This entry was published at least two years ago (originally posted on May 7, 2009). Since that time the information may have become outdated or my beliefs may have changed (in general, assume a more open and liberal current viewpoint). A fuller disclaimer is available.
Sometime between May 6th and May 7th, I thought this stuff was interesting. You might think so too!
- Magic and the Brain: Teller Reveals the Neuroscience of Illusion: "To kill some time in a diner, Teller was practicing his version of Cups and Balls, a classic sleight-of-hand trick popularized by ancient Roman conjurers. It involves a series of 'vanishes' and 'transpositions' as the balls appear and disappear underneath the cups. Teller hadn't brought any props, so he used wadded-up napkins and clear water glasses. Somehow, this made the trick even better. Although it was now possible to follow the crumpled napkins as Teller variously palmed them, squished them, and moved them from cup to cup, the illusion persisted. 'The eye could see the moves, but the mind could not comprehend them,' he says. 'Giving the trick away gave nothing away, because you still couldn't grasp it.'"
- Star Trek: Spock, Kirk and Slash Fiction: "For decades, dedicated fans of 'Star Trek' have postulated a Kirk-Spock romance. A look at 'slash' fiction, 40 years later." For people who know of slashfic, this article isn't going to say anything new. What's most interesting to me is that it was written for Newsweek — not one of the places I'd generally expect to see an article exploring this side of fandom.
- SEO Joke, SEO, Joke, Search Engine Optimized Joke, Funny, Funny Joke: "So a CEO, a web programmer and an SEO expert are on a desert island. And the SEO expert says, 'You guys, I'm so thirsty. Is there anything to drink?' And the CEO says, 'I just drank the last of my water 30 minutes ago.' And the web programmer says…"
- The Star Trek Failure Generator: "Failure (No. 60441): The gravitational algorithms are unstable! // Fix (No. 637735822): Calibrate the primary hologrid with subcutaneous processors!"
- Star Trek Klingon Language Suite: "Standard issue for cadets at Starfleet academy, the Klingon language suite is an integral part of any officer's electronic reference library and has even been adopted by the Klingon fleet for use by officers interacting with Federation forces. Available for iPhone and iPod Touch, the Klingon Language Suite will beam you to the top of the promotion list – or increase the odds of would-be cadets' admission to the academy! "