Archive for January 10th, 2007
Why We Buy Crappy Gifts for Our Spouses.
Clive Thompson summarizes this surprising study [PDF] by Davy LeRouge and Luk Warlop on how the better you know your spouse, the more likely you are to buy them crappy gifts they hate.
The result? People were pretty good at predicting the likes and dislikes of total strangers — yet astonishly crappy at figuring out the preferences of their closest and dearest partners. And when they were given new information about which furniture their partners picked for themselves? It didn’t help. They were still better at picking gifts
for total strangers than for their loved ones.Why? Possibly, the professors theorized, because when we’re very familiar with our spouses it can be hard to separate our own preferences from theirs. We mistake things we’d like for things they’d like. Also, we tend to cherish hidebound ideas about what our partners are like, and we’re unable to step outside those assumptions — even when our partners themselves give us fresh, new information. When we face down strangers, we have none of those biases and thus are able to more clearly see them as they are.
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Reuters Open a Second Life Bureau.
Seems like the news agency Reuters has opened an office in Second Life:
Adam Reuters is Reuters’ bureau chief in Second Life.
In real life, he is Adam Pasick, a veteran tech and media journalist.
Link – via jasonspage
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For Sale: Castle Dracula
Bran Castle, or Castle Dracula and the possible home of Vlad the Impaler – the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula – is up for sale. For £40 million ($78 million) this 57-room medieval castle built in 1377 could be yours. The Romanian government has first refusal but if it decides not to purchase it, it could end up in private hands.
If bought by a private buyer, the castle would need to remain as a state-run museum for the next few years but could then be turned into a private residence if required, although I don’t know who would be crazy enough to live with the ghost of Vlad the Impaler. Link – via Cynical-C
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Bed jumping.
You can spend years telling the kids not to jump on the bed. You can also spend years repairing or replacing the beds they jump on. But when you are away from home and don’t have to be a role model, aren’t you tempted to take a flying leap on someone else’s bed? Bed Jump is a blog that celebrates those moments when adults become children again. I don’t know what the hotels think of it! Link -Thanks, Carla!
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Probably his first interview.
The latest BBC news from Iraq? Seems there may be a little resentment of the press going on among the insurgents. Well, maybe just one insurgent. Push play or go to YouTube -via Wulfweard the White
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Fantastic Design of a "Quarry" Hotel in China.
This stunning design sets a hotel constructed in a water-filled quarry in China:
Atkin’s Architecture Group recently won the first prize award for an international design competition with this stunning entry. Set in a spectacular water filled quarry in Songjiang, China, the 400 bed resort hotel is uniquely constructed within the natural elements of the quarry. Underwater public areas and guest rooms add to the uniqueness, but the resort also boasts cafes, restaurants and sporting facilities.
The lowest level runs with the aquatic theme by housing a luxurious swimming pool and an extreme sports center for activities such as rock climbing and bungee jumping which will be cantilevered over the quarry and accessed by special lifts from the water. With a stunning visual presentation as shown here, it’s no wonder this project took home the first prize. This is a fine example of an ultra modern facility co-existing amongst its natural environment.
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Darth Vader Citroén.
Nick Bötticher modified this Citroén HY to look like … Darth Vader! Found at VVORK.
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Children Railway ... From Hell!
Found at: Link – via MonkeyFilter
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New Microbe Named After Star Wars' Midichlorians.
Nate Lo found a weird microbe living inside the mitochondria of tick eggs, a notable first in biology. But he had trouble naming it, until he ran into a website describing midi-chlorians, which is the basis of the Force in Star Trek Wars.
So Lo started surfing the Web, looking for ideas and finding nothing until one link took him to a page on the Wikipedia Web site describing midichlorians. He discovered that George Lucas had invented these creatures while dreaming up his Star Wars movies. The mysterious intracellular organisms apparently reside within the cells of almost all living things and communicate with the Force.
"I quite liked the earlier Star Wars movies, but I’d never heard of these midichlorians before," Lo explains. Although he’s not what you’d call a Star Wars fanatic, Lo began thinking perhaps he should name his real-life organism after the imaginary ones. After all, he says, "Art is often imitating science, but it doesn’t often go the other way." [...]
Meanwhile, one of Lo’s coauthors started to get a little nervous. Weren’t midichlorians the intellectual property of George Lucas? Might he sue? While the paper was out for review, Lo wrote to Lucas and sought his permission. "I was really praying he wouldn’t say no," Lo says. Lucas’ assistant wrote back graciously to say that George was fine with the whole thing, and on June 20, the journal accepted the paper.
Link – via mentalfloss
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Strange Funeral Rites From Around The World.
IRAQ: Did cavemen invent the funeral? That was the question posed in the 1950s, when the excavation of nine Neanderthals in northern Iraq’s Shanidar cave [wiki] produced evidence that the 60,000-year-old stiffs had been left there together, perhaps as part of a concerted effort to mourn their passing. American anthropologist Ralph Solecki, who led the dig, cited a layer of many types of seeds and pollen found surrounding one grave as proof that prehistoric man invented not only the funeral, but also the floral arrangement. Many remain unconvinced of by Solecki’s findings, however – and barring the excavation of a receipt from the Grogg & Grogg Bereavement hut, the mystery of Shanidar will never be resolved.
INDIA: Think traditional funeral services are for the birds? Then do your best to die 
somewhere in the vicinity of one of the Towers of Silence, where one of the neighborhood’s Zoroastrians might give you a chance to have the exciting air burial you’ve always dreamed of. Per their religion, Zoroastrians leave their dead atop a local tower, where vultures handle the nasty business of disposing the spiritually impure flesh. From there, it’s as simple as throwing the bare bones down into the tower’s pit, where they can rest for all eternity (in a pile with all the others). And while the Zoroastrians do offer several convenient locations throughout the deserts of Bombay and Iran for disposing of remains, you should probably act fast. Remember, the recently declining populations of vultures make this a limited-time-only offer, so don’t delay.
GHANA: If you want an ornate but relatively inexpensive coffin, you’ll be well advised to avoid the American funeral home racket altogether and die, as no less an American than W.E.B. Du Bois did, in Ghana. There, the dead are often buried in elaborate "fantasy coffins" that come carved in everything from airplane to fish styles.
SWEDEN: The latest technology in funeral services is that of Swedish marine biologist Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak, who in 1999 patented the "ecological funeral," a meticulous cryotechnological process that does all the work of decomposition so that you won’t have to. The process begins with the reduction of the corpse to a fine powder that makes your dead self healthier for the environment. Next, scientists extract the leftover metals and send them off to be recycled – meaning that in your next life part of you may just be a Volkswagen Beetle. Finally, the remains are ready to be sent back into Earth – and you can be sure that Earth will be glad to have you, thanks to your biodegradable casket.
Roman columbarium
ROMAN EMPIRE: When an ancient Roman was dying, the oldest surviving male of the family leaned in close to the dying person and attempted to inhale the dying breath (that’s just … not sanitary). They did try and put the fun back in funeral, though. The rites lasted several days and often featured hired mourners and professional dancers. And while most people know that the Romans liked a party, not many are aware of how much they liked fire. Almost all Romans were cremated, and their ashes placed in a columbarium.
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From mental_floss’ book Scatterbrained, published in Neatorama with permission.
Be sure to visit mental_floss‘ extremely entertaining website and blog!
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Dog Unhappy With Cone Collar? Nah!
Somebody passive aggressive was apparently unhappy having to wear those stupid Elizabethan collar [wiki] around their neck … Found at Cute Overload
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Jaws Tribute by 12-Year-Olds (on $20 Budget and Super 8mm Film!)
Here’s a tribute to Jaws, complete with a homemade shark, made in 1978 by a bunch of 12-year-olds (with Super8 film and a budget of $20!) Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] – via Blue’s News and Videosift
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Where's Hyundai Santa Fe?
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Here are some very creative print ads from Hyundai for their SUV the Santa Fe, featuring someone that suspiciously look like Waldo. Click on the images above to see the full details (very cool!).
Found at Advertising/Design Goodness
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Amy Lin's Artwork.
Amy Lin does wonders with dots – her artwork is deceptively simple – in fact, it’s simply fantastic: Link
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Really Bad Star Wars Collectibles.
Here are some really bad Star Wars collectibles: Link
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