I'm really enjoying Jason Colavito's reviews of The History Channel's hilarious/infuriating hit show Ancient Aliens. What makes them better than the average blog? Colavito is an author who has written extensively about the anthropology of pseudoscience, and the connections between pseudoscience, religion, and science fiction. So his recaps are less about debunking the claims made on Ancient Aliens (because, really, that's just too damn easy) and more about exploring where those claims come from, pop-culturally, and what makes them so appealing, to begin with. Fascinating stuff.
Ancient Aliens, modern obsessions
Building the world's biggest and deepest swimming pool… for science!
The Blue Abyss is a deep sea and space research training facility that will be constructed near the Cornwall Airport Newquay in England. Holding nearly 1.5 million cubic feet of water, the Blue Abyss will be the world's largest and deepest swimming pool of its kind. Unfortunately, it's unlikely most of us will have a… READ THE REST
This animal was revived after being frozen for 24,000 years
This is a bdelloid rotifer, a common microscopic animal that lives in freshwater all over the world. But the one seen here is unique in that it was frozen in Arctic permafrost for 24,000 years and just revived by scientists. Once thawed, the rotifer was able to feed and reproduce. The Russian researchers had collected… READ THE REST
People can learn to echolocate like bats in just ten weeks
We've posted several times about how people who are blind who have learned how to "see" and navigate the world using echolocation like bats, shrews, and whales. The skill involves making loud clicking noises with the tongue and then listening for the echo to judge not only distance but sometimes even determine the material of an object. New research… READ THE REST
The TREBLAB HD-Max is a booming Bluetooth speaker with powerful, satisfying volume
The biggest frustration most Bluetooth speaker owners face is when they realize their speaker is completely inadequate for serious booming. They may be perfectly fine for casual, indoor listening, but if you're taking the speaker outside or trying to boost your tunes over the dull roar of a party, you'll need extra horsepower on the… READ THE REST
Paintstorm Studio is a godsend for digital painters, and it's on sale for $15
Digital painting has truly become an art in itself. Even with artists like Andy Warhol creating digital art on a Commodore Amiga back in the mid-80s, digital painting has mostly been a kitschy bit of artistic fun, not stuff to be regarded as a true masterwork. But much has changed over the past decade. Technology… READ THE REST
Here's all the training you need to be a Google Workspace pro for just $30
While it never hurts when your company name becomes a verb, but there's a lot more to Google than a simple web search. Sure, Google's search engine is also the engine that powered the firm into its current position as one of the 10 most valuable companies in America, but the company has spent the… READ THE REST