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Saturday 4 February 2017

Facts, Fun And Falsehoods

In 2017, we're not going to stop serving our readers the stone-cold facts we know they need to hear. But we're not going to stop trying to delight them, either.
Digg Editions
Morning · Sat, Feb 04
POPULAR SCIENCE + DIGG
On Facts, Fun And Falsehoods. A Note From Today's Guest Editor
digg.com
In 2017, we're not going to stop serving our readers the stone-cold facts we know they need to hear. But we're not going to stop trying to delight them, either.
EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN A VACUUM
WE HAVE A PROBLEM
What Happens To Your Body When You Die In Space?
popsci.com
NASA needs to figure out what to do with astronauts who die on the job — and decide whether Martian colonists should be allowed to eat each other.
SUPERMOONBOWL
What Time Is the Super Bowl… ON THE MOON?
theawl.com
We all know what time the Super Bowl starts, whether it's here in New York City or in other, less important places, but there's one question nobody has asked: what time does the Super Bowl start… on the moon? The answer will shock and surprise you! And also confuse you!
IT CAN'T ALL BE ALIENS
WATCH: Why Does NASA Study Earth?
digg.com
How NASA's Earth-gazing satellites help make the world go 'round
PRINTS WE DIGG | SPONSORED
Your Photos Would Look Better Printed On Wood
woodsnap.com
Woodsnap breaths new life into your photos by printing them on hand-selected wood grain for a warm, unique look. And for every print purchased, they plant a tree!
MISTAKES WERE MADE
ALEXA, CAN U NOT
How To Keep Your Kid From Ordering Four Pounds Of Cookies With Amazon's Alexa
popsci.com
Because this is a thing we all have to deal with now, apparently.
METRIC FART TON
How Big Is A Fart, Exactly?
fivethirtyeight.com
Sometimes the best way to increase scientific literacy is to talk about butts.
BORAX BRUNCH
WATCH: The Poison Supper Club That Made Our Food Safe
digg.com
Before the FDA existed, a bunch of dudes sat around eating food laced with borax — on purpose.
POLITICAL SCIENCE
BRIDGES NOT WALLS
Take It From History: Visa Bans Make Us Less Secure
popsci.com
The last time the US used security fears to steer its immigration policies, they not only chased away one of its top scientific minds, but also helped jumpstart a nuclear missile complex that now targets the United States.
ACTUALLY...
The Mistrust Of Science In A Post-Fact World
newyorker.com
A 2016 commencement speech on the struggle to make people believe scientific evidence hits pretty close to home in 2017
LIKE LITERALLY YEARS
Why You Feel Like It's Been Years Since The Inauguration
theverge.com
It's an evolutionary trick that was helpful when large predators lurked around every corner, but less helpful now as the days seem to drag by.
Check out more of PopSci's picks over at Digg.com. Have a great weekend!

Friday 3 February 2017

The Best Kickstarters Steal

​Welcome to What We Learned This Week, a digest of the most curiously important facts from the past few days. This week: The lucrative world of Kickstarter ripoffs, an insanely popular $100 lightbulb and the word that ruins all apologies.
Digg Editions
Morning · Fri, Feb 03
DIRT BAGS
WHAT WE LEARNED THIS WEEK
Kickstarter Ripoffs Are Extremely Lucrative, And Other Facts
digg.com
​Welcome to What We Learned This Week, a digest of the most curiously important facts from the past few days. This week: The lucrative world of Kickstarter ripoffs, an insanely popular $100 lightbulb and the word that ruins all apologies.
A TRASHY CRUISE
Sailing Through Garbage Bag Ocean
motherboard.vice.com
"I sailed from LA to Honolulu with Danish nonprofit Plastic Change to finish a global survey on ocean plastic. Short answer: The Pacific plastic problem is probably worse than you thought."
FROM THE DIGG STORE
Our 5 Favorite Gadgets Of 2017 (So Far)
digg.com
Sure, we're only a month in. But that doesn't mean we haven't discovered some very dope stuff.
ALL THINGS BRIGHT & BEAUTIFUL
A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT (OF FAVOR)
Inside The Startup Behind Silicon Valley's Favorite $100 Light Bulb
buzzfeed.com
Ketra has built a state of the art LED and a state of the art way to control it. But to sell their wares to the world's biggest tech companies, it first had to build a state of the art problem.
A SMELLY BLOBBY PRIMORDIAL GOO
What Was Our Universe Like Before The Big Bang?
gizmodo.com
The many educated speculations scientists have made about the origins of our universe.
CAN'T GO WRONG WITH A DOGE
Meet The New Breeds Of The Westminster Dog Show
nytimes.com
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show has added three new breeds to its annual event, which for the first time will also include a program featuring cats.
TROLL CALL
EGG-OMANIACAL
New Trends In Getting Mad Online
theoutline.com
Fake sons, safe spaces and making yourself sick.
PUTTING PEPE TO BED
Reddit Says Goodnight To 'Alt-Right' Community
gizmodo.com
On Wednesday Reddit banned r/altright, the primary community on the site for the so-called "alt-right." And for a variety of reasons, that's about all we know.
VIDEO OF THE DAY
THE MOOSE IS LOOSE
Good Guy Ice Skaters Save A Poor Moose Who Got Trapped In A Frozen Lake
digg.com
A beautiful reminder that there are a lot of good people in the world.
IN THE NEWS
Obama's Final Jobs Report: Payrolls Increase 227,000, Wage Growth Slows
Trump Tells Israel Settlements Might Not Help Create Peace, And Other Trump News From Today
Kellyanne Conway Cites 'Bowling Green Massacre' That Never Happened To Defend Muslim Ban
Republicans Back Off Bill To Sell 3.3 Million Acres Of Public Land After Outcry
Ah jeez, you did it again. You made it to Friday.

Thursday 2 February 2017

You Can't Sit Forever

We've all had days where we fall into the couch and want to never get up. But what would happen if you actually just did that? The answer is you would die.
Digg Editions
Morning · Thu, Feb 02
KEEP CHILLIN'
YOU'LL WANT TO BE SITTING FOR THIS
What Would Happen If You Never Got Up From Your Seat?
digg.com
We've all had days where we fall into the couch and want to never get up. But what would happen if you actually just did that? The answer is you would die.
NEXT TO STRENGTH, ENDURANCE, CHARISMA
Luck Is A Skill Set You Can Refine
nautil.us
Beyond their level of privilege or the circumstances they were born into, the luckiest people may have a specific set of skills that bring chance opportunities their way.
THEY SUCK
The Physics Of Spill-Proof Cups
wired.com
There is a popular mug that doesn't spill. Here's how it might work, along with an estimate of the maximum tipping force to knock it over.
FROM THE DIGG STORE
The Complete Guide For Learning To Code
digg.com
Want a great tech job? Here's all the best coding, design and full-stack instruction...without the student loans.
BEWARE OF THE ANIMALS
HE SAW HIS SHADOW, OF COURSE
What Are The Origins Of Groundhog Day?
digg.com
Every February 2nd, residents of the US look to a groundhog in Pennsylvania to tell them how long winter will last. Aside from the mysterious origins of the climatological logic, the tradition itself is hard to make sense of.
WHAT HAPPENS HARE, STAYS HARE
Feral Bunnies Are Taking Over Las Vegas
atlasobscura.com
They've overrun yards, state parks, and even a mental facility — and no one knows what to do with them.
MAYBE HE JUST HATES TOYOTAS?
WATCH: Here's Why You Keep Your Windows Closed At The Lion Park
digg.com
The lions are not your friends. In fact, since you're driving your loud car through their home, they're definitely not your friends.
VIDEO OF THE DAY
'NIGHTMARE INDUCING'
Here's The New Boston Dynamics Robot You're Not Supposed To See Yet
digg.com
At a recent conference, Boston Dynamics founder Marc Raibert gave one very lucky audience a sneak peak at their newest robot "Handle," a terrifyingly cool combination of limbs and wheels.
IN THE NEWS
UC Berkeley Cancels Milo Yiannopoulos's Talk Amid Violent Protest
Trump Threatens To Cut Berkeley Funding Over Cancelled Milo Speech, And Other Trump News From Today
Oculus Lawsuit Ends With Half Billion Dollar Judgment Awarded To Zenimax
2 GOP Senators To Vote Against Betsy DeVos As Education Secretary
Over 70 Arrested At Standing Rock As Dakota Access Aims To Finish Pipeline
1 Hostage Dead In Delaware Prison Standoff
Six more weeks of winter? We'd better sit down.