Archive for the ‘From the web’ Category
We went to the Moon
Here’s a nice article from the Smithsonian about what led to the US landing on the Moon 50 years ago. It points out that when JFK gave his speech about going to the Moon NASA didn’t have the knowledge or equipment to do it at that point, and many people at the time didn’t want […]
The last state with a Confederate flag
Mississippi still has the Confederate symbol as part of its flag. It’s shocking to any reasonable person. The Confederate flag is the flag of slavery. Period. Anyone who says otherwise is an insensitive jerk, who needs to shut up and listen to a black person give their view on the subject. Failing that, I was […]
Ridding the world of smoking
Here’s an article from Vox that details how smoking has gone down dramatically in Canada and the US but has gone up elsewhere in the world. One way of improving things is by enforcing the terms of a treaty which 180 countries have signed — the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Tobacco companies have engaged […]
Trump doesn’t like being president
It’s obvious that Trump doesn’t like doing the job of president. He’s using any excuse he can to get out of doing work. Here are a couple of thoughts about what he could do. These videos are from CNN. The first is from SE Cupp, who I haven’t seen before but I love the way […]
A few fixes to Star Wars Episode IV
Here are a few fixes to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, making it fit in better with Rogue One and making Darth Vader slightly more logical. It’s done brilliantly, from a channel called Auralnauts: Star Wars SC 3, 5, 16, 29, 38 Reimagined The guy doing Vader’s voice does an amazing job. They […]
Bad faith arguments
Here’s an articulate guide to a number of arguments that people make that are not valid. From saying you don’t know why people are doing something when you really do to saying you believe in free speech when you really don’t, it’s good to know about these things. There’s a hilarious-but-at-the-same-time-sad chart in the middle, […]
A type of bird that went extinct evolved again
A bird called a white-throated rail went extinct 136 000 years ago but then evolved again, in a process called iterative evolution. The same conditions appeared again and the same evolution happened again. What were those conditions? The birds settled on an island with no natural predators, and they became flightless. From the Independent: Bird […]
What’s the name of that piano piece
There’s this pianist named Vinheteiro who has 3 million subscribers on YouTube. Why? Because he posts unique videos. Like this one, where he plays the beginning of 100 pieces that you might have heard but might not know the name. He provides the name and composer. I love the expression on his face. 100 Songs […]
The good old days
Here’s a list of things kids did in the 80s that kids today just can’t do. From playing dodgeball to riding your bike anywhere to watching Saturday morning cartoons, here are some things you may have done in the good old days, from List25… 25 Things ’80s Kids Could Do That Today’s Kids Can’t
Newly discovered ancestor Homo luzonensis
Another species of human ancestor has been discovered in the Philippines. It has some similarities to modern humans but also some features that existed in much older ancestors — finds like this tell you there’s much more to be discovered about our history. There’s a chart that shows you where it fits in the family […]