I have dug through the Internet this week and uncovered all this science/pop culture goodness. You can find the hundreds of links from previous weeks here.
I have marked my favorite links with a ∞. Enjoy.
Must Read
∞ The Lurking Pornographer: Why Your Brain Turns Bubbles Into Nude Bodies
On all the surprises a barnacle penis can give you
∞ A mysterious patch of light in the US turns out to be “little Kuwait on the prairie“
Out of all the medical news I have seen recently, fecal transplants seem the most “next big thing” worthy
Must See
∞ If a particle accelerator had a Kickstarter | PHD Comics
Your cereal is fortified with iron. Want to see? An experiment to do with the kids
What does an entomologist say when he discovers a spider that makes a fake spider? “Shut. Up.“
These one-line portraits of stormtroopers and the like are flippin awesome
This is the coolest video I have seen of the Sun. Bar none
The latest “Bad Lip Reading” with the NFL is hilarious. Here’s the science behind the laughter
Awesome minimalist science imagery
The REAL power of thought, with none of that “The Secret” bulls***
∞ Methane bubbles under ice are gorgeous
This *awesome* sci-fi short was written, directed, and animated by one guy. He’s 22
The friend is a scarce resource, or she’s just not that into you. The Science of the Friend Zone
A great video debunking the pernicious “no global warming in last 16 years” MYTH
A GIF of what a stinging jelly looks like (Scary)
∞ No astronaut wanted to admit that he wore a “small” condom, so NASA changed the smallest size to “large”
I like how this precocious 11-year old can easily point out the underlying flaw in Eric Hovind’s creationist logic
Is light a particle or a wave? Well…
Not only is the peacock spider a flashy dresser, its babies look like sloths!
This “Word as Image” video is pretty cool. Great visualization
The new TBS show “King of the Nerds” should be structured exactly like this (at least for the men)
A 1-minute neuroscience rebuttal of Eben Alexander’s NDE trip to heaven on Larry King Now
Science
∞ Ohhhhhhh. That’s what pi is!
How many harmful biological agents are actually lost/released in science labs? “Sh**, where’s the anthrax?!“
Boy gets tetanus because parents didn’t vaccinate him. They do a complete 180 and advocate for vaccination. Hope.
Guess what? When you don’t have the threat of eternal damnation looming over you, you are more compassionate
Huge genetic study turns up almost nothing for depression vulnerability
∞ Vaccine Schedule Is Totally Safe, No Link to Any Developmental Disorders. Or, Jenny McCarthy is full of s***
Log scales are for quitters | XKCD
Thinking of going “raw” vegan? Think again
It’s easy to deride Evolutionary Psychology. So easy you can make it a game!
Physicists show that stars streaking across the sky during a hyperspace jump in a sci-fi movie is bullsh**
Riddle me this: An icy physics puzzler
She’s derived from a mammary gland cell and we couldn’t think of a more impressive pair of glands than Dolly Parton’s“
How big are the axons in a giant squid? Surprising
XKCD on the mathematics of germs
Getting to the bottom of the effect of lead on crime rates
∞ How high do you have to drop a steak from to cook it?
Pop Culture
Don’t send RL Stine Ermahgerd memes. He doesn’t understand it or like it
∞ In 1936, a young girl wrote to Einstein and asked, “Do scientists pray?“
I’m a research fellow with the JREF because James Randi did awesome debunkings like this (Can you debunk them before Randi?)
Steven Novella on the worst conspiracy theory to date
“I work with a lot of anorexics, and they feel euphoria, too.” On the nonsense of juice “cleanses”
In “restoring faith in humanity” news, window washer dresses up as Spiderman at children’s hospital
∞ Beijing is so smoggy that it looks like Blade Runner
The Empire responds to the White House: “Such destructive power can only be wielded by a leader such as Emperor Palpatine.”
The new art of invisible man Liu Bolin is still great
The 6 Best Dresses At The Golden Globes–The Onion
Funny/Cool/Interesting
You’ll have fun making this nerdy little piece of Portal art
∞ When you leave a cold storage facility alone, I guess it ends up like this. Absolutely stunning
The Gentleman’s Guide to Amputation “Success! Time for Brandy!”
Reggie Watts sings about going to another planet, while being the coolest dude on this one
This is how The Hobbit should have ended
The Hobbit FX reels! The “pale orc” facial cap. was particularly impressive
Did someone say something bad about you? Quote this crab
The “Disco Clam” is awesome, not as dirty as it sounds, as cool as the Bee Gees
You day will always be brightened by super cool chemistry GIFs
∞ Dad turns vaccuum and hair tie into genius ponytail machine
Goodness, the animation in this video game trailer is unbelievable. Better than Avatar
“The Kiss of Death” by Jaume Barba (1930) – simply stunning.
Some of the best art you will find is on MTG cards
Let’s say that a snowman owes you money. Here are 10 ways to show him you mean business
I found a loophole to wish for more wishes. Suck on that, genie
“Solar Halos” are better than rainbows. Yeah, I said it.
History channel should listen to Neil deGrasse Tyson
So this happened: Iron Man cat helmet
Test your nerdiness by attempting to name the Star Wars alphabet (not easy)
If you like Adventure Time like I do, you’ll like this art of Finn and PB all grown up
∞ Reminding you what it’s like to read the comments on anything you put on the Internet
Talk about commitment. A complete, fan made, live-action, recreation of Toy Story
I love how these pictogram movie posters simplify things
Tweeps in this week’s linkfest: @jtotheizzoe @chirurgeonsappr @JREF @ReggieWatts @aatishb @edyong209 @twistedsifter @InkfishEP @doctorzen @michaelshermer @apod
