Thursday, November 18, 2010
WTF This Week Will Mean "Wow, That's Fascinating!"
First of all, I didn't realize until I woke up this morning that I had forgotten to blog yesterday. I have really, really good reasons that I won't bore you with, but I figured I would write first thing this morning just to make up for it. Regular Thursday entry to follow tonight.
In keeping with my No-Cynicism November, I'm still not thinking too hard about the things that make me want to thwack my head against tables. One thing the First Mate frequently mentions is the importance of being selective about the messages you consume. (Do not, for instance, watch "Hostel" right before your trip to Europe. Learned that one the hard way, too.) This month I'm trying hard not to focus on things which will put me in an unhelpful headspace, and I'm doing all right at it too, I think.
Here, then, are some things that are way worth consuming-- cool ideas, fascinating accomplishments, things that encourage you to sit up and take notice.
Radiolab. Engaging, accessible, fascinating explorations into science, technology, and their implications to our daily lives. Why do we sleep? Is death a disease that can be cured? Where do you draw the boundary between language and music? How does your brain keep track of your body? Cleverly presented and with guests like Oliver Sacks, one of my heroes. Check it out.
Above Everything Else and The Third and the Seventh. These are just glorious. I could scarcely believe that they are entirely CG, but they are. The Third and the Seventh, a short film, is especially a banquet of gorgeous visuals.
That's all I have time for, as I have to run to work, but what has fascinated you this week? Please share.
Labels: Links Rodeo, no-cynicism november
Friday, May 14, 2010
Figure Five Links Rodeo
I run across lots of amusing, outrageous, or thought-provoking articles that make me think "Wow, I really need to blog about this!" The ones which inspire some sort of personal commentary I do blog about (see this week's WTF Wednesday, for example). A good number of them, though, are things to which I have nothing to add other than "Seriously, go read this! It's funny/good/interesting/totally messed up!" I do want to share them, though, so they wind up perpetually open in tabs which clutter up my browser and make me feel like I've got lots of unfinished business. Hence Links Rodeo, a general purge of these things in list format with a brief summary. Go hog wild!
- This fascinating letter from a student of linguistics details how creating fantasy languages for the upcoming A Game Of Thrones miniseries would also offer an unprecedented opportunity to study how the brain generates language. Recommended Reading For: People interested in language, neuroscience, or fantasy epics.
- In a similar vein, this study created an online game to simulate the evolution of an alien language... and it's working. Recommended Reading For: people who are intrigued by language change or who spend too much time on addictinggames.com
- From The Onion, "Exhausted Noam Chomsky Just Going To Try And Enjoy The Day For Once." Recommended Reading For: Snarky radicals, discouraged activists, cynical bastards, fans of America's Finest News Source, people with tongues superglued in cheek.
- This letter to the editor is reprinted as "The Best Thing I've Read All Year." It is one of the best things I have read all year as well-- a well-written, levelheaded appeal to opponents of gay rights. Recommended Reading For: Everyone. This is a side of the story that you should hear.
There may be more Links Rodeos to come; there are a lot of things I wish I could make people read. In the meantime, please do check these out. I very rarely read links that people send me unless they've passed my stringent vetting process, and I can vouch for all of these.
Labels: Links Rodeo