Bill Hammock, the Engineer Guy, explains how our hi-tech gizmos work as well as they do because of a thin layer of corrosion. -Thanks, Bill!
Miss Cellania's Blog Posts
Take a cotton ball and add little yellow pig ears and snout. It might resemble a Honduran White Bat, but still still wouldn't be as cute! These bats are about two inches long and snuggle up in groups under large leaves in the forest. See more photographs at Baby Animal Zoo. Link -via Metafilter
How many years does a PC have to sit to gather this much dust? My computer comes in a small brick, with little room to accumulate debris, but I still vacuum the vents occasionally to guard against cat hair buildup. How about you -how often do you clean out the inside of your computer? The discussion under this video at Geeks Are Sexy has lots of stories that start out "This is nothing! One time we got a computer that had....." Link
When did making cotton candy become a performance art? I don't even like the stuff, but if this guy made it, I'd hand over my money! -via I Am Bored
A flavorful tomato is a treasure, while the fruit that gets shipped across national borders and then ripened with ethylene gas is exceedingly tasteless. We tend to think that's the price we must pay to have year-round produce. But now, scientists at the University of Florida say they have identified the exact chemicals, called volatile compounds, that make the difference in how good tomatoes taste.
The next step will be to develop varieties of tomatoes that produce an abundance of these compounds. I bet work will also go into developing synthesized compounds that can be used to add tomato flavoring to ...well, anything. On the one hand, you'll never convince me that anything is as good as a fresh, sun-ripened, backyard tomato. On the other hand, anything that makes out-of-season supermarket tomatoes taste better has my vote. Link -via reddit
(Image credit: me)
The team, led by Professor Harry Klee, examined 152 types of 'heirloom' varieties to determine what makes the best tasting tomato. They publish their findings today in the journal Current Biology.
First, the researchers looked at the levels of sugars, acids and aroma volatiles - molecules that vaporise and release their smell into the air.
They then conducted a series of taste tests with some of the heirloom varieties, as well as supermarket-bought varieties, asking the volunteers to assess the level of flavour intensity, sweetness and sourness.
Comparing the results of the taste tests with the analytical readings, the researchers were surprised to find that the sweetest-tasting tomatoes did not necessarily contain the highest level of sugars. One particular type of apocarotenoid made the tomatoes taste sweeter.
The next step will be to develop varieties of tomatoes that produce an abundance of these compounds. I bet work will also go into developing synthesized compounds that can be used to add tomato flavoring to ...well, anything. On the one hand, you'll never convince me that anything is as good as a fresh, sun-ripened, backyard tomato. On the other hand, anything that makes out-of-season supermarket tomatoes taste better has my vote. Link -via reddit
(Image credit: me)
Believe it or not, British actor Sir Christopher Lee celebrated his 90th birthday yesterday. He has portrayed Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Fu Manchu, Rasputin, kings, cardinals, a Bond villain, a Sith Lord, and a Tolkien wizard, among many other varied roles. In fact, he holds the Guinness World Record for the most acting credits ever! Lee has 276 titles in his IMDb filmography, including some that are still filming. Yes, he is still working at age 90, and will appear as Saruman in the two Hobbit films now in production. He is also a singer, and marked his birthday by releasing a heavy metal song, "Let legend mark me as the King." Link -via reddit
How many different ways can you open a bottle? If you're picnicking somewhere and forgot to bring the proper tools, you may have to resort to one of these inventive methods -some of which are more successful than others. -via the Presurfer
However, if you want to always be prepared, you can get one of the many neat bottle openers available at the NeatoShop. Link
However, if you want to always be prepared, you can get one of the many neat bottle openers available at the NeatoShop. Link
Long before we actually had e-readers, Douglas Adams recorded the audio portion of this video in 1993 for his publisher, Voyager Expanded Books. Now there's a competition underway challenging animators to illustrate Adams' prophetic essay, and this entry by Gavin Edwards is a standout. Link -via Buzzfeed
This tiny little scene was made by redditor CaptJax's wife. He posted 13 pictures of different dioramas that are mostly gory scenes of violence, but some just contain partial nudity. He's received some inquiries about buying them, so we may eventually find out the artist's name and how you can get one. Link
On Memorial Day, we remember those who lost their lives in wartime. But there have been more wars and conflicts in U.S. history than you covered in history class at school, as the school year only allows time to touch the big ones. For example, you may have learned that the Revolutionary War ended with Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown in 1781. However, fighting actually continued for another 13 months!
Read more about that forgotten year and other U.S. engagements that you may never have known at Balladeer'e Blog. Link
October 1781 to November 1782 saw General “Mad” Anthony Wayne’s campaign to fully recover Georgia from British Loyalists and their Native American allies and saw incessant guerilla warfare in the Ohio Country periodically flare up into larger- scale actions , with George Washington’s associate Colonel William Crawford being killed in one such battle. In addition, British Loyalists and their Native American allies parlayed military successes in Ohio into repeated excursions eastward and southward, with large- scale actions at Blue Lick, KY and elsewhere before being driven back.
Read more about that forgotten year and other U.S. engagements that you may never have known at Balladeer'e Blog. Link
Darth Vader received a prize notice in the mail. What could it be? Find out by reading the rest of the comic at Dorkly. Link -via The Daily What Geek
Arlington National Cemetery will see a great number of people visit to pay their respects to service members killed in wartime today. But how much do you know about the history of the cemetery? In 148 years, Arlington has seen its share of scandals, including how it came to be where it is.
But then Lee's grandson sued to get the property back. Read the rest of that story and others at mental_floss. Link
Arlington isn’t actually located in Washington, DC, but just outside it, in Virginia. That’s because the land was seized from Robert E. Lee’s plantation in 1864. There were other options for the location of a National Cemetery, but the government specifically wanted to bury Union soldiers on Lee’s land as an insult to the Confederate general. Brig. Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs wanted to make sure the place was uninhabitable if the Lees ever tried to return. He ordered the graves placed as close to the mansion as possible.
After the war, the Lees owed about $1,400 in today’s money in taxes on the estate. Mrs. Lee sent someone to pay the tax, but the government refused to accept it. Instead they took half the land in a public auction and ordered the establishment of a National Cemetery.
But then Lee's grandson sued to get the property back. Read the rest of that story and others at mental_floss. Link
There are actually seven Facebook threads in this post by Team Pwnicorn at Funny or Die, and I had a hard time selecting a sampling to present here. The thread shown is actually quite a bit longer, so you need to go see the whole thing. Link -via Geeks Are Sexy
Here's a terrific treat the kids will love -to make fun of! But they'll end up eating them as well, yelling "Ewww" the entire time. The recipe for Used Band-Aids is simply cinnamon graham crackers with some frosting for the pads, and maybe a bit of gross red jelly or jam in the middle. Link -via Buzzfeed
From reading British blogs and news sites, this is exactly the impression I have of modern England. CCTV cameras are everywhere, and in this short film, they never forget, and never give up. This is another of the Max X series by Ant Carpendale and Dave Parker. -Thanks, Ant!
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