Weekend Reading

  • The Fascinating, Creepy New Research in Human Hibernation for Space Travel
    No interstellar travel movie is complete without hibernators. From Prometheus to Passengers, we’ve watched protagonists awaken in hibernation pods, rebooting their fragile physiology from a prolonged state of suspended animation—a violent process that usually involves ejecting stomach fluids.

    It’s such a staple of Sci-Fi that it’s hard to imagine it any other way.

  • It is not a woman’s responsibility to make a man a better human being

    Women don’t want to be caretakers of badly raised, ill-mannered or generally troubled men. Essentially, women don’t want to raise men, we want to grow together.

    Yes. Still. All Men.

  • GoGo Penguin’s Guide To Manchester’s Jazz Underground

    After a stunning gig last week, I stumbled across this. This is NOT the Jazz you think it is.

  • Ultrarunner Courtney Dauwalter Takes On The World’s Most Sadistic Endurance Race

    Gary Cantrell clanged a bell at 6:40 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, signaling 70 runners to jog off into the woods on his farm in Tennessee. They had an hour to complete a 4.1667-mile loop trail. Easy. Most of the group finished with 15 minutes to spare. The bell clanged again at 7:40 a.m.

    I have an odd liking and awe for these lunatics.

  • Man Arranges Leaves, Sticks, And Stones To Create Magical Land Artworks

    Scottish sculptor Andy Goldsworthy creates transitory works of art by arranging leaves, sticks, rocks or anything else he can find outside. Most of Goldsworthy’s art is considered transient and ephemeral, causing people to perceive it as a criticism on the Earth’s fragility.

    Some pretty for your weekend.

  • The real trick to staying young forever

    People are living longer today. But how do we make sure those extra years are good ones? For people in wealthy countries, it’s a question of increasing urgency. In 2019, for the first time ever, there will be more Americans over age 60 than under age 18.

    It had better be pizza and ice cream… if so I’m sorted!

  • Stores use these tricks to get you to spend money. Don’t fall for it.

    The holiday season in America is one giant spending fest, as the months of November and December can account for 30 percent of a brand’s sales, according to the National Retail Federation.

    It’s holiday season, keep an eye out!

  • How to Be a More Patient Person

    Relax. It’s going to be O.K. My jaw clenches when Hulu videos buffer. I huff and puff when stuck in a sluggish line at a coffee shop. Slow cars in the fast lane send me into a curse-filled tizzy. I’m ashamed how quickly I lose my cool over these minor things.

    Valid advice for the always-on, 100mph society we are told we should participate in.

  • What Happened When I Started Intuitive Eating

    It was 6 a.m. and we’d been up for five hours already, wildly jet lagged from our recent honeymoon. (The cake was a mini version of the one from our wedding, which he’d surprised me with the day we came home.

    It had better be pizza and ice cream… ohh it is! (note: this is essentially the latest diet fad, I’m not suggesting you do this!)

  • Post Malone is the perfect pop star for this American moment. That’s not a compliment.

    Him? The most popular young artist in the most unpopular young nation is a rhinestone cowboy who looks like he crawled out of a primordial swamp of nacho cheese.

    Seconded. Where are the original talents?

  • When does a spork become sentient? Inside the existential “Toy Story 4” teaser

    At what point does a spork become a toy?

    Important questions, we must have answers!

  • Comics legend Stan Lee dead at 95

    The legendary comic-book author, publisher, and film producer Stan Lee has died. He co-created Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, the Avengers, the X-Men, Black Panther, and many more characters and imaginary worlds we’ve come to know through comic books, games, and movies.

    What a life.

  • ‘Being silenced is not acceptable’: Doctors express outrage after NRA tells them ‘to stay in their lane’

    At first, Judy Melinek didn’t know how to respond when she learned about a National Rifle Association tweet last week telling doctors who dared enter the gun debate “to stay in their lane.

    Also worth noting NRA budget is shrinking. Bravo Dr. Melinek!!

  • What happened when I tried the U.S. Army’s tactic to fall asleep in two minutes

    If you often find yourself having trouble falling sleep, you’re not alone. The American Sleep Association (ASA) says that 50 million to 70 million U.S. adults have a sleep disorder. Among that group, insomnia is the most common.

    I kinda do the ‘relaxy’ thing already, who knew.

  • How I Use and Manage Apple Photos

    Problem: You have a camera phone in your pocket and, over time, you’ve accumulated a LOT of pictures. Like, a whole lot. What now…?

    This sounds very familiar.

  • 8 Warning Signs You’re Mentally And Emotionally Exhausted

    Riding on that crazy rollercoaster called life can sometimes be really tiresome. One minute you’re high up and the next second you’re back down where you started. All that madness and unpredictability can really mess with a person’s physical as well as mental wellbeing.

    Worth a read as it’s never always obvious.

  • 10 ‘Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible’ Facts About Comic Book Writer Stan Lee

    Pop culture legend Stan Lee’s life has always been an open book. The co-creator of some of the greatest superheroes and most beloved stories of all time has become just as mythical and larger-than-life as the characters in the panels.

    Genuinely nice man. What are the odds.

  • The kilogram is changing. Weight, what?

    SEVRES, France (AP) — The kilogram is getting an update. No, your bathroom scales won’t suddenly become kinder and a kilo of fruit will still weigh a kilo. But the way scientists define the exact mass of a kilogram is about to change.

    comment

  • Paper coffee cups will be the death of us

    While driving around the country on a mega-road trip last year, I relied on a lot of things to keep me going: gas, protein bars, peanut butter pretzels, water, and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

    Guilty, so so guilty

  • Monsoon V

    Mike Olbinski is back with another of his jawdropping storm chasing videos. I find clouds endlessly fascinating — it seems like there’s always something new to consider while watching these kinds of videos.

    Nature. AMAZE.

  • The World’s Largest Hot Sauce Collection Might Be in an Arizona Living Room

    Hot sauce dominates Clinco’s living room. Vic Clinco is an assistant manager at US Foods, the food service distributor. But in his free time, he takes on a different identity entirely: that of a hot sauce collector supreme.

    I do love me a wacky collection.

  • School shootings have fueled a $2.7 billion school safety industry. What makes kids safer?

    The expo had finally begun, and now hundreds of school administrators streamed into a sprawling, chandeliered ballroom where entrepreneurs awaited, each eager to explain why their product, above all others, was the one worth buying.

    Jesus fuckin christ. Talk about ‘fixing’ the symptoms.

  • *privacy not included

    Teddy bears that connect to the internet. Smart speakers that listen to commands. Great gifts—unless they spy on you. We created this guide to help you buy safe, secure products this holiday season.

    Alexa, please turn yourself off.

  • The Leonid Meteor Shower Will Peak This Weekend

    Change your Saturday night plans! The Leonid meteor shower is going to peak this weekend so be ready to find a dark spot away from city lights to enjoy this stellar spectacle. The Leonids is considered one of the most prolific meteor showers for historical reasons.

    HEADS UP!!

  • The Best Way To Save People From Suicide

    It was still dark outside when Amanda woke up to the sound of her alarm, got out of bed and decided to kill herself. She wasn’t going to do it then, not at 5:30 in the morning on a Friday. She told herself she would do it sometime after work. Amanda showered. She put on khakis and a sweater.

    Reach out. Just reach out.

  • ‘Toxic’ is Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year, beating ‘techlash’ and ‘gaslighting’

    At least that’s according to Oxford Dictionaries’ official word of the year selection. The British publisher said “toxic” beat out other expressions including “techlash” and “gaslighting” thanks to the “sheer scope of its application.”

    Great. That’s my earworm for the day sorted.

  • The Ubiquity of Smartphones, as Captured by Photographers

    According to reports issued by several market-research firms, including Forrester Research, the total number of smartphone users worldwide will reach 3 billion this year—40 percent of the human population.

    The future is bleak? Golden? Lit by a thousand LCD screens?