Personally, I'm about to sprain something from rolling my eyes so hard at all the hand-wringing news stories about how the Internet is disconnecting us from other people and making us more lonely. So it's gratifying to read this piece in the Boston Review that points two key problems with that thesis (besides being fracking obnoxious): First, the evidence doesn't support it; second, humans have apparently been worrying about increasing levels of loneliness since the 1700s.
This just in: Internet not actually full of sad, lonely rejects
Scientists develop the whitest paint ever
Ultra-white is the new Vantablack. Purdue University researchers developed the whitest white paint ever. It reflects 98.1% of sunlight. (The blackest black paint, Vantablack, absorbs 99.9% of visible light.) According to lead researcher Xiulin Ruan, "f you were to use this paint to cover a roof area of about 1,000 square feet, we estimate that… READ THE REST
How to fly a helicopter on Mars
On Sunday, Ingenuity—the small helicopter delivered to the surface of Mars by the Perseverance rover—will, hopefully, take its first flight. The distance between Earth and Mars means that lagtime precludes real-time remote control. The helicopter flies autonomously, but the helicopter's digital twin had a lot of practice in simulations back on Earth. At IEEE Spectrum,… READ THE REST
Can you slap a chicken until it's cooked?
Turns out, you can — if you can get the slapping machine to stay alive long enough for the 135,000 slaps required to get it to a minimum safe temperature to eat. Science! Image: Screengrab READ THE REST
Luminox watches are more than timepieces and these models are on sale for half off
Back in 1992, Luminox was a fledgling sports watch manufacturer when it began working with the U.S. Navy to create a new watch for use by elite Navy SEALs. After that popular Navy SEAL watch was born, other elite units reached out to follow suit as Luminox crafted timepieces for the U.S. Coast Guard, the… READ THE REST
This cool $40 humidifier works like a beast and doesn't leave a huge mess
The humidifier has been around for almost 100 years, going through all kinds of design variations and advancements along the way. Considering all that potential research and development time, it begs an important question. Why do you have to fill most humidifiers from the bottom? It seems like a pretty significant design flaw that most… READ THE REST
Check out 9 new deals on vacuums that are right on time for Spring Cleaning
With the spring in full force, we have a question. Why is spring the only season that results in cleaning? Sure, we all batten down for winter, so we likely are a bit laxer about straightening up the house during the coldest months of the year. But seriously… is spring cleaning an excuse to live like… READ THE REST