December 2009
17 posts
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Below Berlin, Tours of Another World →
An organization called Berlin Underworlds offers tours of the bunkers, sewers, air raid shelters, and catacombs underneath the German capital. (N.Y. Times)
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Bering in Mind
I think I just found my new crush object, Dr. Jesse Bering, columnist for Scientific American. And yes, he’s gay. Just look at these column topics and more:
Secrets of the Phallus: Why Is the Penis Shaped Like That? (It is possible for two “twins” to have different fathers. Can you believe that?)
Equal Right to Kiss? Why You May Be Disgusted by Gay Behavior without Knowing It
...
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How Santa Does It: Clones, Wormholes and... →
I think my belief in St. Nick just got restored. The Truth About Santa explains in scientific detail how it’s possible for one man to deliver gifts all over the world in one day. (Scientific American)
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Climate Change Skeptics vs. Scientific Consensus:... →
A beautiful summary of the argument between the skeptic and the consensus scientists. (Information is Beautiful via Daring Fireball)
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(Knuckle) Crack is Not Whack →
Cracking your knuckles is unlikely to cause arthritis. (Scientific American)
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Video Review of 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace' →
Despite loving ‘Star Wars,’ I’ve always hated ‘The Phantom Menace.’ This 70-minute review finally explicates everything that’s bothered me about it—but couldn’t quite explain. If you can get over Mike’s voice, it’s a pretty awesome review. (Slash Film via Daring Fireball)
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How to Avoid Injury on the Slopes →
There are lots of things you can do to prevent injury while skiing or boarding. Also, despite some well-publicized deaths, skiing is a low-fatality activity. (The greater danger is probably from obesity due to lack of exercise.) (N.Y. Times)
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Visual Design Keeps Film Audience Oriented →
Star Trek filmmakers use subtle cues like the color scheme of the location and the direction the ship travels to keep the audience oriented and enjoying the movie. Like a sort of “user interface,” the colors of planets helps the audience when the plot changes locations—especially when changing back to a place already-visited. Moving the ship from left to right signifies leaving a...
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“Professional wave-riders [are in] an extremely mellow frenzy.”
– The New York Times on the prospect of extremely huge, extremely rare waves possibly approaching Hawaii in “As Hawaii’s Seas Roil, Surfers Await the Big One.”
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A Lost European Culture, Pulled From Obscurity →
It turns out Old Europe is older than previously thought—going back to before 5000 B.C. (N.Y. Times)
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A Cloud Still Hangs Over Bhopal →
25 years later, and many citizens of Bhopal still do not have compensation for their pain and suffering. (N.Y. Times)
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“My favorite books about marriage — Calvin Trillin’s ‘About Alice’...”
– Elizabeth Weil in “Married (Happily) With Issues.” (N.Y. Times)
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Verizon is First in Customer Satisfaction →
According to Consumer Reports, Verizon is first in customer satisfaction narrowly beating out T-Mobile amongst national wireless networks. Sprint and AT&T are about tied for last. (All Things Digital via Daring Fireball)
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“The idea that you can control mounting deficits while engaged in two wars that...”
– Bob Herbert in A Tragic Mistake. (N.Y. Times)