(Photo: Shankar S.)

The cells of older and larger animals divide more times than those of smaller and younger animals. So, hypothetically, large animals that live a long time should be at greater risk for developing cancer. Ewen Callaway describes in Scientific American the paradox developed by epidemiologist Richard Peto:

Peto noted that, in general, there is little relationship between cancer rates and the body size or age of animals. That is surprising: the cells of large-bodied or older animals should have divided many more times than those of smaller or younger ones, so should possess more random mutations predisposing them to cancer. Peto speculated that there might be an intrinsic biological mechanism that protects cells from cancer as they age and expand.

It is very rare for the notably large and long-lived elephants to have cancer. Why? Two scientific papers that were recently and independently published explain that elephants have multiple copies of a cancer-fighting gene:

Elephants have 20 copies of a gene called p53 (or, more properly, TP53), in their genome, where humans and other mammals have only one. The gene is known as a tumour suppressor, and it snaps to action when cells suffer DNA damage, churning out copies of its associated p53 protein and either repairing the damage or killing off the cell.

-via Ace of Spades HQ

What movie could you watch over and over again without getting bored? For Walt Hickey of the statistics blog FiveThirtyEight, it's the 2009 film Star Trek. But that's just his personal taste. He conducted an online poll asking people to name the most rewatchable films of all time. Here are the top 10:

I certainly agree with the #1 pick. Star Wars never really gets old--especially Episode IV. I am a bit surprised with Gone with the Wind, though. Is it really that compelling?

-via Ace of Spades HQ

Aircraft builder Airbus filed a patent for a new seating system for commercial jetliners. The company certainly wasn't done when it previously developed a seating system optimal for galley slaves.

Now Airbus is thinking about ways of using all that valuable vertical space. You know--where your head goes? That's can now be taken up by someone's bottom. That person may have to lie down like a corpse in a coffin, but at least the room around the ceiling of the cabin is being used productively. Reuters reports:

"They are covering themselves for what the future may or may not hold, but ... there is no intention to bring this to a real design for any near-term scenario," said cabin interiors expert Mary Kirby, founder and editor of Runway Girl Network. […]

"The flying bunk bed has a raft of health and safety concerns. The obvious number one is the regulatory requirement for safe evacuation of passengers in 90 seconds," Kirby said.

"It doesn't take into account the elderly or passengers with reduced mobility or children or pregnant women."

-via Jalopnik

Inigo, you could have been a bit more polite to Count Rugen. As a gentleman, he would have appreciated that--especially as you were approaching him from a socially inferior position.

FoxType offers an interactive tool that it purports will assess the politeness of text. It will make suggestions for how you could rephrase your words so as to create a better impression.

(Video Link)

American Ninja Warrior is a television show about an athletic event of the same name. Participants must demonstrate extraordinary strength, agility, and endurance as they race though an obstacle course. If you get through the American Ninja Warrior, yYou won't be a ninja, but you will prove yourself to be a top-tier athlete.

This Tyrannosaurus Rex (or a man in a T-rex suit) named Reko Rivera is committed to completing the course. He demonstrates surprisingly powerful upper body strength. I thought those little arms wouldn't be able to do anything!

-via Tor

Throngsi is an elephant that lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand. When a man pretends to attack her caretaker, she roars and rushes in to defend him.

(Video Link)

Throngsi circles her human, making sure that he's okay. If he ever needs an escort through dark city streets at night, he's found the perfect companion.

-via Tastefully Offensive

Dutch designer David Graas made a series of lamps that look like both light bulbs and famous Art Deco buildings. Each one is lit by a 5 watt LED which illuminates the structure. He calls the series Stalaclights because, like stalactites, they hang down from the ceiling.

(Photo: Inforcomm Development Authority)

You may get tired, but it doesn't. As long as Robocoach has electricity, it can keep going, driving you onward--its cold metal heart forcing you to become physically fit.

Students at Ngee Polytechnic in Singapore developed Robocoach to encourage senior citizens to remain physically active. Robocoach takes the place of human athletic trainers in senior activity centers. It monitors the progress of human inputs and ensures that they're performing exercises correctly. CNET reports:

"The first Robocoach has been deployed to the Lions Befrienders Senior Activity Centre," Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim, Singapore's Minister for Communications and Information, said at the IDA-sponsored Silver IT Fest. An IDA representative confirmed to CNET that five senior activity centres will receive units in the next 12 months, with subsequent distribution pending on feedback from the centres.

The Robocoach is equipped with two screens: a tablet on its head, to convey emotion through facial expressions, and a larger display on its chest, which gives detailed instruction on exercises, should its demonstrations be insufficiently instructional.

-via Marginal Revolution

(Photos: WBTV)

When they were 5 years old, Brooke Gibson and Adrian Franklin of Charlotte, North Carolina locked arms and walked down the aisle of a church at a wedding. It wouldn't be the last time. 

17 years ago, they were the ring bearer and flower girl at the wedding of friends of their parents. This time, they walked down the aisle of the same church for their own wedding. It was a romance that began all those many years ago when a little flower girl had a crush on her companion. WBTV describes the growth of their love:

“He really started to come around in middle school,” Brooke said.

The two started “dating” in their early teens after Adrian asked Brooke if she would be his girlfriend. He wrote the message with his finger on her back. She didn’t say anything for a while, leaving Adrian hanging.

“He forgot to put the question mark!” Brooke said.

That memory emerged again years later when Adrian asked Brooke to be his wife.

“I had some friends ride by in a boat with a sign that said ‘Will you marry me Brooke,” Adrian said. He then got down on one knee and handed Brooke a question mark. She said yes.

On September 19th, the two were married in the same church they appeared in 17 years ago. Only the feelings were different this time. Adrian wasn’t hiding, he was smiling from ear to ear.

-via Lost at E Minor

I could work at this job for about 2 minutes before earning the nickname "Stumpy". Somehow this man, who is truly a master of an extraordinarily dangerous craft, appears to have all of his fingers. You can count them at the end!

(Video Link)

It's terrifying to just watch this guy!

-via Gizmodo

The human is back from a productive hunting trip. She found plenty of game that will help keep the pack well-fed, including carrots, onions, celery, and laundry detergent.

(Video Link)

YouTube user Bianca Richter reports that her dogs are helpful this way. Some, though, are more enthusiastic than others. Perhaps the two layabouts will not get to use the detergent.

-via Tastefully Offensive

ハムスター散歩してたwwwww pic.twitter.com/Htiqn1TTyA

— ちんあなご (@bom_okss) October 3, 2015

And all of our lives are better for it. We need more hamsters walking out in the world to bring smiles to our faces. You can find more videos of this one posted by Twitter user @born_okss. They show Pico, our newest little friend. His leash seems light enough that it doesn't give him any trouble.

-via Lost at E Minor

Will Varner’s ideas really work! A Gungan like Jar Jar Binks would naturally relate to life as a mermaid. And, as Varner explains, “Just think: Jar Jar Binks with the voice of a siren!” He’s almost there on his own. But I doubt that Jar Jar would be able to woo Prince Eric as effectively as Ariel.

Etsy seller Amanda C. offers a novel gift idea for fans of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. She paints violins with images from that classic film, carefully arranging iconic scenes from it on the bodies of these instruments. She makes each one to order from Crescent brand violins and customizes them to reflect her customers’ favorite images.

-via Geek Art Gallery

(Photos: FDNY)

Soon, the Fire Department of New York City will celebrate its 150th anniversary. To mark the occasion, it will display and auction off at the local Comic Con 10 bespoke firefighting helmets that look like Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, and other Marvel superheroes. The New York Daily News reports:

Created just for New York Comic Con, the superhero helmets were designed by the industry’s top comic book artists, including Joe Quesada, Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer, Damion Scott, Kaare Andrews and Walt Simonson.

Quesada was also behind “Heroes,” a 2011 comic paying tribute to the victims and heroes of Sept. 11. […]

All proceeds from the sales will go to the FDNY Foundation, which provides awareness and outreach for the public, training and support for the department’s different squads and technology and equipment for stations.