“A stunning, real-life alien fireball hurtled toward Earth and was captured by a vast network of specialized technology.”

“What’s the tallest THING we’ve ever built? How tall will we EVER be able to build?”

“Yeah, we know you’ve already got some pretty great friends. But haven’t you ever wanted to just ditch all of them so you could explore the world with the extraordinary Bill Murray? Here are some examples of why getting close to the guy should be your biggest priority.” w/ videos

“Bill describes how metals like aluminum and titanium are made resistant to corrosion by growing an oxide layer into the metals. These is the same process used on many Apple products.” — engineerguyvideo

“We use them every day – but what are the mysterious origins of these symbols we take for granted? Here are few short explanations to demystify the meanings of our favorite symbols.” w/ photos

“In this new RSAnimate, renowned psychiatrist and writer Iain McGilchrist explains how our ‘divided brain’ has profoundly altered human behavior, culture and society. Taken from a lecture given by Iain McGilchrist as part of the RSA’s free public events programme.” — theRSAorg

“Getting a shot at the doctor’s office may become less painful in the not-too-distant future. MIT researchers have engineered a device that delivers a tiny, high-pressure jet of medicine through the skin without the use of a hypodermic needle. The device can be programmed to deliver a range of doses to various depths… an improvement over similar jet-injection systems that are now commercially available.” — MITNewsOffice

“George Costanza was wrong. This isn’t the first time that statement’s been uttered and it certainly won’t be the last, as long as Seinfeld continues to be culturally relevant… Did people ever even talk about double dipping before this scene? Prior to watching the show, I’d never considered its potential bacterial consequences or social unacceptability. Frankly, I was more concerned with getting the most dip mileage out of every chip, which probably led to my committing the aforementioned offense from time to time. Now I view bowls of salsa and onion dip at parties with some suspicion, but is my skepticism based on a real threat? Was George actually spreading dangerous germs with every double dip?… time to find out.” w/ photos

“Warlords, soldiers, and child laborers all toil over a mineral you’ve never even heard of. Coltan is a conflict mineral in nearly every cell phone, laptop, and electronic device. It’s also tied to the deaths of over 5 million people in Congo since 1990.” — vice

“When it comes to finding a mate, men may not be looking for charm and intelligence, but rather a woman who looks dumb – or drunk – enough for a one-night-stand, according to a new study. In an article in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, University of Texas at Austin graduate student Cari Goetz and her team focused on the so-called sexual exploitability hypothesis – the idea that men are genetically programmed to look for ‘easy’ sex. Tests on 76 male students found that they rated vulnerable-looking women as attractive – lending weight to the idea… The study has revealed that the images of fat or short women had no effect. The participants of the study did not view them as either easy to bed or appealing as partners.” w/ photos