Author Topic: Interesting Non-Game Stuff (Read 48513 times)

manfred · « **Reply #125 on:** February 21, 2008, 04:31:14 PM »

Piezoelectric Nanowires Turn Fabric Into Power Source.

In other words: Making energy with clothes.

manfred · « **Reply #126 on:** March 01, 2008, 03:13:07 PM »

NASA Baffled by Unexplained Force Acting on Space Probes

Courtesy of Muro, it was noticed that several of the space probes seem to be moving a bit faster or slower than expected, without any obvious reason. Speculations continue.

Planet Projected at Solar System's Edge

The Japanese have announced another planet up to two-thirds the size of the Earth may be orbiting in the far reaches of the solar system. The search has already started; the expected orbital period should be about one thousand years.

Scientists figure out secret of Maya’s blue paint

At last, the secret of Maya Blue is revealed, a surprisingly durable pigment that kept much of its color for centuries. Besides the artistic potential, it was used during religious ceremonies: to paint a person blue before throwing him down a well.

Cannibalism May Have Wiped Out Neanderthals

A new theory on the extinction of the once concurrent race of ours. The title sums it up.

Strolen · « **Reply #127 on:** March 02, 2008, 12:27:15 PM »

Forgive my infatuation with bookshelves.

http://freshome.com/2008/02/25/30-of-the-most-creative-bookshelves-designs/

Strolen · « **Reply #128 on:** March 02, 2008, 12:33:39 PM »

HUD contact lenses. Now I have to code a contact lens version of the site.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/02/05/bionic-contact-lens.html

manfred · « **Reply #129 on:** March 08, 2008, 02:42:48 PM »

Man frolics in potentially lethal cold

Wim Hof has the ability to withstand cold that could kill anyone else.

Can you say "Immune to Cold" in your game's jargon?

Murometz · « **Reply #130 on:** March 11, 2008, 11:29:43 PM »

Posting these pretties in non-game thread, but they could certainly be game-related as well, of course.

http://users.triera.net/poldolfi/galerija-maket-ladij/katalog.html

manfred · « **Reply #131 on:** March 14, 2008, 07:50:13 PM »

Can somebody explain how:

Physicists Make Artificial Black Hole Using Optical Fiber

I would really like to know. (Okay, they didn't make a black hole, just it's event horizon, but still.)

Strolen · « **Reply #132 on:** April 06, 2008, 06:36:43 PM »

Never thought a pregnant dude could be so sexy!

http://www.popfi.com/2008/03/21/the-story-of-the-pregnant-man/

NOT!!!! OMFG!

This is some funny stuff. He is on youtube and everything.

manfred · « **Reply #133 on:** May 03, 2008, 03:56:05 PM »

Swimming orangutans’ spearfishing exploits amaze the wildlife experts

There you have it, an interesting little detail. What really got my attention is this:

"Other apes introduced to the island were seen trying to spear fish with sticks after watching fishermen using rods. The naturalists also noted that the apes quickly worked out that it was even easier to steal fish from unattended lines used by the humans on the island."

Apes taking over human tools! We should have seen it coming! Is this the end of the human race?

Dozus · « **Reply #134 on:** May 03, 2008, 04:22:52 PM »

You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, d**n you! d**n you all to hell!

manfred · « **Reply #135 on:** May 06, 2008, 07:26:25 AM »

Another handful:

How to Save a Species: Serve It for Dinner.

Study sheds light on spider sex (they use UVB rays to communicate with females)

Sorry to ruin the fun, but an ice age cometh

valadaar · « **Reply #136 on:** May 07, 2008, 08:11:48 PM »

Heh, and to counter "Ice Age Commeth"

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23612876-11949,00.html

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #137 on:** May 13, 2008, 02:46:14 AM »

Is it bad I find this absurdly cute?

valadaar · « **Reply #138 on:** May 13, 2008, 07:58:42 AM »

Yes. Very bad. Very, very, bad.

manfred · « **Reply #139 on:** May 13, 2008, 05:36:10 PM »

No, it's really, REALLY bad.

---

A little tool for climbing fences, this could make an ideal rogue accessory... I think we have a few fantasy versions already.

---

And a bit more on the weather and stuff.

Murometz · « **Reply #140 on:** May 15, 2008, 09:17:15 PM »

Y'all know how much Robert E. Howard (love him or not) has influenced fantasy fiction and gaming.

This is the man who influenced and inspired REH.

Old-school-hard-core-no-holds-barred-unapologetic-ram-your-face-adventure yarns!!

Meet Harold Lamb.

[http://www.haroldlamb.net/index.htm]

Before there was Conan, there was Khlit. (strangely disturbing name, I know

)

Ancient Gamer · « **Reply #141 on:** May 18, 2008, 03:27:35 PM »

Khlit...
The Curved Saber...

^^

My kind of guy!

During an upcoming night of brave adventure I shall defeat the keeper of the gate with my curved saber and, surely, rescue Khlit!

Ancient Gamer · « **Reply #142 on:** May 18, 2008, 03:52:02 PM »

Heartbreaker of the day:
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN1538938220080516

Kinslayer · « **Reply #143 on:** May 20, 2008, 06:04:08 PM »

"Accidentally?" With what, a chainsaw? Do you know how tough the meat of the heart is? It's pretty sturdy stuff. Not only that, but it's rather well protected. By design, the ribcage does a fair job of keeping this sort of nonsense from happening.

manfred · « **Reply #144 on:** May 31, 2008, 07:47:13 PM »

The Financial Times wrote about a new report of the World Bank Growth Commission on how to achieve growth; lasting several years, researched by many prestigious economists, and taking up lots of money, all what you would expect.

What makes it interesting are the conclusions, basically saying they don't have an idea, but it still should be left to those experts.

- 'It is hard to know how the economy will respond to a policy, and the right answer in the present moment may not apply in the future.'
- 'Growth should be directed by markets, except when it should be directed by governments.'

(Hat tip to Cafe Hayek)

Murometz · « **Reply #145 on:** June 07, 2008, 06:50:30 PM »

Next time you need a cool Dryad visual for your game

http://whisperingcraneinstitute.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/dancin-tree.jpg

manfred · « **Reply #146 on:** June 11, 2008, 05:13:39 PM »

Nice one! Do we have a thread on such pictures?

Strolen · « **Reply #147 on:** July 04, 2008, 02:01:53 PM »

Aliens Like Pie!!!

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23886370-5012749,00.html

manfred · « **Reply #148 on:** July 16, 2008, 05:49:02 PM »

You can't make this up.

In a bunch of silly techniques is described under 'Tissue Growth', how women can, ummm, increase some of their bodily proportions.

But there are more interesting implications than that:

Quote

The study raises the possibility that you could use the mind for tissue regrowth of all sorts – especially to help healing. If you are bruised or injured, vividly imagine the area emersed in a healing white light. In this light, see your tissue becoming "vitalised" and growing back until the area is fully healed. Repeat two or three times a day.

Magic.

manfred · « **Reply #149 on:** July 21, 2008, 03:02:00 AM »

Vampires: the Celtic Connection

A 4000-year old grave has been discovered, with several measures in place to prevent the dead from rising. For your inspiration:

Quote

The 10th or 11th-century "vampire burial ground" of Celakovice, just outside Prague, proves that, whether they were real or a metaphor for all manner of human ills, the vampires were the most enduring of human ogres.

In 1966, archaeologist Jaroslav Spacek was called to investigate a number of "unusual graves" discovered during building work. They formed part of a unique vampire burial ground.

He reported: "All the skeletons, buried in separate graves, showed the tell-tale signs of anti-vampire rituals. Some were weighted down, others had a nail driven through their temple, were tied down or variously debilitated and their heads cut off and faced downward so that they should not find their way back to the world of the living. These noteworthy funerary rituals indicate that the bodies were the remains of revenants in the eyes of the medieval villagers of Celakovice."

The dread of dead men walking, and sucking the blood of their friends and families, prompted isolated rural communities down the ages to apply specific protective measures. The Slavs, Hungarians and Germanic peoples of central-east Europe and the Balkans used more than a dozen "magic means" to keep vampires from returning from their graves.

Over the centuries, the people of central-east Europe and the Balkans were confronted with "vampire epidemics" and fought long-running battles against the undead suspected of returning from the grave.