- The Poet - ”She escaped a crazed psychopath at 16. Decades later, as the BTK serial killer terrorizes Wichita, she has to run for her life again. The identity of her tormentor is too chilling to believe.” The strange tale of Ruth Finley.
- Comets Are More Dangerous Than We Thought - ”There’s now no question that the scene of the “crime” was the Yucatan Peninsula, in Mexico, where researchers found a massive crater. But what was the murder weapon—an asteroid, or a comet? A trivial difference, you might think… But knowing what sort of thing struck the Earth near the modern town of Chicxulub, clearing the way for mammals to rise up, affects how astronomers evaluate cosmic dangers to our planet.”
- 1979: The Cave of Time - Aaron A. Reed on the origins of the Choose Your Own Adventure books: ”Packard had always wanted to be a writer, and had tried his hand at a couple of children’s books he’d never managed to sell. Practicing law had seemed a steadier way to support a family. But now the idea of a book for kids that gave them multiple pathways through a story wouldn’t leave his head… After six months, the project was abandoned, the manuscript left to languish in a desk drawer. Packard kept practicing law, and might have done so until retirement except for a happenstantial fluke, years later.”
- Geology of Britain 3D - From the British Geological Survey, an interactive 3D geological map
- Early Remote Controls - A gallery of early efforts to achieve mankind's dream of not having to get up off the couch. This is the RCA Magic Brain: ”It used a motor to change the channel and adjust the fine tuning. It also controlled the volume and contrast.”
- This Is a Piece of a Lost Protoplanet, And It's Officially Older Than Earth - ”A chunk of meteorite found in the desert sands of Algeria could be a piece of a baby planet that never made it. According to an in-depth analysis of the rock's composition and age, not only is the meteorite known as Erg Chech 002 older than Earth, it formed volcanically - suggesting that it could have once been part of the crust of an object known as a protoplanet.”
- A quasar at the edge of the observable Universe has its radio turned *way* up - Phil Plait on the snappily-named PSO J172.3556+18.7734: ”Astronomers have discovered a powerful quasar very near the edge of the observable Universe, a staggering 13 billion light years from Earth. While many quasars at this distance are known, this one is special: It's ‘radio loud,’ meaning it's pouring out radio energy, making it part of a special class that can help us better understand conditions when the Universe was very young.”
- Troll Research Station: how to operate an airport in Antarctica - ”Before 2005, getting personnel to the Norwegian Polar Institute’s Troll Research Station (AT27/QAT) in Antarctica involved a weeks-long boat ride followed by a 250 kilometer trek over snow, ice, and rock. But in 2005, the research station opened its 3000 meter blue ice runway.” The airport even has toilets, which are apparently not a given in Antarctica
- Drive & Listen - If you feel like getting out and about (quite possible after months of lockdown) then just select a city and be driven around it listening to a local radio station, all from the comfort of home
- The World’s Largest Collection of Do Not Disturb Signs - ”My name is Edoardo Flores, I'm a retired international civil servant from Italy who has travelled extensively for many years. When I picked up my first DND sign as a souvenir from a business trip to Pakistan I had no idea that this would one day become an addicting hobby and a lifetime passion. In just over 20 years, and thanks to many supporters, I have built up what today is the largest collection of its kind in the world.” This one is from the Saku Rock Hotel, Tallinn, Estonia
Happy invoicing!
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