Happy Birthday, Nikola Tesla!

Tesla was a genius. He deserves a birthday shout-out.
Way cooler than Edison, but gets little to no credit.

He was "quirky", but invented a whole bunch of useful gadgets (here's his Wikipedia page).

Here's the short version intro of Tesla vs Edison:

Some of his awesome inventions/discoveries included:

• AC (alternating current) electricity - better than DC (direct current) for a lot of reasons (link).
• Radio - yes, radio. Marconi got credit initially, but Tesla did it first.
• Fluorescent and neon lights - where would Las Vegas and Atlantic City be without Tesla?
• Hydroelectric power plants - Niagara Falls was a good place to start that one.

Here's a looooooong (but wonderful/excellent/fantastic) graphic from theoatmeal.com to explain it:
Apologies in advance to my readers for the swearing.

Hope you found that informative and simultaneously humorous. I sure did.

So happy birthday, Nikola! And Thomas Edison can suck it!

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Earth-Gazing Makes Me Want to Be an Astronaut

I gotta get to space.

I don't care that NASA isn't sending up more shuttles.
Maybe someday I can afford a private flight up to space so I can see this with my own eyes.

Remarkable view, isn't it?
My childhood desire to be an astronaut has been renewed by the video below.

Watch it full-screen HD, and be prepared for a state of awe and appreciation for our world and its beauty.

OVERVIEW from Planetary Collective on Vimeo.

One of the astronauts used the term "poetic", which I think is perfect.
It's amazing to see our planet from space.

Definitely poetry-inspiring.

We're on this beautiful rock together.
We are all connected.

So is anybody willing to lend me $250K (US) for a seat on Virgin Galactic?
I'll even take the seat next to Justin Bieber if I have to.

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Muppets: The Next Evolutionary Step?

Just a quick thought I've been pondering, sparked by the most recent Muppets movie.

If Gary (Jason Segel) and Walter (puppet) are brothers, then that means Walter must be or have some sort of genetic mutation, right?

Don't get me wrong. I love Walter.
His mutant status in no way reduces my love for him as a Muppet.

As we all learned in junior high biology, mutations are not necessarily a bad thing. They can lead to an increased ability to survive, such as with the peppered moth evolution with the Industrial Revolution.

So my question is this: if Walter and all the other humanoid Muppets are just humans with a mutation, could Muppets then be the next step in human evolution?
Note: I recognize it's a movie, so I'm thinking of this in terms of that fictional world's reality, not our real world.

The Evolution of Man... to Muppet

It makes sense, doesn't it?

I mean, think about it. Muppets never seem to age, they can survive falls from high buildings, repeated electrocutions, they don't seem to need to eat or drink, as well as a whole host of other advantages over humans. When the zombie apocalypse occurs, you can bet rats, cockroaches, and Muppets will survive.

The only question remaining is whether humanoid Muppets have the ability to procreate and continue their species, or if they can only begin as mutations directly from humans...

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Crazy New Animals in the News

I am fascinated by nature, and particularly the variety of wildlife in this great big world of ours.
So when I hear about new ones, my ears and eyes perk up, and I like to get a little more info on them.

And I'm not talking about adorable dogs and cats on TV shows. Lassie, this isn't about you.

I'm curious about more exotic ones, or at least not-so-common in nature (double-meaning!).

Today I have one from far away and two that are a lot closer to home.

Purple crabs

The cute, little 1-2 inch crabs were discovered in the Philippines recently, along with three other (less-vibrant) species of crab. The coloration is apparently for mating and recognizing others of the same species. I didn't know before that crab are discriminatory, but that's what the scientist cited in the article stated. Either way, I think it's awesome how bright that purple is!

Armored catfish

These guys are invading South Florida, and the biggest problem they're causing is erosion. They burrow holes to deposit their eggs, and those holes can then collapse if a person is walking near the shore. While most catfish are good for fishermen, these don't bite on fishing hooks with bait, so pretty much they have to be caught by "nets or even spears". Yes, I said spears. So even though they look super-cool, they aren't worth having around due to the hassle and problems they're creating.

Warning: if you get squeamish about gross fish or get scared easily about going into bodies of water, then I recommend you stop reading this post now. Why? Because the next creature is freaky-looking.

Snakehead fish

Don't say I didn't warn you. He's an ugly bugger, ain't he?! Snakehead fish are messing up the Maryland aquatic ecosystem, such that anglers can earn $200 for catching them. They have no natural predators in the region, and they can survive for up to 4 days on land. Plus, they're hard enough to catch that some fishermen have resorted to using guns. Guns! No wonder some call them the "fish from hell".

What do you think of these creatures?
Know of any other interesting animals to pop up recently in the news?

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Metallica Monday: St Anger

According to the Kübler-Ross model, there are 5 stages of grief following a loss:

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

They don't have to be chronological, and some stages may be quicker or less pronounced than others.

Last week I went through a couple of these, including the second phase of anger. Not at any individual, because that wasn't warranted in this case, but just at the general situations of life and how sometimes I'd rather not have to go through them, even when/if they're necessary.

In honor of the anger stage, today I've picked the following song from Metallica's catalog:

St Anger

Warning: contains strong language

For those times when you just want to rage and be angry for a bit, Metallica has your medicine.

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Your Brain is Smarter than You Think It Is

The brain is an incredible thing, and scientists are continually learning more about how it works and what it's capable of. I've come across these two findings, and I thought they were worth sharing.

All Mixed Up
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Neato, huh?!
Here's one more:

Figuratively Speaking

This took a second to catch on, but by half way through I was humming right along.

I don't know if that's true that "only certain people can read this," but either way it's interesting.

Yay for our amazing brains!

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Messages to My Left Calf and Other Related Parties

Dear left calf,
You suck. We aren't friends right now.
Regards,
Me

Dear running shoes,
I regret to inform you that our regularly scheduled dates are postponed until further notice. Please direct all complaints and resolution inquiries to left calf.
Always your friend,
Aaron

Dear Hasher friends (my running club),
While I've been attending and doing the walker trail in recent weeks, I really can't wait to be back in the pack and hunting those hares. True, I know the FRBs are the real chasers, but I like feeling useful in solving a check here and there. Also, I'm hoping to be back to hare the St Patty's trail.
On on,
LDS

Dear scientists,
How are the cyborg experiments going? I am ready for a new left calf, because my current one hates me and won't let me get through runs without pain. Robocop was made in 1987, so you've got to be close. I mean, hoverboards from Back to the Future (1985) are in pre-order already (see attached picture). Please keep me posted.
Anxiously awaiting your response,
Aaron

Dear icepack & DVR,
Thank you for supporting me in this trying time and for providing comfort to ease my pain. I know I don't pay you much attention when I'm not injured, so it means a lot for you to step up when I need you.
Much appreciation,
Aaron
PS Sadly, I can guarantee that as soon as I'm healed, you'll again get very little attention*. C'est la vie!

Dear roads, sidewalks, trails, and treadmills,
I will miss you while I'm unable to visit. Just know that you always provide clarification and mental cleansing, and I'll likely be a mess until we're reunited. In the Governator's words, "I'll be back." Hopefully sooner rather than later.
Achingly yours,
Aaron


Dear bicycle,
We will hopefully be getting reacquainted in the next few weeks, so I hope you're ready to roll (pun intended). This is dependent on your cooperation with left calf, who is being finicky lately. I'll be making large quantities of Gatorade to our parties, along with a little chain grease for you. If the groundhog was right and weather stays/gets cold, our old friend the CycleOps trainer will also join us. I promise he's a good time, and you two get along swimmingly.
Ready to pedal,
Aaron

Dear pool,
I just wrote to bicycle and was reminded that you and I are out of touch. Such a tragedy. Given my current spat with left calf, I look forward to reuniting with you and bicycle on a regular basis. Please be ready and at the appropriate temperature for swim training. Also, not too much chlorine if you can help it.
You're the best dive I know,
Aaron


Dear left calf (again),
I'm sorry I was hard on you earlier. It's just really hard waking up and knowing that you're keeping me from my running. For so long, you were a contributor, and now you're holding the team back. Please remember that there's no "I" in team... or in calf.
Pulling my weight, how about you?
Aaron


Dear healthy diet and old man body of mine,
Let's pitch in and help left calf get better soon. When he's unhappy, no one's happy.
You know it's true,
Aaron


*Except DVR will still get used for Justified. How does neither Hulu nor FX offer full episodes?

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These Optical Illusions are Worth the Headache

Here are some brain-benders to liven up your Thursday morning.
They blew my mind and I hope they're interesting to you, too.

The instructions are pretty clear on this one.

For this illusion, just focus on the cross in the middle. Though all the dots are purple, it'll appear that a green dot is moving around the circle.

Last one for today.
Focus on a single image on the wall. Nothing moves. Now look around the wall. Craziness!!!

I don't know how they work, but I know that I was so fascinated that I had to keep doing them.

Anybody got some Excedrin for my headache now?

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