Archive for November, 2010

Rocket Launchers, Contrails, Batman: The Best Mystery Missile Conspiracy Theories

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

It left a vapor trail as it soared into the sky but the questions have lingered far longer as we ponder “what was that California mystery missle after all?”

Predictably, conspiracy theories abound:

We launched an ICBM from a submarine while Obama was out to town to show we’re still hardcore: this comes from Former Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Ellsworth in the video above although he cautioned that we should wait for official confirmation from the military.

It’s a mobile launcher from the USS Ronald Reagan: Despite the defense department denying it was a scheduled launch, some are speculating that the missile came from the general area of the USS Ronald Reagan. Two problems, the size of the weapon is off from what is equipped on the ship and the USS RR was supposed to be en route to help a stranded Carnival Cruise ship.

It’s a jet contrail: According to a Harvard professor the direction and shape of the vapor looks consistent with a jet contrail illuminated by the low angel of a setting sun. This of course leaves the option for chemtrail open.

Batman has finally banished Mr. Freeze to space: On the unofficial Twitter @God_Damn_Batman, the Dark Knight offered a tacit explanation…

Not saying I had anything to do with that missile off the coast of CA. But I hope the vacuum of space is cold enough for you, Mr. Freeze.

We are down with all of these.

Terrifying Shrimp Once Thought To Be Earth’s First Predator, Proven To Be Total Wuss

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

skitched-20101109-111839.jpg

He once prowled the primordial sea, ruling all he surveyed. Legend would speak of this carnivorous shrimp in hushed, reverential tones for it was truly Earth’s first predator.

Until we found out yesterday that it was just like any other stupid shrimp and wasn’t carnivorous at all.

A new 3-D modeling of the mouth parts of the Anomalocaris, along with evidence that these parts were not hard like teeth, but flexible, shows that the famed predator could not have been munching on the hard shells of trilobites and other such creatures of the early seas.

Just for that, I’m headed to Red Lobster. Endless Shrimp is back and I’m gonna eat 75 of of this dude’s descendants.

[Science Daily via reader Dan Wheeler]

Navy Making Breakthroughs on Directed Energy

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

Not to be outdone by the Air Force and its Mind Warfare research, the Navy is pouring money into directed energy weapons. It is making breakthroughs with the Free Electron Laser which will melt incoming projectiles with 100 kilowatts of energy and the Electromagnetic Rail Gun that can fire a bullet into space at Mach 7.

The scope and vision of the Navy research was perhaps best summarized by Rear Admiral Nevin Carr who said “We all, of course, want the multi-megawatt death ray.”

Godspeed, Rear Admiral.

[Wired]

Has A Ghost Had Sex With You? You’re Not Alone! [WeirdThingsTV]

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

Podcast: You Will Die In Space

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

weird things podcast SM

A newly minted Billionaire Justin makes Brian decide if he’ll send his family on a one-way trip to space. Andrew reveals his brilliant escape plan for when a zombie apocalypse ravages his coastal hometown.

Subscribe to the Weird Things podcast on iTunes
Podcast RSS feed
Episode archive
Download url: http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings110510.mp3

[podcast]http://www.itricks.com/upload/WeirdThings110510.mp3[/podcast]

Sponsored by:

@At0mXII

@Giggleloop

@lonelydotgeek

Microchip In Retina Gives Sight To Blinded

Monday, November 8th, 2010

skitched-20101108-122802.jpg

The beautiful dream of a bionic eye has come one step closer to mainstream reality when three blind patient regained sight after having a microchip implanted in their retina. This method is revolutionary as it doesn’t rely on a camera to transmit images to an artificial retina, but rather uses the eye itself to communicate the images to the brain.

Awesome.

[Independent UK via reader ITNinja]

Behold the Amazing Mimic Octopus

Monday, November 8th, 2010

This awesome octopus is known to mimic at least 15 known creatures; my personal favorite is the “furry turkey with human legs”.  Check out the video.

[Geekologie]

[UPDATE]

Credit due to EbonNebula for pointing this out 4 months ago. Thanks!

Cockiest Supercomputer In The World Pwns A Human [WeirdThingsTV]

Friday, November 5th, 2010

Calculate Asteroid Impacts! Understand Your Impending Death From Above!

Friday, November 5th, 2010

Impact_ Earth!.jpg

Curious as to how ruined our planet would be if Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck fail to push that massive asteroid off course? Worry no more! There’s a web app for that.

[Purdue via Reason]

Ozzy Osbourne Redefines Genome Science

Friday, November 5th, 2010

When legendary horse Secretariat died, the veterinary doctors performing the necropsy made a startling realization. There was a reason Big Red destroyed other horses en route to the most convincing Triple Crown win of all time, his heart was gigantic. Over twice the normal size for a horse his weight.

Genome scientists have made a similar discovery with Ozzy Osbourne, thankfully without The Prince Of Darkness having to croak first.

Simply speaking: he’s the Secretariat of drug users.

… the most notable differences in Osbourne’s genes had to do with how he processes drugs and alcohol. Genes connected to addiction, alcoholism and the absorption of marijuana, opiates and methamphetamines all had unique variations in Osbourne, a few of which Knome geneticists had never seen before.

“He had a change on the regulatory region of the ADH4 gene, a gene associated with alcoholism, that we’ve never seen before,” Conde told ABCnews.com. “He has an increased predisposition for alcohol dependence of something like six times higher. He also had a slight increased risk for cocaine addiction, but he dismissed that. He said that if anyone has done as much cocaine he had, they would have been hooked.”

They also found some Neanderthal DNA, because, well why not.

[ABC News via Reason]

Air Force Researching Mind Warfare

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

The human mind has no firewalls. Recently the 711th Human Performance Wing requested proposals examining “Advances in Bioscience for Airmen Performance” for advancing the deployment of extreme neuroscience and biotechnology warfare in the service of the Air Force.

But perhaps the oddest, and most disturbing, of the program’s many suggested directions is the one that notes: “Conversely, the chemical pathway area could include methods to degrade enemy performance and artificially overwhelm enemy cognitive capabilities.” That’s right: the Air Force wants a way to fry foes’ minds — or at least make ‘em a little dumber.

For any interested parties, the Air Force is warning the project “may require top secret clearance.”

[Wired]

Record Breaking Florida Gator

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

Anybody up for waterskiing this weekend?

[Orlando Sentinel]

Would You Go On A One-Way Trip To Space? [WeirdThingsTV]

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

Scientists Learn How To Erase Memory

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

Researchers have discovered that they can permanently delete traumatic memories simply by removing a protein from the region of the brain responsible for recalling fear. The research focused on the nerve circuits in the amygdala where they tracked proteins before and after they scared mice with loud sounds.

“This may sound like science fiction, the ability to selectively erase memories,” says Huganir. “But this may one day be applicable for the treatment of debilitating fearful memories in people, such as post-traumatic stress syndrome associated with war, rape or other traumatic events.”

[Physorg.com via Kotaku]

The Virus That Will Turn Us All Into The Walking Dead Zombies! [WeirdThingsTV]

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

And Now: A Charred Bison Being Chased By A Hungry Bear

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

skitched-20101102-030344.jpg

No words.

[KRTV]