Saturday, April 18, 2026
Gaslighting
"Maybe I'm not lying. Maybe you're just crazy." That's the short version of gaslighting. In this episode of PBS Digital Studio's series Bad Behavior, we learn all about gaslighting. Slightly related: the Overton Window. (via Laughing Squid)
Friday, April 17, 2026
La lune à un mètre
This 1898 film is known in English as The Astronomer's Dream. Film pioneer Georges Méliès explores early movie special effects that he adapted from his previous stage shows as a magician.
15 Tiny Kittens Streamed Live, and More to Come
Tiny Kittens in British Columbia took in five pregnant cat mothers from a semi-feral colony. They've been on this livestream since April first. So far, three of the mothers have given birth to 15 kittens, and they are taking care of them all together. Smudge's six kittens were born on April 10th, Spectra's five kittens were born on April 12th, and Oriana had four on April 14th. Cornflower and Opal are expected to give birth any day now. You can go back and see the births at YouTube. Keep up with the kitten' progress at Facebook or Instagram. (via Metafilter)
Update: I watched Cornflower give birth Saturday morning. Her livestream is here.
Supermountains
Okay, we know that when tectonic plates collide, they can push up huge mountains. We know this because it's still happening in the Himalayas. Hundreds of millions of years ago, this happened on an even bigger scale, producing enormous "supermountain" ranges. The way they figured this out is pretty neat, involving the radioactive decay of zircon. This happened somewhere around 65o million years ago, before there was life on land. These mountains eventually eroded away over a long time, which coincided with the Cambrian Explosion, and may have even sparked it.
This theory came about as scientists worked backwards to explain the effects. Now, in science, they want experiments to be replicable, and that's not really possible in geology. But as complicated as the story is, they found that this wasn't the first time it happened in earth's history. And that's what replication is in geology. (via Damn Interesting)
Miss Cellania's Links
8 Children’s Toys With Disturbing Backstories.
Whistleblower says Trump officials thought USAID did 'just abortions,' asked for 'Barney-style' slides before gutting agency, per new book. More about DOGE's actions at Metafilter.
All the Reasons for Dave's Suffering Today.
To teach in the time of ChatGPT is to know pain. LLM use is the most demoralizing problem I’ve faced as a college instructor.
5 Sci-Fi Predictions About The Future That Are Already Wrong.
Dementia Donnie's genius, Jesus-like strategy for dealing with his roommate. The latest from Tom the Dancing Bug.
Why the Persian Gulf has more oil and gas than anywhere else on Earth.
A Lush Garden of Mondegreens. That means misheard lyrics.
Batman for U.S. Savings Bonds
This ad is from 1966, when the government reached out to schoolchildren to help fund the Vietnam War. It's the American way.
Meteorologist
I had wondered for some time what makes a meteorologist. Wikipedia tells us that they are scientists who have specialized knowledge in meteorology or other atmospheric science. A degree in such science will do, but is not required. The American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association both have certification procedures to give you some bona fides. The weather forecasters on TV may or may not be meteorologists, but who knows what background each really has. There's nothing that says a mathematician or a linguist cannot gain the specialized training for such a designation. And there's nothing that says you have to be a meteorologist to give the weather forecast. I did it all the time in radio, with no specialized knowledge whatsoever. This comic is from Randall Munroe at xkcd.
Thursday, April 16, 2026
What is The Thinker Thinking About?
The sculpture known as The Thinker by Auguste Rodin is familiar to everyone. Even if you've never been to France and never studied art, you've seen memes of the statue, often on a toilet. But what inspired this muscle-bound intellectual and his contemplation? Who was he? And what's he thinking about, anyway? Although Rodin used live models, The Thinker is supposed to be a particular person that you know about.
An Honest Trailer for Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit came out in 1988, making the movie 38 years old. Usually when Screen Junkies goes back to do an older film, there's a reason, like a sequel or a remake coming out. In this case, there's no reason at all besides they wanted to. Maybe they wanted to play with clips of Jessica Rabbit.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a film noir in a world where people and 'toons lived side by side. It was a comedy that showcased special effects never seen before, melding live action with animation. It won four Oscars and became the second-highest grossing film of 1988. It was also notable for including both Disney and Warner Bros cartoons, so it was the first time we saw Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny interacting.
Cybertruck Review
The Tesla Cybertruck is a vehicle that makes a statement. It may be a statement you want to make, but it is delivered here with a sneer. The real features of the car begin at three minutes in. This video is a bit longer than I'd normally post, but I couldn't stop listening to it. It's sheer poetry. (via Nag on the Lake)
Hydraulic Press vs. Non-Newtonian Fluid
Dissolved corn starch is a non-Newtonian fluid that turns solid under sudden force. We've seen how you can run a cross a pool of it, but a slow walk will mean you are swimming. What would happen if you forced it through an extruder with a hydraulic press? Lauri Vuohensilta shows us with his hydraulic press.
After the cornstarch, he has some fun with color-changing putty, cheese, ballistic gel, crayons, canned shaving cream, and soap bars, all which go through the extruder. (Thanks, Edward!)
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