The more futuristic a spaceship looks the harder it is to identify which real life object inspired the design, but at their core all sci-fi spaceship designs are based on something from the real world.

Most concept artists conceal their inspiration by adding detail until the ship looks too complex for our minds to pick apart, but San Francisco-based freelance artist Eric Geusz doesn't care about hiding the truth.

A post shared by Eric (@spacegooose) on Nov 27, 2016 at 10:42pm PST

He's just having fun drawing ships based on stuff he finds lying around his house so he doesn't care who knows where the inspiration for his ship designs comes from.

And his willingness to share this part of his artistic process may open up new worlds for budding artists looking to draw unique and interesting vehicles.

A post shared by Eric (@spacegooose) on Sep 18, 2016 at 11:04pm PDT

-Via Laughing Squid

In the 16th century, Dutch Renaissance artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder painted a village scene filled with people doing nonsensical things. They are each illustrating an old Dutch saying, adage, or proverb. The painting has been called The Blue Cloak or The Folly of the World, but its actual title is Netherlandish Proverbs. It's slightly reminiscent of Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, but much less creepy.

The precise number of proverbs that Netherlandish Proverbs contains is somewhat uncertain because modern scholarly interpretations vary, and in some case, more than one proverb might be assigned to the same component in the painting. Critics have identified approximately 112 identifiable proverbs and idioms in the scene, although Bruegel may have included others which cannot be determined because they have either disappeared from usage or the language had changed.

Bruegel has hidden his proverbs in the characters as well as in the buildings and in the landscape in highly imaginative ways. At the center of the painting is a woman placing a blue cloak (hence the painting’s original title) over her husband, indicating that she is cuckolding him. The man biting into the wooden pillar is a hypocrite. The man who’s filling a pond after his calf drowned is one who takes action after a disaster. The person who spills his porridge, will never be able to spoon it all back into the bowl. The two men defecating out of the same hole indicates they are inseparable companions.

Proverb: “To be a pillar-biter”
Meaning: To be a religious hypocrite

Proverb: “Never believe someone who carries fire in one hand and water in the other”
Meaning: To be two-faced and to stir up trouble

Read about Pieter Bruegel the Elder and his curious painting at Amusing Planet, where you'll find several individual proverbs. You can also check out an interactive map of the painting, where you can hover over a scene and read its proverb. -via Strange Company  

For me growing up left-handed meant remaining adaptable and constantly improving my ambidexterity, because it was often easier to learn how to do things the right-handed way before trying it with my left.

I've also learned a few tricks to keep tasks from being so annoying, like filling a notebook up backwards to avoid smearing and keep the rings out of your way, and sitting on the left of people at the dinner table to avoid knocking elbows.

(Image Link)

But there are plenty of other lefty problems that are still annoying, like the fact that most scissors are made for righties so they hurt my hand when I use them, and manual can openers can be a real pain to use too. Too bad there isn't a Leftorium in my town...

See 11 Everyday Tasks That Are Tricky For Left Handers at Mental Floss

There have been many theories as to why the dinosaurs disappeared millions of years ago, while leaving a remnant behind we call birds. The comic is cute, but nothing earth-shattering (unless you're a dinosaur). However, it sparked a comment thread that posed alternate theories of why dinosaurs became extinct. Take your pick.

I thought this was the real reason dinosaurs became extinct.

I thought this was the real reason dinosaurs became extinct.

I'm pretty sure that was the reason.

but I thought this was the reason.

Nah, this is the reason.

You're all wrong. This is the real reason dinosaurs went extinct.

No no no, you guys have it all wrong, THIS is the REAL reason.

Don't think so, pretty sure this is the real reason.

Actually, this is the real reason.

No... THIS is the scientifically verified reason.

-via reddit

A well-stocked kitchen should have a variety of cooking oils available so you always have the right oil for the job, but many cooks keep only a couple of oils on hand that they're familiar with, like vegetable, corn or olive oil.

The good news is oils don't cost much to try out, they can sit around for years without going bad, and they add the flavor your dishes have been missing!

I love the flavor almond oil adds to cakes, and vegetables sautéed in sunflower oil are pretty darn tasty, but my favorite non-basic oil is sesame oil because it works so well in both sweet and savory dishes, and a little dash goes a long way.

This chart created by myfitnesspal breaks down fourteen different types of cooking oils available at the market today, so you can make an educated choice and expand your horizons in the kitchen.

See full sized chart here

-Via Lifehacker

Dogs amaze us with their ability to detect scents from just a few molecules. At least we recognize their abilities, and use them to find things like drugs, explosives, and even cancer. But how to we train dogs to focus on one kind of smell? It's a basic dog training technique that's been refined to suit the dog's future job. But there are inherent dangers in these jobs, too.

While rare owing to the fact that the dogs are being used to find hidden drugs (thus likely barriers between the drug and the dog), it does sometimes happen where the dog may be exposed to something so toxic that even trace amounts pose a risk to them, such as relatively recently happened in Broward County, Florida where sniffer dogs were exposed to the extremely potent opioid fentanyl.

To get around this problem, the dog’s handler will keep a vigilant watch and particularly not deploy sniffing dogs at all if there are any loose drugs present. For the unseen drugs that nonetheless may be particularly potent, the handler also might carry things like naloxone with them, which rapidly reverses/blocks the effects of opioids, just in case.

Read about the specific training technique for drug detection dogs, plus some of the benefits and dangers of using dogs to detect drugs and other contraband at Today I Found Out.

Kim Kardashian has been known to take a break from saying "look at me!" to add "look at how rich I am!" and "look at how foolish I am with my money!" to the social media mix, and people usually see these posts and smirk.

But when she posted a pic of her Louis Vuitton trashcans on Snapchat the internet community couldn't help but dump on her for throwing away her money on something so dumb.

Kim is giving getting called “trash” a whole new meaning. pic.twitter.com/OJLqK0uQqC

— becca hansford (@rhansford123) January 11, 2018

I couldn't find any info on whether these trash cans are actually made by Louis Vuitton, although they did sell a monogrammed waste basket that cost $4,000 so if they're truly Louis then they must have cost a bundle.

Kim Kardashian has Louis Vuitton trash cans. She literally throws her garbage away in something that costs more than anything I have ever owned.

— Tay (@tayjanasik) January 11, 2018

Of course you could always just buy one of these stencils on Etsy and put that LV logo all over your own trash cans for about $30, but wouldn't that make them knockoff trash cans?

Are they called ...Kartrashian cans ?

— Free Thinker (@charmedboi) January 14, 2018

-Via DesignTAXI

Last week, parts of Europe were blown around by a storm that was notable for high winds. You may have seen some videos of people knocked down by wind while trying to walk. Now watch what 110kh (68mph) winds can do to a plane trying to land in Düsseldorf, Germany.

(YouTube link)

Imagine being a passenger on that plane! When it finally taxied in, I can imagine the cheers, the prayers, and the thank-yous to the steely-nerved pilots. And probably at least one or two losing their lunch. -via Boing Boing

The d'oh effect by udesign

Have you ever experienced a moment when your mind was so empty you couldn't think of anything at all? We're talking about much more than a mere brain fart, more like a brain explosion resulting in total eradication of all gray matter, aka the D'oh Effect. Scientists have been studying the D'oh Effect for decades, ever since their first subject Homer Simpson failed to register on an EKG machine and was shown to have a zero IQ, but they're no closer to finding an answer now than when they started. The only thing they do know is the brain can be brought back to life by thinking about either donuts or Duff beer...

Make a smart fashion choice by bringing home this The D'oh Effect t-shirt by Udesign, featuring a smart looking design that'll make people smile wherever you go!

Visit udesign's Facebook fan page, official website and Instagram, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more tooneriffic designs:

View more designs by udesign | More Funny T-shirts | New T-Shirts

Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama!

Janelle Shane (previously at Neatorama) programs neural networks to study machine learning. She's taught algorithms to name Pokemón, Star Wars characters, and fish. The generated fish names were pretty much indistinguishable from existing fish names.

Since that day, and even before, I have been hearing from birders. Any of you who know birders or are birders yourselves will not be surprised. Not only are birders very eager to find out what a neural network would make of bird species, they are also very organized. There is, for example, a downloadable checklist of about 32,000 birds, 14,000 of which have English common names. Big thanks to Kaija Gahm, Dana Terry, and Emily Davis, who sent me this and similar datasets.

The neural network, after reading intently through the entire list about 7 times, is now a dedicated birder.

Some of the more intriguing bird names that were generated include:

Nukh’s Dull Gull
Banded Spectacled Snake-Eagle
Thick-knee
Bunticus Gray-chinned Laughingthrush
Ecuadorian Strange-tailed Cuckoo
Violet-throated Tyrant-Eagle

Read more about the project, peruse the list of bird names, and see more amusing illustrations at Shane's site. -via Metafilter

(Images credit: Carin Powell)

Like many human conditions, medical, psychological, or otherwise, bipolar disorder was at first little-known (then called manic-depression), then described poorly in pop culture, then evolved in the collective mind to mean something different from what is it. Let's get back to the basics with Life Noggin.

(YouTube link)

Many folks display symptoms that might lead you to believe that you're "just a little" bipolar, but while there's a spectrum of symptoms we all experience at one time or another, people who suffer from bipolar disorder suffer profoundly, and should seek help. -via Laughing Squid

If you're a real Neatorama fan, you no doubt follow us on Facebook. But the site, unfortunately, just changed their algorithm to prioritize friends and family members and de-prioritize brands, which makes it so you pretty much won't see our posts on your feed any more. 

While some people are just fine with that, others want to keep seeing the pages they are following. If you're in the later group, you can make sure you can see our page and the others you care about, but it takes a little work. 

To make sure you keep seeing the pages you care about, you'll need to log in to your account, then click on the three dots next to the "News Feed" text on the left side and then select "Edit Preferences." From there, you need to select "prioritize who to see first" and then you can just click on the brands and friends you want to see in your feed.

It's kind of a pain, but at least it ensures you'll get to see the people and websites you care most about in your feed. 

It's cold outside! How long can you stay out there before you need to worry about frostbite? Pooja Gandhi and Adam Crahen used data from the National Weather Service to construct an interactive chart that combines air temperature and wind speed to calculate the time it takes to develop frostbite. Hover over the chart to bring up the information for a temperature. The news is not that bad- if the thermometer says the temperature is 0 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind isn't blowing much, it would take you three hours to suffer from frostbite. However, if you're skiing or having other fun in the snow, three hours can go by quickly. Or the wind could pick up. This is why your mother wants to you wear a hat, an extra pair of socks, and keep your gloves dry. Check out the chart at Tableau Public. -via Mental Floss

What's worse than being rejected in favor of a pet? Being rejected in favor of someone else's pet! Yes, it's true that dogs won't break your heart the way a person will. The internet allows us to enjoy relationships from afar. Even relationships that are unrequited, and with a dog. Dogs on the internet come with a bonus in that you don't have to feed, walk, or entertain them. Just like internet boyfriends. This is the latest comic from Chris Hallbeck at Maximumble.

Millennials don't want to be lumped into a group. And they don't want to be labeled -or do they? These folks don't hesitate to tell you how they are special and different, and they'll take a label as long as they get to choose it -and as long as it isn't Millennial. 

(YouTube link)

Not wanting to be seen as a Millennial is the most Millennial thing there is. I can't really blame them. No one wants to be seen as a generalized type, especially when they are exactly that type. Generations weren't quite labeled and pigeonholed so much when we Boomers were young and lumped together.  -via Tastefully Offensive