Interesting Stuff Thread

robindch · 23-07-2015 4:23pm

Hadn't realized that Darwin went in for a little bit of artificial selection himself:

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-11137903

robindch · 25-07-2015 2:57pm

The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog has found!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MHUlVIJy94

obplayer · 25-07-2015 9:31pm

Watch in full screen mode with sound on.

robindch · 26-07-2015 12:08am

obplayer wrote: »

Watch in full screen mode with sound on.

That's Mr Botchelli.

Sound off.

Pronto.

obplayer · 26-07-2015 1:25am

robindch wrote: »

That's Mr Botchelli.

Sound off.

Pronto.

Your loss I fear, I think the music complements the video wonderfully. But isn't it an amazing world humanity has built, that we can send a camera into the sky to watch little rockets exploding around it, and all purely for pleasure?
Oh, and for the other forum, no magic tricks involved!

recedite · 26-07-2015 4:50pm

That's much better footage than the stuff you usually see from the national broadcasters of fireworks events.

Hotblack Desiato · 26-07-2015 8:26pm

Heavy flak over target...

magicbastarder · 26-07-2015 9:17pm

obplayer wrote: »

But isn't it an amazing world humanity has built, that we can send a camera into the sky to watch little rockets exploding around it, and all purely for pleasure?

i'm fairly sure this was the video which gave the organisers of the fireworks display - and the authorities - the heebie jeebies because someone flew an unauthorised drone into the 'hot zone' which could potentially have sent a firework off its carefully calculated course.

Hotblack Desiato · 28-07-2015 12:08am

At least the drone wasn't near an airport :eek:

http://www.avherald.com/h?article=48996163&opt=0

A Lufthansa Embraer ERJ-195, registration D-AEBD performing flight LH-1614 from Munich (Germany) to Warsaw (Poland) with 108 passengers and 5 crew, was on final approach to Warsaw's runway 33 descending through 2500 feet at ILS DME 6.5nm when the crew reported in quite aggravated/shocked tone that they had just had a near collision with a drone, definitely a drone, at DME 6.5nm at 2500 feet, the drone passed in about 100 meters distance, they (Warsaw ATC) "should take care of your airspace", "it is really dangerous", with tower responding quite apologetic. The Embraer continued for a safe landing on runway 33 about 3 minutes later.

... The 39 year old is being questioned by police, admitted to have flown his drone in the area on Jul 20th and faces charges of endangering aviation safety that could imprison him for up to 8 years.

Good enough for him, too.

robindch · 28-07-2015 12:53am

One down, six to go:

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/07/27/catholic-church-leaves-antarctica/

obplayer · 28-07-2015 1:26am

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

At least the drone wasn't near an airport :eek:

http://www.avherald.com/h?article=48996163&opt=0

Good enough for him, too.

It's an interesting/terrifying thought that this kind of thing (down with it!) is going to be very difficult to police.

recedite · 01-08-2015 8:21pm

New Ebola vaccine 100% effective.
The last time Europe was threatened with a comparable disease was arguably the bubonic plague or Black Death which repeatedly spread from Asia in the 14th Century and then killed half the population. Having probably already killed as many or more in China and the Mongol controlled lands. But back then, all we had to deploy against it were prayers, incantations and pockets full of posies (aromatherapy).
Well done science, and humanity.

Hotblack Desiato · 02-08-2015 11:42am

robindch wrote: »

One down, six to go:

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/07/27/catholic-church-leaves-antarctica/

Interesting, what are the school options like there

wp_rathead · 02-08-2015 3:18pm

Any Tim Minchin fans should enjoy him on You Made It Weird Podcast.
First 45 minutes is him talking about his comedy career, but he starts talking about Empathy, Ethics and Religion from then on- worth a listen

magicbastarder · 17-08-2015 2:30pm

a map of the theories of everything.
https://www.quantamagazine.org/20150803-physics-theories-map/

TheChizler · 17-08-2015 4:50pm

Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster: 1
Abrahamic religions: 0

http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/fun-times/video-bizarre-spaghetti-monster-discovered-4000-feet-under-water-348690.html

mr.anonymous · 22-08-2015 9:50pm

Have any of you read Christopher Hitchens' books? I was thinking of getting "God is not great"

MrPudding · 22-08-2015 10:35pm

mr.anonymous wrote: »

Have any of you read Christopher Hitchens' books? I was thinking of getting "God is not great"

I enjoyed it personally. Hitch-22 was also very good. He really was a very interesting person, and this book give a fantastic insight into his life. But what I would say is this; if you could only ever read one Christipher Hitchen book, read Mortality.

MrP

robindch · 26-08-2015 12:46pm

The case for teaching about ignorance:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/24/opinion/the-case-for-teaching-ignorance.html?_r=0

robindch · 26-08-2015 4:30pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To7X4VAjNi4

kylith · 26-08-2015 6:56pm

I have to say, I don't buy it. Granted I'm only going on a sample size of two but my pair never span before pooing, or seemed to show any interest in what direction they faced. They just stopped walking and got to business.

recedite · 26-08-2015 7:55pm

I have one spinner and one stop'n'drop. The spinning seems to arise from some continuous feedback loop, ie they can't decide which way to face.

Hoagy · 27-08-2015 12:08pm

http://www.lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/news/archives/2015/08/Church&MentalHealth.aspx

pauldla · 27-08-2015 12:32pm

Hoagy wrote: »

http://www.lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/news/archives/2015/08/Church&MentalHealth.aspx

"Cramming for the finals"

Ah I'm being mean. Good luck to them if it gives them peace of mind; may we all find such peace.

recedite · 27-08-2015 11:48pm

Not quite "the key to good mental health" but being in a church community is associated with less "depressive symptoms" in the elderly, whereas being part of an ordinary community organisation is associated with more "depressive symptoms" compared to the control group.

Which just goes to show that religion can be the opium of the masses, but doing something really useful is often a thankless task.

Hotblack Desiato · 28-08-2015 12:26am

Meh, it's probably as much to do with the social aspect as anything else, and there's bound to be a selection bias / some sort of flaw here as those who partake in religious activities enjoy it. Those who hate it don't and do other things.

But "Meeting like-minded people and doing things you like makes people happier" would be a bit less of a grantattention-grabber :rolleyes:

Even 'oor Dickie' Dawkins is partial to a bit of church singing...

recedite · 28-08-2015 10:37am

If you surveyed 10 year old kids for depressive symptoms/happiness, and compared the results of those who don't believe in Santa Claus to those who do believe, you'd probably get a similar result.
Probably not too many of the latter group going on to become brain surgeons though.

One eyed Jack · 28-08-2015 6:26pm

recedite wrote: »

If you surveyed 10 year old kids for depressive symptoms/happiness, and compared the results of those who don't believe in Santa Claus to those who do believe, you'd probably get a similar result.
Probably not too many of the latter group going on to become brain surgeons though.

Funny you should mention brain surgeons. Have you met Ben Carson -

Benjamin Solomon "Ben" Carson, Sr. (born September 18, 1951) is an American author, politician, and retired Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon. On May 4, 2015, Carson announced he was running for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election at a rally in Detroit, his hometown.[1]

Carson was the first surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins joined at the head. In 2008, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush.

After delivering a widely publicized speech at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, he became a popular conservative figure in political media for his views on social and political issues.

...

Carson's views on evolution and creationism have also been controversial.[94] In a 2006 debate with Richard Dawkins, Francis Collins, and Daniel Dennett, Carson stated: "I don't believe in evolution...I simply don't have enough faith to believe that something as complex as our ability to rationalize, think, and plan, and have a moral sense of what's right and wrong, just appeared."[95] In 2012, nearly 500 professors, students, and alumni of Emory University wrote a letter expressing concern about his views in advance of his commencement speech (there was no request to rescind the invitation). They cited a quote in an interview with the Adventist Review: "By believing we are the product of random acts, we eliminate morality and the basis of ethical behavior."[96] Carson clarified that "Those of us who believe in God and derive our sense of right and wrong and ethics from God's word really have no difficulty whatsoever defining where our ethics come from. People who believe in survival of the fittest might have more difficulty deriving where their ethics come from. A lot of evolutionists are very ethical people."

And now running in the US Presidential election...

Bizarre :pac: