Wednesday, April 16, 2014

The Surprising Science Behind Why and When We Yawn : The New Yorker

The Surprising Science Behind Why and When We Yawn : The New Yorker: "In 1923, Sir Francis Walshe, a British neurologist, noticed something interesting while testing the reflexes of patients who were paralyzed on one side of their bodies. When they yawned, they would spontaneously regain their motor functions. In case after case, the same thing happened; it was as if, for the six or so seconds the yawn lasted, the patients were no longer paralyzed. What’s more, Walshe reported that some of his patients had noticed “that when the fingers are extended and abducted during a yawn, they are able to flex and extend them rapidly, a thing they were unable to do at any other time. Indeed, one man added that he always waited for a yawn so that he might exercise his fingers in this way.”"



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Amazing Arrow Trick - YouTube

Amazing Arrow Trick - YouTube: ""



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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Amphicruiser: Amphibious 4WD based on Toyota Land Cruiser

Amphicruiser: Amphibious 4WD based on Toyota Land Cruiser: "We wanted it to be as solid on water as the Land Cruiser is on land." That's Dutch Amfibious Transport co-founder Dirk-Jan de Jong talking about his company's heavy duty amphibious 4WD, the Amphibicruiser. Built around a Toyota Land Cruiser engine, it's a fully fledged on and offroad cruiser that can be driven up a river or out to sea with next to no training."



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Self-healing polymer restores itself in minutes

Self-healing polymer restores itself in minutes: "Researchers at Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed a self-healing polymer that can mend itself and fully restore its mechanical properties in just a few minutes when heated at low temperatures. The material could be used to create self-repairing sealants, scratch-resistant paints, and more reliable fiber-reinforced plastic components."



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Monday, April 14, 2014

Local Missouri bar responds to a “Cease and Desist” from Starbucks with an epic letter and $6 check | Young Conservatives

Local Missouri bar responds to a “Cease and Desist” from Starbucks with an epic letter and $6 check | Young Conservatives: "The letter was pretty funny, but the check is the best part.  I don’t really feel bad for Starbucks considering how condescending they are towards responsible gun owners.
When one of the largest companies in the United States serves you a “cease and desist” letter, there are various ways to approach it."



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Lab-grown cartilage used to perform nose reconstruction surgery

Lab-grown cartilage used to perform nose reconstruction surgery: "Researchers from Switzerland's University of Basel have performed the first successful nose reconstruction surgery using engineered cartilage grown in the laboratory. The cartilage was spawned form the patient's own cells in an approach that could circumvent the need for more invasive surgeries."



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Helicopter-inspired catamaran "flies" over rough water

Helicopter-inspired catamaran "flies" over rough water: "What's that? A boat, a helicopter, some type of seaplane? It's the Helicat 22. This unique watercraft won't take off into the air, but it uses a helicopter-influenced catamaran design for a fast, stable ride over choppy water."



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Marathon gamer sets record for longest run on a single quarter: 85 hours | Polygon

Marathon gamer sets record for longest run on a single quarter: 85 hours | Polygon: "The games may be more than 30 years old but the hardcore record-hunters of the classic arcade gaming scene still find new marks to shoot for. And John Salter now has two world records to his name."



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Cloudy skies? Not in the Americas? Watch the total lunar eclipse here - CNET

Cloudy skies? Not in the Americas? Watch the total lunar eclipse here - CNET: "For 78 minutes or so late tonight or in the early morning hours of Tuesday on the American continents a total lunar eclipse will turn the moon a shade of dark crimson.

This is a great opportunity for some rare and dramatic night sky watching, unless of course, there are clouds in your local forecast, or you're on one of the huge land masses that's not part of the American hemisphere."



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Sunday, April 13, 2014

Bubba Watson Wins The Masters: Here's His Final Putt - Business Insider

Bubba Watson Wins The Masters: Here's His Final Putt - Business Insider: "Bubba Watson outplayed 20-year-old Jordan Spieth and won the 2014 Masters in comfortable fashion on Sunday.
He came into the round at 5-under, tied for the lead with Spieth. He finished at 8-under, winning the tournament by three strokes."



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Driverless Cars - Business Insider

Driverless Cars - Business Insider: "Self driving cars seem like a far-out idea right now, but in the next 20 years, they will be totally common, says Dr. Henrik Christensen.

"My current prediction is that kids born today will never have to drive a car," he said in this interview with FW:Thinking. It's a reasonable conclusion — consider Google's self-driving car system, which is already street-legal in Nevada, Florida, Michigan, and California. (Texas has similar legislation already in the works.)"



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Saturday, April 12, 2014

Johammer electric motorcycle breaks 200 km range, looks like you're riding a terrified snail

Johammer electric motorcycle breaks 200 km range, looks like you're riding a terrified snail: "I must admit, I’m kind of amazed this thing exists. The Johammer electro-cruiser is up there with the very strangest motorcycle designs I’ve ever come across. I mean, it looks like you’re riding a very surprised snail. But it does exist; this North Austrian roadster made an appearance at the Linz motorcycle show in February and appears close to production."



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