In the mockumentary The Centrifuge Brain Project by Till Nowak, the Institute for Centrifugal Research builds its own thrill rides to see how they affect brain development. The amazing rides are based on real carnival rides in Germany, although they've been "enhanced" somewhat. At least I hope so. -via Metafilter
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It was a jarring moment when generations of young readers got to the fourth book in the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder and saw that it opened with the simple statement that her sister Mary had gone blind from scarlet fever. Ingalls wrote her remembrances late in life for young readers, and many believe they were heavily edited by Rose Wilder Lane, but what made it into print left a distinct and frightening impression. But it turns out that scarlet fever doesn't cause blindness. Dr. Beth A. Tarini deduced, after a decade of research, that Mary probably went blind in 1879 due to viral meningoencephalitis. But why does it matter so many years later?
“When I’m in clinic,” Dr. Tarini said, “and I tell parents their child has scarlet fever, I see their eyes widen. In my mind, it’s no different than a strep throat with a rash, but the specter of history colors their reaction.” Those emotional words describing Mary’s lost vision still carry weight with the parents who read and remember “By the Shores of Silver Creek” and all the books that came before and after it.
“We’re taught to find out what’s wrong and give a patient a diagnosis,” Dr. Tarini continued, “but that’s only one of the things the patient needs. If I say ‘scarlet fever’ and a mother is thinking, ‘Mary Ingalls’ then if I don’t know to pull that out, I’m not doing my job.” It matters to pediatricians if it matters to their patients.
Read more about Tarini's research at the New York Times. Link -via Boing Boing
How many different kinds of dogs are on YouTube? All of them! This compilation of canines makes a fine music video for the song "It's Not My Dog" by Bombay Monkey. -via b3ta
The cake was pretty fancy on the outside, but it made everyone's eyes pop when they cut it! This polka dot cake was made by redditor reburn's wife for their daughter's birthday. The secret? Make cake pops first, then bake the rest of the cake around them. Here's a tutorial on the process. Link
In the 19th century, medical education was making great strides, and professors needed cadavers for demonstrations and lectures. However, the only legal way to procure bodies was after criminal executions, and there weren't enough of them. This gave rise to the profession of body-snatching, and grave robbers could make a pretty penny for their clandestine efforts. A "Resurrection Man" named Joseph Naples was one of the rare body-snatchers to keep a diary of his work. An excerpt:
13th January 1812
Took 2 of the above to Mr Brookes & 1 large & 1 small to Mr Bell. Foetus to Mr Carpue. Small to Mr Framton. Large small to Mr Cline. Met at 5, the Party went to Newington. 2 adults. Took them to St Thomas’s.
Large and small refer to adult and child corpses. The diary is in the possession of the Hunterian Museum in London. Read more about it at Atlas Obscura. Link
"Sure, you're a famous movie star, but can you do this?" Daniel Radcliffe, who gained fame as the title character in the Harry Potter films, tells us how he keeps from getting the big head about it. It helps when you constantly have to play one-up with your talented assistant. -via Tastefully Offensive
Folds is a game of origami. Can you fold the paper into the desired shape? Oh, it looks easy, but you only have a limited number of folds for each level, and it rapidly gets difficult just when you think you've got it licked. Link -via Look At This
Myles Wilkinson of Victoria, British Columbia, entered a fantasy football league contest and won an all-expense-paid trip to the Super Bowl! The excited football fan flew to Toronto Thursday, but when he changed planes to enter the US, he was denied entry -because of his criminal record. He was convicted of marijuana possession in 1981.
"I had two grams of cannabis. I paid a $50 fine," Wilkinson told CBC news.
Wilkinson said he was 19 when he was busted.
"I can't believe that this is happening, for something that happened 32 years ago."
Wilkinson's denial of entry into the U.S. is a common story, according to Dana Larsen, director of the Sensible B.C. campaign, a group advocating for the decriminalization of marijuana.
"There's hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have these criminal records for small amounts of cannabis and that results in a lifetime ban for accessing the U.S."
Wilkinson returned to British Columbia, where he ended up watching the Super Bowl on TV, albeit in style -at the Super Bowl party at Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom, courtesy of Bud Light Canada. Link -via reddit
(Image credit: CBC)
You've always wanted an AT-ST (All Terrain Scout Transport) from The Empire Strikes Back, and now you can make your own with just a few popsicle sticks! Instructables member popsicle_mini-models takes you through all the steps. The finished piece is only about three inches tall. A commenter suggests that if you break one, or it doesn't balance correctly, take it out in the snow and set it on fire while recording video. That will come in handy when you produce your epic science fiction masterpiece! Link -via Geeks Are Sexy
Hey! The Abbey Road train station in London isn't the Abbey Road you're looking for. Luckily, Docklands Light Railway is not only aware of your mistake, but they go all out with the Beatles puns to make it seem more like a lark than an error. -via Arbroath
There's fast thinking and there's slow thinking, and if your consciousness mistakes one system for the other, you might come to the wrong conclusions. Still, if we didn't use fast thinking, we'd waste an awful lot of time figuring out the world around us. AsapSCIENCE quickly explains the difference between the two. -via Viral Viral Videos
Families come in all shapes, sizes, and configurations. A graphic artist named Stephanie designed this family restroom sign to make it clear that it's an inclusive comfort station. I bet there's even a diaper changing station! Link
This article is republished from the book Uncle John's 24-Karat Bathroom Reader.
The unoccupied Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea has been a tense place since the end of the Korean War in the 1950s. It's been the site of periodic flare-ups, one of which involved a tree.
(Image credit: Wikipedia user Filzstift)
TWO KOREAS
For most of its history, Korea has been a single country, often a very powerful one. In the late 19th century, the nation lost its independence to Japan. At the time, Japan was trying to build a global empire, and Korea was a valuable strategic target. After World War II, the Japanese Empire fell apart, and the countries it once controlled became independent nations again. But a new conflict was developing: The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Korea's strategic location made it an important ally to both sides.
The United States assumed the administration of the southern part of Korea, taking steps to assure it would develop into a capitalist economy. American diplomats and politicians micromanaged the region's political process to produce leaders sympathetic to the West. At the same time, the Soviet Union oversaw the development of the north, and encouraged that part of Korea to develop along socialist lines. The split was formalized in 1948, when the north refused to participate in the United Nations-supervised free elections. Both sides claimed to be the only legitimate government on the Korean peninsula. The Korean War was fought over this issue, which led to two separate nations. To this day, South Korea claims that it lawfully controls North Korea, while North Korea believes the same about South Korea.
Technically, the Korean War never formally ended. There was no peace treaty -only an armistice that ended the shooting (it was temporary, but it's lasted since 1953) and established a two-mile wide DMZ, or Demilitarized Zone, as a neutral buffer between North Korea and South Korea.
STAY POSTED
Like all Cold War hot spots, the DMZ was rife with political intrigue and paranoia (and heavily guarded by troops). North Korea accused the South of periodically sending spies into the North, and in 1975 South Korea discovered secret tunnels that North Korea had built under the DMZ.
Command Post #3 in 1975.
In the early 1970s, the United Nations set up multiple command posts within the DMZ to help control the situation. UN Command Post #3 was critical. It was the northernmost post, situated within sight of North Korean territory. North Korean soldiers had repeatedly attempted to kidnap UN officials from Command Post #3, so soldiers stationed at the southern end of the DMZ believed it was vital to keep a close eye on the post at all times. Only problem: Commands Post #3 was surrounded by dense foliage, which made the post impossible to observe during summer months. One particularly troublesome poplar tree directly blocked the view.
THE KOREAN AXE MASSACRE
It sounded like such a good plan, they had to record it for the internet. They spotted a vending machine in which a previous customer did not get a bag of popcorn because it got hung up. The solution: buy something heavy that will drop on it and dislodge it! But you know what they say about an offer that seems too good to be true… Final score: vending machine 3, customers 0. -via Daily of the Day
Sloths can swim! In fact, they can move through the water three times faster than they move on land. That really isn't saying much, so people still rescue "drowning" sloths. The sloths are probably complaining constantly about this misguided altruism, but as they complain so slowly, no one pays attention. -via Arbroath
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