"The news here is not that people are irrational, giving too much credence to the dramatic and the local and the short-term (that's not news), but that people have added a veneer of scientific rationality to their irrational decisions." Seth Godin rants on the growing use of phony sciencey-sounding arguments to validate irrational decisions. Like "truthiness," for science.
Seth Godin rants on faux science and irrationality
Is your name spiky or round? Scientific study shows people judge you based on the sound of your name
The bouba-kiki effect (aka the maluma-takete effect) is the name of a phenomenon in which people map certain verbal sounds to shapes, no matter the language. For example, b, m, l and o sounds are associated with rounded shapes while k, t, p and i sounds map to jagged or spiky shapes. Now researchers have… READ THE REST
Mars helicopter Ingenuity snapped a fantastic aerial photo of the Perseverance rover
During Sunday's third flight of the fantastic Mars helicopter Ingenuity, it snapped the image below in which you can see the Perseverance rover that delivered the chopper to the Red Planet and acts as its base station for communications to Earth. "The helicopter was flying at an altitude of 16 feet (5 meters) and roughly… READ THE REST
"Where does a candle go when it burns?"
A New York Times reader asks: "Where does a candle go when it burns, anyway? Is it healthy to be breathing in melted candle particles? How concerned should I be?" Randall Munroe of XKCD fame breaks down the science in his illustrated "Good Question" column. From the New York Times: Wax is made of hydrogen… READ THE REST
Enjoy the outdoors this summer with these insect and mosquito repellents
Look…almost nobody really wants to kill anything. Even an insect. But bugs…well, bugs don't really give you much choice, do they? And if it was just the annoyance of the buzzing or the swarming or the landing and crawling on you…that would be one thing. But with the bites and stings? The days and days… READ THE REST
This dog DNA test will tell you more about your best friend than you ever realized
It probably comes as no surprise that if you're looking for a dog breed that your insurance company will approve, the best bet is to avoid Doberman Pinschers, pit bulls, and Rottweilers. Or maybe you want a Chihuahua, which is one of the smallest breeds and also the longest living major breed at around 17… READ THE REST
This reliable HP ProDesk 600G2 PC is now priced at under $500, almost 40% off
When you go shopping for a new vehicle, it's natural to be dazzled by some of the amazing bells and whistles of some of the most forward-thinking new cars and trucks. However, if you were smart, you went shopping with a veteran of the car lots, who quickly reminded you that you would be paying… READ THE REST