LOVE, UPLOADED
Proposing On YouTube
What's behind all those viral marriage proposals?
BREAKING
Reporter Captures Gunfire Exchange In Canadian Parliament
Footage captured by a reporter from The Globe and Mail shows Canadian authorities attempting to apprehend the shooter in the Canadian parliament building.
DEVELOPING
Gunfire Erupts At Canada's Parliament, National War Memorial
Eyewitnesses said an armed man with long black hair emerged at the National War Memorial, fired about four times, and a guard went down. The gunman, who an eyewitness said was carrying what appeared to be a rifle, then ran toward Parliament Hill.
STARTUPS WE DIGG ǀ SPONSORED
How To Look Like A Million Bucks (Without Spending A Million Bucks)
Fact: Every man looks better in a suit. Now you can get one custom-made with a simple click.
'RAP'S FIRST AND ONLY FEMALE MOGUL'
Nicki Minaj, Cheeky Genius
She's done with the pink hair, and the bonkers outfits, and at least a few of the alter egos. Nicki Minaj is now in her world-conqueror phase — her new album, following two platinum-sellers, is immodestly titled "The Pinkprint" — and she's got a new message to go with it: This isn't all about butts anymore. Except for when it absolutely, positively is.
GLAD WE DON'T HAVE COMMENTS
A Summary Of The Gamergate Movement That We Will Immediately Change If Any Of Its Members Find Any Details Objectionable
Even if you’re only a casual internet user, chances are that by now you’ve probably heard something about the movement known as Gamergate. If you’re unfamiliar with what Gamergate is, we’ve taken the liberty of writing up a brief summary of the movement and its goals, which we will immediately change if anything in it offends anyone who associates with Gamergate.
R.I.P. COMPOSERS
Amazing Music Generator Xhail Can Make A Whole Score Based On A Single Word
Not only will it make a unique piece of music off a single word, but it will never generate the same idea twice. We honestly can't wait for this to be publically available.
MAMMALS SUCK
Wyatt Cenac, Eugene Mirman And Sarah Vowell Learn About How Animals Breastfeed
Dr. Katie Hinde spends her days studying how different mammals breastfeed and nurture their young. In this episode of "You're the Expert," panelists Eugene Mirman, Wyatt Cenac, and Sarah Vowell try to guess what Dr. Hinde studies and then learn about her work. Don't miss this hilarious discussion of nurture, nutrition, and why Cleveland is in trouble.
CREATING EMPATHY OUT OF CYBERBULLYING
Meet Facebook’s Mr. Nice
Arturo Bejar is trying to create empathy among teenage users to curb cyberbullying and harassment.
>OPEN NETHACK; >USE KEYBOARD; >HAVE FUN
The Joy Of Text: The Fall And Rise Of Interactive Fiction
The annual Interactive Fiction awards are taking place right now, showcasing the very best new works.
FAKE PLASTIC BEER
Plastic Bits Found Floating Around In 24 Out Of 24 Samples Of German Beer
How far has plastic, even plastic too small to really see, penetrated into our lives? The authors of a new study decided to find out by analyzing the contents of 24 of Germany’s most popular beers, including all of the top 10 most popular.
LOVING THE CRIMSON PANAMA JACK LOOK
Bill Murray Talks Tinder, Hits On One Of Kimmel's Cameramen
There are a lot of great clips from Murray's interview with Kimmel last night, but his decision to "swipe right" on this random cameraman seems the most Murray-esque of the bunch.
MUSK'S MOONSHOT
What It Took For SpaceX To Disrupt Boeing, Leapfrog NASA And Become A Serious Space Company
When NASA officials first got involved with SpaceX eight years ago, they thought they were hiring a temp worker for scut work — a so-called “space taxi” while the government focused on higher aims. But now the commercial project may be NASA's best hope for getting humans into space.
LOOKS CAN KILL (YOUR CAREER)
The Introverted Face
People put serious weight on judgements of character based on facial structure alone.
YOUR MOVE, JOHN CAGE
Taylor Swift Accidentally Releases 8 Seconds Of Static, Hits No. 1 On Canadian iTunes
Some sort of glitch in the Canadian version of iTunes Tuesday morning led to the release of what was ostensibly a new track from her album. The recording, for now titled only “Track 3,” is nothing more than eight seconds of static, but that didn’t stop fans from taking it straight to No. 1.
NEVER GROW UP
What If Age Is Nothing But A Mind-Set?
For decades, psychologist Ella Langer's work has shown that when it comes to aging, it's all in our heads.
MAP TO HAPPINESS
The Breakup Action Plan
A very necessary guide to the week before and after heartbreak.
UNDER THE COWL
A Brief History Of Batgirl
The ongoing struggle to make geek culture more inclusive takes a positive step forward this month as DC Comics relaunches its iconic-but-neglected Batgirl series.
PAWNS NOT ALWAYS EASILY PAWNED OFF
How Long Each Piece Will Survive (On Average) In A Game Of Chess
A problem that ought to be calculable from the vast number of recorded games.
EVERY FACEBOOK LIKE HELPS
Does Slacktivism Really Drive Science Forward?
Plus, how copper could lead to a cure for ALS.
ORANGE IS THE NEW CAT
Why 2014 Is The Year Of The Ginger Cat
Towards a unified theory of why orange cats rule (for now).
WHEN A VALLEY BECOMES A CHASM
Technology's Role In Inequality
Median income in Silicon Valley reached $94,000 in 2013, far above the national median of around $53,000. Yet an estimated 31 percent of jobs pay $16 per hour or less. It’s hard not to wonder whether Silicon Valley, rather than just exemplifying this growing inequality, is actually contributing to it, by producing digital technologies that eliminate the need for many middle-class jobs.
ZERO HORSEPOWER
Definitely Not Street-Legal: The Motorcycle Chariot
Is this part of a reimagined "Ben Hur" or just one man's slightly unhinged passion project? The world may never know.
SECOND AMENDMENT TRUMPS THE FIRST?
When Guns Trample Speech, Do We Have A Democracy?
A speech by feminist Anita Sarkeesian was canceled by Utah State University because, even under the threat of a massacre, the state demands that guns cannot be prohibited in public spaces.
GODLESS COUNTRY
America Is Becoming Less Religious
No matter how you slice it, the U.S. population is still mostly Christian, and mostly Protestant. But a certain sector of the religious landscape has been on the rise for decades: the atheists, humanists, and otherwise unaffiliated.
YOU FEEL GOOD, YOU KNEW THAT YOU WOULD
When Health Ignorance Is Bliss
Why do so many people avoid taking medical tests?
TESTING THE CONCEPT
Harley-Davidson Goes Electric
The New Project LiveWire bike is a far cry from company's first motorcycle in 1903.
WHEN SCIENCE ISN'T STRAIGHTFORWARD
Will We Ever Know If This Widely-Used Contraceptive Increases The Risk Of HIV Infection?
Scientists worry that a popular hormonal contraceptive might increase a woman’s risk of HIV infection. So why can't they fund a trial to find out?
ACHIEVING GENDER PARITY
Women In Data Science Are Invisible. We Can Change That
There are many excellent women in my field (I know many of them personally), but for the most part they are not on the radar for keynote speeches and rather few of them have titles like Chief Scientist. So, why do they seem rather invisible?
FAKE NEWS, REAL HYSTERIA
The Curious Case Of The Ebola Troll
Is a silly Photoshop prank the equivalent of yelling “Fire!” in a crowded theater?
BUBBLING WITH POTENTIAL
The Race To Create America’s Premier Carbonated Coffee
Despite decades of innovation in the way coffee is sourced, prepared and sold, the addition of bubbles is an innovation that has largely been ignored. That, however, appears to be changing thanks to a collection of coffee nerds and roasters large and small who recognize carbonated coffee as an idea that's time has come — and one that's about to hit the mainstream.
WORD, PRESSED
Escape From Microsoft Word
The word processor that most of the world uses every day, Microsoft Word, is a work of genius that’s almost always wrong as an instrument for writing prose.
DRIVING IN PRIVATE
Data Mining The New Black Box Of Self-Driving Cars
As with other emerging disruptive technologies, such as drones and wearables, it is essential that issues relating to user privacy and data security are properly addressed prior to the technologies being generally deployed.
A FEATHER IN THEIR CAP
The Bird Hat Craze That Sparked A Preservation Movement
How a fashion statement at the turn of the 19th century led to the creation of the first Audubon societies.
WHY YOUR APARTMENT WILL BE LISTED AS A BAR
Apple Launches 'Maps Connect,' Self-Service Local Listings Portal
Apple released a new self-service portal to add or edit local business listings: Apple Maps Connect. It’s intended for small business owners or their authorized representatives (though not agencies) to be able to quickly and easily add content directly into Apple Maps.
DIAL 1112 FOR MURDER
Why Talking About Pizza Can Land You In Trouble In Thailand
If you are in Thailand and you suddenly crave for pizza, it is highly likely that you will be referred to The Pizza Company, the largest pizza fast food chain in the country. And when you dial the company hotline “1112”, be aware that there are some activists in Thailand who use the word pizza to refer to the notorious Article 112 of the criminal code.
PUTTING THE DOPE IN DOPAMINE
Drugs Used To Treat Parkinson's Disease Linked To Sex And Gambling Addictions
Pathological gambling, hypersexuality and compulsive shopping are some of the abnormal behaviors that are linked to the use of certain drugs commonly used to treat Parkinson's disease, according to a new study.
PAYING FOR PEACE
People Think Their Opponents Are Hate-Filled, Unless You Pay Them Money
According to a new study being released by PNAS, it's possible to get people to think more positively about their opponents, all it takes is a small cash payment. And with a more positive understanding of the opposition, people become willing to think that compromise is possible.
COOTIES ARE REAL!
Our Unique 'Microbial Aura' Travels With Us Wherever We Go
Every individual has a unique “microbial aura” that we spread constantly wherever we go, according to research published recently in the journal Science.
THE FLAWS OF PRESENTISM
Nothing You Think Matters Today Will Matter The Same Way Tomorrow
Just look at the future we imagined in 1964.
WATER BLOWN OUT OF THE WATER
High Winds Blow Waterfall Back Up
Winds were so strong in Hayfield, England on Tuesday that at least one waterfall no longer fell.
THE EVOLUTION OF THOUGHT
Published for the First Time: A 1959 Essay By Isaac Asimov On Creativity
Writing in 1959 for DARPA, Asimov shares his thoughts on how people get new ideas and the importance of free time.
THOSE WEREN'T FOR YOU
Video Allegedly Shows Airdropped U.S. Weapons Falling Into ISIS Hands
If the weapons depicted — including rocket-propelled grenades — were of U.S. origin, they were intended for Kurdish fighters. Instead ISIS militants may have added them to their already massive stockpile of arms.
INTO THE FOG
Toward Land’s End
Despite the tech industry's takeover of San Francisco, remnants of the old city still remain.
PAINTING DOWN EQUALITY
Inside Hollywood's Shocking Blackface Problem
A civil rights fight that was thought to have been eradicated years ago is nevertheless taking place in the entertainment industry. So why is Hollywood still “painting down” stuntpeople?
STUCK IN NEUTRAL
Michigan Becomes Fifth State To Thwart Direct Tesla Sales
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill on Tuesday that will keep electric carmaker Tesla Motors from selling its cars directly to consumers in the state, home to the biggest U.S. automakers.
BECOMES A 'SEENSAW' AFTER YOU WATCH IT
The Right Way To Use A Seesaw
Just going up and down is fine, if you're some kind of square.
LIKE A MOTH TO A ROUND FLAME
How To Trap A Cat In 3 Easy Steps
The Internet is collectively performing a study on cat behavioral psychology, and all of us (and our cats) can participate! After a few users on Reddit and Imgur noticed that their cats are attracted to circles, submissions poured in of other cat owners trying these low-tech traps on their feline friends.
CHEATING ON THE SATs MADE EASIER
Point Your Phone At Math Problems And This App Solves Them
PhotoMath is one of those brilliant ideas that is destined to make people even lazier.
PAID TO HURRY UP AND WAIT?
How Amazon Solved The Problem Of Work
Should minutes spent waiting to be screened at the end of the workday be counted as work? If so, then shouldn't workers be paid?
TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN
Are Factual And Religious Belief The Same?
A new paper that may help make sense of the coexistence of seemingly contradictory religious and scientific beliefs.
A FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY, IN A SINGLE CHART
States That Make Voting Super Simple — Or Stupidly Hard
Voting is the most basic act of citizenship, but you wouldn't know it from the hodgepodge of conflicting, hard-to-decipher state election laws that can make casting a ballot a pleasure for some Americans and a hassle for others.
NOT BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE
Little Girl In An LED Minnie Mouse Costume Is Precious
Not only is this adorable, but the costume itself is receptive to noise and changes color when it detects sound nearby. Looks like someone's going home with lots of candy this year.
PUPPY STYLE
'Dachshund's Creek' Is 'Dawson's Creek' With 100% More Dachshund
A story about love, life, growing up and wiener dogs.
A LITTLE TO THE LEFT
The Hand Signals That Coordinate Precision Marble Excavation
How do you get marble out of the Earth? A huge machine, a massive quarry and one tiny man gesturing wildly.
#REYNOSAFOLLOW
She Tweeted Against The Mexican Cartels. They Tweeted Her Murder
No newspaper dares to publish the truth about the drug lords in Tamaulipas. Those who break the silence on Twitter and Facebook are marked for death.
BONUS: THERE'S ALSO A TICK
Having A Moth Burrow Itself Into Your Ear Is As Disgusting As It Sounds
When someone is pulling a live animal out of your body, "Good thing we're not all wasted," are not the words you want to hear.
I'VE FALLEN AND I CAN'T GET UP
No Actual Humans Were Harmed By This Spinning Beam Of Terror
This seems like it could be a fun game. It also seems like everyone loses though.