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The Long Now Foundation is building a clock that is supposed to last 10,000 years, and chime with a different song every time it sounds. Danny Hillis invented the clock in 1995, saying
I want to build a clock that ticks once a year. The century hand advances once every 100 years, and the cuckoo comes out on the millennium. I want the cuckoo to come out every millennium for the next 10,000 years.
The 200-foot tall clock will be installed under a Sierra Diablo mountain on Texas land owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Right now, a robot is carving steps inside the mountain, and some of the larger clock components are being assembled. Read more about it at The Technium. Link to story. Link to website. -via Laughing Squid
This article gives answers to how ten everyday things work. These are some interesting facts to know, and you can surely use them to impress your friends. Some examples of what’s explained are sunscreen, joint cracks, freckles, hiccups, and the falling sensation that some get while lying in bed. Below is an excerpt from the section about the falling sensation:
Have you ever woken up to a falling sensation and a strong muscle twitch as you are simply lying in bed? This phenomenon is known as hypnagogic myoclonic twitch or “Hypnic Jerk,” and studies have shown that roughly 70% of people have experienced it. There is no definitive answer on why this happens, but most scientists have agreed on the following explanation. When you are falling asleep your muscles become very relaxed and enter what is essentially a state of temporary paralysis. While your body is making this transition the brain can misinterpret the sudden relaxation of the muscles and instead think that you are falling. Instincts kick in and send signals to your muscles to jerk you upright which leads to a rude awakening. Studies have found that “Hypnic Jerks” occur more frequently with people who suffer from sleep anxiety, fatigue and discomfort because the brain is more easily confused. Either way, it is a normal part of the sleep process and poses no real danger.
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