Weekend Reading

More high profile deaths, George Michael, Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds. No links to articles as they’ve all circulated but all had the same underlying theme. These people will flawed, they were inspiring, they were human.

  • Waiting for Ripley
    If in space no one can hear you scream, torment is doubly painful. Inside her cocoon aboard a starship, the woman looks peaceful, but she’s forced to sleep, unable to dream, and on a course toward a waking nightmare.
    Iconic character for many reasons, we need more.
  • Meet Henry Orenstein, the man who changed how the world plays
    Henry Orenstein was standing outside his concentration camp barracks, shivering, when the amplified voice of his salvation cut through the frigid air: “All Jewish scientists, engineers, inventors, chemists and mathematicians must register immediately.
    I do so love stories like these, the people behind things you don’t really consider. Transformers, for example.
  • Why Do Men Take So Long to Put on Their Shoes?
    Don’t ask men to explain why it takes them so long to put on their shoes.
    Nope, it’s not ALL in the laces.
  • 21 Scottish Tweets That Perfectly Sum Up This Fucking Shit Year
    Wit if Scotland just refuses to leave the eu? Like aw just say naw n tell England “wit ye gonny Dae phone the polis?” Just woke my children up & told them Santa’s dead. Don’t see why I should be the only one hearing terrible news this morning.
    Never prouder.
  • Crockpot Hot Vanilla!
    Baby, it’s COLD outside!  In addition to delicious Hot Cocoa on a chilly day, this yummy Crockpot Hot Vanilla will warm you to the toes!
    Ohhh this is soooo good. In other news, guess how much weight I’ve put on…
  • What to do if you’re feeling lonely this Christmas
    As Christmas and assorted seasonal festivities commence, we just wanted to have a word for anyone who isn’t looking forward to the next week or two in particular. For those who are: our very warmest wishes to you.
    Whilst Christmas highlights these things, still valid throughout the year.
  • Why time management is ruining our lives
    The eternal human struggle to live meaningfully in the face of inevitable death entered its newest phase one Monday in the summer of 2007, when employees of Google gathered to hear a talk by a writer and self-avowed geek named Merlin Mann.
    Guilty as charged, easy to deflect bigger questions on to trivial matters. 
  • Rewriting the Code of Life
    Early on an unusually blustery day in June, Kevin Esvelt climbed aboard a ferry at Woods Hole, bound for Nantucket Island.
    Genetic manipulation is already a thing, but how far should it go?
  • Can a Gun Victim and a Gun Advocate Change Each Other’s Minds?
    On his recent trip to New York, Todd Underwood did not pack a gun. This was unusual, the first time in five years that he went anywhere, even to church, without one.
    Fascinating insights. Regardless of which side of this argument you fall on, the centre ground is possible.
  • Stoicism Reveals 4 Rituals That Will Make You Mentally Strong
    Grit. Resilience. Mental toughness. We hear a lot about them these days. But maybe we shouldn’t. Why? Because there have been good solutions to the underlying problem for about, oh, 2000 years.
    A new approach for 2017? No, but a couple of interesting ideas in here.
  • Pioneering Astronomer Vera Rubin on Women in Science, Dark Matter, and Our Never-Ending Quest to Know the Universe
    When trailblazing astronomer Maria Mitchell was hired to teach at the newly established Vassar College in 1865, she was the only woman on the faculty and according to the original college handbook of rules, female students were not allowed to go outside after dark.
    Another woman who blazed a path, who should be celebrated.
  • Police seek Amazon Echo data in murder case (updated)
    Amazon’s Echo devices and its virtual assistant are meant to help find answers by listening for your voice commands. However, police in Arkansas want to know if one of the gadgets overheard something that can help with a murder case.
    I am still pondering this new world. Mostly cos I talk rubbish to myself most of the time.
  • 100 Metronomes Self-Synching Is Surprisingly Unnerving
    Thanks to a phenomenon called injection locking, you too can create a miniature authoritarian military parade with a bunch of metronomes.
    Whoa. Just.. WHOA…
  • Watch A Fully-Autonomous Tesla Drive Itself Around Town And Parallel Park Itself
    Elon Musk announced Wednesday that all new Tesla models will be shipped with Autopilot capable of Level 5 (that is, fully) autonomous driving, although that option won’t be enabled until regulators approve it. The future is here, folks.
    Whoa. So conflicted. How frickin cool is this! But, how safe is this?
  • Here’s the exact time of your leap second and whether you’ll have to endure 2016 for one extra moment
    Don’t screw up your New Years Eve countdown; 2016 will be lasting a little bit longer than you’re used to. You see, the world is about to experience its 28th leap second. For you that means that after 11:59:59 pm on December 31, the clock will not tick to 12:00:00 am on January 1.
    Here’s to a wonderful 2017 to everyone.

Right. That’s 2016 done then. Thanks for reading! Until next wee year!

mic drop