10 non-work-related items that I found fun or interesting - what I should have posted yesterday

Why We Can't Tell Good Wine From Bad via 3quarksdaily by Abbas Raza

David McRaney in The Atlantic: 

The Misconception: Wine is a complicated elixir, full of subtle flavors only an expert can truly distinguish, and experienced tasters are impervious to deception. 

The Truth: Wine experts and consumers can be fooled by altering their expectations.
In 2001, Frederic Brochet conducted two experiments at the University of Bordeaux. 

More here.

Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
Is evil free-willed wickedness? Or are evildoers compelled to act as they do, victims of an errant electrochemical impulse, an anomaly in the amygdala?... more



Consider the Slime Mold: How Amoebas Form Social Networks via Big Think by Megan Erickson
“It turns out we’re not the only species that assembles ourselves into networks,” says physician and sociologist Nicholas Christakis in his Floating University lecture, If You're So Free, Why Do You Follow Others? Read More

Little Red Hen illustrated by Andy Warhol, 1958
via HOW TO BE A RETRONAUT by Amanda
Thank you to Glyphjockey

Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
Would you like a planet with old-growth forests, a living ocean, and no extreme climate change? Of course. Only technology can make such a world possible... more

Go Back in Time With Sims Medieval via Popgadget: Personal Tech for Women

If you've ever wanted to live in Medieval times, with kingdoms, castles, damsels and wizards, here's your chance with the new Sims Medieval Pirates and Nobles on EA Games.
Build up your own kingdom from the ground up, choosing a primary Sims hero, be it a blacksmith, a wizard or monarch to carry out a quest. But it's not as easy as it sounds; you must choose two traits AND one fatal flaw. For example, your King might be bloodthirsty, your blacksmith may be a drunk (mine is), or your pirate dastardly cruel.

Popgadget is not somewhere I expect to find games (quirky, often useless fun, gadgets but not games) so when I do see one it must be good – and it is.
Popgadget’s description is here or go straight to the game here


Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
In 1967, Noam Chomsky accused intellectuals of deceit and distortion for rationalizing American militarism. Four decades later, little has changed... more

Broadband data ad from 1963 via Boing Boing by Cory Doctorow
Phil Are Go! has unearthed this 1963 advertisement for “broadband” data services from Western Union: “So, by 1963, business guys who were rich enough to have those little egg cups could transmit pictures, charts, stock data and stuff over the phone lines. Who knew? Well, the Internet knew. It's just jarring to see the word ‘broadband’ appearing in print as early as the sixties. I tried to find some numbers on what qualified as broadband back then, but couldn't find anything. Shazbot.”
I don't know what 1963 considered broadband either, but I'm guessing 300 baud?
Western Union - Broadband 1963 style

Deco commercial illustrations for Arrow Collars via Boing Boing by Cory Doctorow
JC Leyendecker's commercial illustrations from the 1920s sure were beautiful.
Have a look at a couple of them

Light-Insensitive Cavefish Provide Insight into Circadian Rhythm via Britannica Blog by Kara Rogers


A zebrafish, Danio rerio. Credit: Soulkeeper

Each day, living organisms cycle through a series of physiological changes that correspond roughly to the 24-hour day-night cycle. In many species, this internal clock, known as circadian rhythm, is dictated by exposure to light. But what about species that are never exposed to light? A recent study comparing the Somalian cavefish Phreatichthys andruzzii, which has a 47-hour rhythm that functions in the complete absence of light, with zebrafish (Danio rerio), which experience typical day-night cycles, has revealed that there is in fact much more to circadian rhythm than light alone.
Read more

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