Saturday, November 08, 2025
Happiness
A rat caught up in the rat race searches for happiness. But what is happiness? A new TV? A sports car? Cash? Altered states? Advertisers will be glad to tell you where to find happiness- in whatever they are selling. How far would you be willing to go for such happiness? The animated short Happiness by Steve Cutts is beautifully illustrated. Maybe watching it will make you happy, or at least make you think. (via Nag on the Lake)
Friday, November 07, 2025
Prince Soundcheck
Prince and the New Power Generation did a soundcheck that was better than most performers' actual concerts. This was recorded at the Metrodome in Minneapolis on July 19, 1991 as they prepared for the opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics. (via Metafilter)
The Demon Core
If you recall the story of the demon core, you already know how ghastly it is. If you don't, well, you're about to find out. The demon core was a ball of plutonium that killed two scientists, one of them only 24 years old. Despite the name, it wasn't personal; that's just what plutonium does. In the 1940s, nuclear scientists knew how dangerous radioactive materials could be. But despite this knowledge, and the safety protocols around nuclear experimentation (inadequate as they were), these scientists took risks led to their drawn out and agonizing deaths.
This video tells the story in a matter-of-fact way, but focuses specifically on the science underneath the danger. Savannah Geary explains the difference between uranium and plutonium down to the atomic level, and why plutonium is super dangerous. And yet the research these scientists were doing was dedicated to making it more dangerous. There have been a lot of nuclear accidents since then, but the name demon core still haunts the world of nuclear science. There's a 45-second skippable ad at 8:00.
How to Lengthen Your Legs
You may have heard about elective surgery some people have to lengthen their legs in order to be taller. That's the kind of story that makes it into the news. But medical intervention to lengthen bones is not new, and it's sometimes necessary for health. If one leg is longer than the other, that can lead to other bones being misaligned, or a curved backbone. And lots of pain.
Leg lengthening relies on the way our bones heal by themselves when broken. The real trick is to keep it perfectly straight and healing properly. Developments in this kind of surgery over the past century have made it possible for more people to finally have aligned legs to walk on.
Miss Cellania's Links
1308 examples of Narrative String Theory in pop culture. You'll know what it is when you see it. (via Metafilter)
Letters Home from the Second Civil War. The Latest from Tom the Dancing Bug.
Is that "bottomless popcorn" really bottomless?
The true origin of Superman: he was a villain, then he was from the future.
6 Archaeological Discoveries Scarier Than Any Horror Movie. Humans have always been awful to each other.
46 Pet Owners Who Suddenly Realized Their Pet Was Actually Quite Intelligent.
Moose and Mountie led into forest by maple leaf flag. The most Canadian story you will read today. (via Fark)
What Congress and the American People Should Be Asking About Venezuela. (via Metafilter)
The Moment of Truth
A survivalist has been getting ready for the end of civilization for a long time. Finally, the sirens start to blare, and he knows what is coming. Time to head for his reinforced and well-stocked bunker for protection to ride out the storm. That's when his true nature emerges. This short film is called simply H.B. That may stand for "Home Bunker," or maybe not, since it is in French. Anyway, Gaspar Palacio made it for the Film Riot and Filmstro One Minute Short Film Challenge. It was shot in just a few hours and edited over two days. (via Digg)
Oval Office
— ✨⚡️ ℓуηԃα 👩🏻💻 🍿 (@lyndab.bsky.social) November 5, 2025 at 11:42 PMIn reference to the earlier labeling post.
Thursday, November 06, 2025
Hoppy Gilmore
Hoppy Gilmore is a large rabbit with a black hole for a past. He was raised on a rabbit meat farm as livestock, in a cage with limited experience and a limited diet designed to bulk him up. It took him a while to figure out life as a pet, but he's found a loving home and seems quite happy about it. You can see more of Hoppy Gilmore at Instagram.
Today's Lesson
A little distraction is the cure for utter misery. This baby just wanted someone to talk to him. That's a good dog. (Thanks, WTM!)
Hot Potato
You've been told all your life not to put metal into a microwave. What's the worst that can happen? The possibility of uncontrollable microwave arcing could damage your appliance, and that's enough to keep most of us from trying it out. But what if the consequences are more serious than we've been told? This guy wrapped his potato in aluminum foil, as we've all done, but then placed it in the microwave. Instead of melting the machine, it becomes a uniquely powerful energy generator, so powerful that it calls extraterrestrials to come and take it. The guy is initially terrified of the situation he has unleashed, but eventually we find that he's sort of into it and joins in the mission to retrieve the potato. (via The Awesomer)
Climbing Cats
This compilation of climbing cats is brought to you by the Pet Collective. That's what they do. (via Tastefully Offensive)
Planetary Rings
Hmm, could Saturn's rings have been made by the residents of Saturn millions of years ago, before they all died out? Can you imagine, millions of years from now, that another civilization on Mars wonders how Earth, a lifeless planet, got that ring of debris that orbits it? This comic is from Randall Munroe at xkcd.
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