Joshua Katz, at NC State University's Department of Statistics, compiled a series of simple, striking maps that visualize the words Americans use—and where they use them. The data was compiled from a survey conducted by Bert Vaux at the University of Cambridge. Below are just a few to whet your appetite for the full set of 122.
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
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
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
The biggest concern when shopping for a Bluetooth speaker is often whether it's got the oomph to serve music at the volume you're looking for. On its own or looking in tandem with some friends (more on that later), the Altec Lansing BoomJacket Jolt Portable Bluetooth Speaker should more than satisfy the listening tastes of… READ THE REST
More than 4 out of every 5 Americans — 81 percent — say they feel they have a book in them and that they should write it. That's almost 200 million people who want to be writers. And while each and every one of those budding scribes might have a compelling tale to tell, you… READ THE REST
For many, the morning doesn't officially start until the first robust juices of the simple coffee bean touch their lips and activate their day. Considering not much else matters until that magic moment arrives, it makes sense coffee lovers should outfit themselves with a machine to make that first cup-of-the-day joy happen as fast as… READ THE REST