a trip to the cinema unexpectedly rewired his brain to see the world in 3D. The question is how it happened. Good movies change people’s view of the world all the time, but how many can say a movie has fundamentally altered their vision … Читать далее
DIETRICH — Tim McDaniel’s world turned upside down in 2013. The Dietrich science teacher found out four parents filed an ethics complaint against him as a result of a sex education lesson he taught. The Idaho Professional Standards Commission dropped the complaint and didn’t take action. But news of the complaint in Dietrich — a … Читать далее
Devotion knows no bounds when it comes to bees and their leader. When Carol Howarth parked her Mitsubishi in the town of Haverfordwest, Wales, to do some shopping, little did she know the mayhem that would ensue. While she attended to her errands, a swarm of 20,000 bees was drawn to her car. A local … Читать далее
Ruth Graves Wakefield (June 17, 1903 — January 10, 1977) was the inventor of the Toll House Cookie, the first chocolate chip cookie, which she created c. 1938. She was also a graduate and educator, a business owner, a chef, and an author. Wakefield was educated at Framingham State Normal School Department of Household Arts … Читать далее
Naval Base Kitsap, a marine base 20 miles from Seattle, may be home to the world’s largest single-location arsenal of nuclear weapons, and it’s defended by dolphins trained by the US Navy. «Nearly one-quarter of America’s 9,962 nuclear weapons are now assigned to the Bangor submarine base on Hood Canal, 20 air miles northwest of … Читать далее
LONDON — After he was killed by a blow to the face about 9,000 years ago, the 23-year-old hunter was laid to rest in a limestone cave in what is now southwestern England. Now, say scientists astonishingly bridging 90 centuries and 300 generations, they have found a direct descendant of the Stone Age man. He … Читать далее
The SR-71 wasn’t like other planes. It didn’t retire like them either. On this day in 1990, SR-71 #972 took its final flight for the U. S. Military and was officially retired. It ran from Los Angeles to Washington, headed to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. In typical Blackbird fashion, it set four … Читать далее
Following up on our previous news regarding Monty Python material on iTunes, Mashable is now reporting on a staggering increase of Monty Python DVDs sold on Amazon soon after the Python crew made some of their their more popular material free on Youtube. And by staggering, I mean 23,000% worth. Mashable notes that Monty Python’s … Читать далее
Sacramento Public Library patrons will soon be able to check out a variety of tools, technology and home appliances through a «Library of Things» program. Have you ever had the urge to play around with a music synthesizer or take a GoPro camera on an adventure, but didn’t want to own one? It may soon … Читать далее
Four years after a group of Kenyan Maasai herders touched the hearts of Americans by donating 14 head of prized cattle to the US to help ease the pain of the 11 September attacks, a new home has been found for the unusual gift. At a special ceremony of thanks, US ambassador Michael Ranneberger was … Читать далее
As the FDA recently noted, antibacterial products are no more effective than soap and water, and could be dangerous The FDA announced a bold new position on antibacterial soap: Manufacturers have to show that it’s both safe and more effective than simply washing with conventional soap and water, or they have to take it off … Читать далее
A farmer in China bought two «good-looking pups» from a man who said they’d make good watch dogs. For two years he raised the little black puppies, grooming their coarse hair and feeding them ample quantities of food. Their appetites were huge and getting larger by the day… One weird thing about the dogs was … Читать далее
The fleeing of a mollusk from a New Zealand aquarium has captivated the world. Here’s how he did it, and what it means. An octopus at New Zealand’s National Aquarium made a break for freedom by slipping out of its tank, slithering down a drainpipe and escaping into the ocean earlier this year. Inky, a … Читать далее
In the wake of an investigation launched by the Connecticut Attorney General’s office, Best Buy has finally admitted that the now-infamous «secret intranet» (used to mislead in-store customers about BestBuy’s online prices) exists. The website looks identical to BestBuy. com…except for the prices. The secret website was first revealed by George Gombossy of the Hartford … Читать далее
You’ve heard of the race for the cure. But what about kayaks for the cure, barks for the cure, blondes for the cure or kites for the cure? Recently, these and other charities have sprung up, making use of the popular phrase «for the cure» in breast cancer fundraising efforts. And while imitation is thought … Читать далее
Maurice Rowland (left) and Miguel Alvarez were working at an assisted living home last fall. When it shut down, Maurice -- the cook - and Miguel — the janitor - stayed to take care of the residents left behind. When an assisted living home in California shut down last fall, many of its residents were … Читать далее
Why a Quintessentially Chinese Movie Was Made in Hollywood BEIJING — The blockbuster success of an American animated movie that’s set in ancient China, highlights Chinese culture, mythology and architecture and stars a kung fu fighting panda has filmmakers and ordinary Chinese wondering: Why wasn’t this hit made. . . in China? «Kung Fu Panda» … Читать далее
You enter a room with two cages. One contains a friend, who is clearly distressed. The other contains a bar of chocolate, which clearly isn’t. What do you do? While a few people would probably go for the chocolate first (and you know who you are), most would choose to free the friend. And so, … Читать далее
You’re at a restaurant and can’t be bothered with looking at the wine list, so why not ask the waiter for a suggestion, right? But for one New Jersey man, this move led to an expensive misunderstanding. According to NJ. com, customer Joe Lentini was at Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City, N. J. when … Читать далее
Newcastle University neuroscientist Dr. Gabriele Jordan, recently announced that she has identified a woman who is a «tetrachromat,» that is, a woman with the ability to see much greater color depth than the ordinary person. According to Daily Mail, an ordinary person can perceive a million different hues of colors. The power to distinguish the … Читать далее
What can run a feral, East Campus cat off a liver truck and save a few trees in the process? Fox urine sprayed on pine and spruce trees might not make much sense to some people who know the beauty of East Campus’ Arboretum. But to the landscaping staff at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, it’s … Читать далее
LEGO’s toy dominance over the last half century has been built on petroleum-based plastics. The toy company is investing hundreds of millions of dollars dedicated to research, development and implementation of new, sustainable, raw materials to manufacture LEGO elements as well as packaging materials. By 2030, the Danish-based toy company says that their plastic bricks … Читать далее
The Cullinan Diamond is the largest rough diamond ever found — at 3,106.75 carats. It was found in South Africa in 1905 and had to be transported from South Africa to England to be presented to King Edward VII. Transporting such a valuable diamond was a huge security risk. So how did they do it? … Читать далее
Sure, you know that bees pollinate our crops and give us honey. But there’s so much more to these buzzing insects than that. 1. THEIR STING HAS SOME BENEFITS A toxin in bee venom called melittin may prevent HIV. Melittin can kill HIV by poking holes into the virus’s protective envelope. (Meanwhile, when mellitin hitches … Читать далее
The court case comes after Germany suffered its worst measles outbreak in years A German biologist who offered €100,000 (£71,350; $106,300) to anyone who could prove that measles is a virus has been ordered by a court to pay up. Stefan Lanka, who believes the illness is psychosomatic, made the pledge four years ago on … Читать далее
NASA Backs Amateur Stargazer’s Claim Of Spotting Asteroid Crash Back in the 12th century, monks in England claimed they saw a spectacular eruption of fire and hot coals on the crescent moon. Others have since made similar claims about mysterious lunar flashes. Professional space scientists have dismissed such amateur reports, saying there’s no evidence the … Читать далее
In 1991, one of the most iconic (and terrifying) horror movies of all time was released: The Silence of the Lambs, based on Thomas Harris‘ novel of the same name. It achieved both critical and commercial success, paving the way for future sequels which would never quite live up to the success of The Silence … Читать далее
An Arizona man could have gotten himself one of the fanciest cars on the road and had money left over with what a diamond he allegedly stole was worth, but instead police say he traded the $160,000 gem for $20 worth of marijuana. Walter Earl Morrison, 20, of Phoenix, Az., was charged with felony theft … Читать далее
As prison populations surge in the UK, with overcrowded cells and repeat offenders, the opposite is happening in the Netherlands. The country is actually to close eight prisons because of a lack of criminals, the Dutch justice ministry has announced. Declining crime rates in the Netherlands mean that although the country has the capacity for … Читать далее
As most of us are aware, America’s predominant involvement in World War II occurred outside of its borders. While American troops were sent to the front lines of battle torn Europe, and fighting raged in the Pacific, the continental United States was almost entirely untouched. However, a little known attack (that later became known as … Читать далее
Meditation study shows changes associated with awareness, stress. Participating in an eight-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress. In a study that will appear in the Jan. 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by Harvard-affiliated researchers at Massachusetts … Читать далее
On those days when you start to feel that your coursework is taxing your brain, take a moment to think about Alex, an African grey parrot, who was the subject of a thirty-year (1977-2007) experiment by an animal psychologist named Irene Pepperberg, initially at the University of Arizona and later at Harvard and Brandeis University. … Читать далее
Step aside, Gandalf! On Thursday, June 11, Lord of the Rings fans celebrated one of the series’ greatest wizards, Saruman the White. British actor Christopher Lee, who played the evil sorcerer in the three blockbuster film adaptations, passed away at age 93 on Sunday, June 7, but the news of his death wasn’t announced until … Читать далее
An intriguing, anecdotal finding was recently reported by some news outlets that the implementation of blue-colored streetlights has reduced both crime and suicides: Glasgow, Scotland, introduced blue street lighting to improve the city’s landscape in 2000. Afterward, the number of crimes in areas illuminated in blue noticeably decreased. The Nara, Japan, prefectural police set up … Читать далее
The Star of the South, also known as Estrela do Sul, is a diamond found in Brazil in July 1853. The diamond is cut into a cushion shape and weighs 128.48 carats (25.696 g). The Star of the South is graded as a type IIa diamond, with a colour grading of fancy light pinkish-brown and … Читать далее
Walmart is fighting back against «unknown shrinkage». When you’re a company as big as Walmart, everything about you is huge, even your losses from shoplifting. The retailing giant says that it loses about $3 billion every year from theft, or 1% of its $300 billion in revenue, Reuters reports. Leading the effort to fight back … Читать далее
A woman who tried to use a fake $1 million bill to buy $1,675 worth of merchandise at Wal-Mart said it was all just a misunderstanding — she thought the bill was real. The United States Treasury does not make $1 million bills. «You can’t keep up with the U. S. Treasury,» said Alice Pike, … Читать далее
Usually airline passengers side with flight attendants when it comes to safety, but in the case of a US Airways flight Wednesday night, passengers rallied around a blind man and his guide dog and disembarked en masse. All 35 passengers on US Airways Flight 4384 walked off the plane after Albert Rizzi, a blind man … Читать далее
When your dog sees that little wiggly bead of light from a laser pointer, nothing matters to him more than catching it. Unfortunately, there’s nothing there to’catch’, since it’s just an ungraspable bundle of light. And, it turns out, the lack of closure your dog experiences from endlessly trying to catch it may actually be … Читать далее
Nestle has been forced to take down an image from its Kit Kat Facebook fan page, after it emerged that it was similar to an icon used to ward off paedophiles. The picture of the nut brown-coloured bear was used briefly to promote Kit Kat Bars on the Facebook page of the Nestle-owned chocolate bar. … Читать далее
Louis Armstrong asked Richard Nixon to carry his bags through customs for him because he’was an old man’. The bags had marijuana in them. Louis Armstrong was first turned onto marijuana in the mid-1920s, and he smoked it all his life, including before performances and recordings. Armstrong was arrested in November 1930 while smoking marijuana … Читать далее
In 1963, a man in the Nevşehir Province of Turkey knocked down a wall of his home. Behind it, he discovered a mysterious room. The man continued digging and soon discovered an intricate tunnel system with additional cave-like rooms. What he had discovered was the ancient Derinkuyu underground city, part of the Cappadocia region in … Читать далее