Science & Society

Superstitious? A Black Cat's Proof That 2 = 1

Today, of all days, anything is possible. The laws of man and god are subverted by that of Murphy. This day is made doubly potent by its placement before the geek's darkest day of the year: Valentine's Day. And during this day on which anything t ...

Article - Garth Sundem - Feb 13 2009 - 6:00am

How Long You Can Sleep On Your Arm Without Losing It...

Last night at two in the morning I woke to find someone had grafted a zombie arm to my left shoulder. I commanded it to move—no response. I jabbed it with my right hand—no response. I threw it against the wall—no response. Would this limb remain forever zo ...

Article - Garth Sundem - Feb 17 2009 - 1:09pm

Calculating The Ideologies Of Powerful Think Tanks

It is every geek’s dream to join a think tank and thereby rule the world with nifty numbers and influential ideas—for no think tank is completely without agenda. John Goodman of the National Center for Policy Analysis (not to be confused with the Emmy-winn ...

Article - Garth Sundem - Feb 23 2009 - 10:50am

The Rock, Paper, Scissors Mating Strategy Of The Side-Blotched Lizard

If you are a side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana), then you have an orange, a yellow or a blue throat (easily determined by looking in mirror). If your throat is orange, then you are a big, bad machine and will easily kick the ass of anyone with a blue ...

Article - Garth Sundem - Mar 2 2009 - 10:59am

Become A Billionaire: DIY No-Lose Auction

With a group of friends, classmates or co-workers, offer to auction a $20 bill. One more rule: both of the top two bidders must pay their final bid. Imagine that person A and person B are foolish enough to join your auction, with person A bidding $0.25 and ...

Article - Garth Sundem - Mar 18 2009 - 9:25am

Caffeine Toxicity: How Much Is Too Much?

There are four caffeine-induced psychiatric disorders recognized by the DSM-IV, the diagnosis manual of the American Psychiatric Association: caffeine intoxication, caffeine-induced anxiety disorder, caffeine-induced sleep disorder, and caffeine-related di ...

Article - Garth Sundem - Apr 1 2009 - 10:18pm

If It Feels Good, Do It: Jeremy Bentham's Hedonistic Calculus

As an ethical hedonist, the 18th-19th-century English utilitarian philosopher and proto-bleeding-heart-liberal Jeremy Bentham, believed that right and wrong could be determined by weighing the “pleasures” and “pains” of any given action, with an action tha ...

Article - Garth Sundem - Apr 30 2009 - 6:59pm

Pharmacological Irony- Kids Most Likely To Be Taking Vitamins Least Likely To Need Them

A study by UC Davis researchers published in   Archives of Pediatric&Adolescent Medicine has found that most of the healthy children and teenagers in the United States who are taking daily vitamin and mineral supplements probably don't need them. ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 2 2009 - 4:36pm

The Easter Bunny Is Dead. Long Live The Easter Bunny.

Eggs and rabbits were common fertility symbols of the ancient world. Today come the spring equinox, we continue to worship the pagan, egg-laying bunny (with a massive display of consumerism). Saint Nicolas of Myra presented three impoverished girls with d ...

Article - Garth Sundem - Apr 30 2009 - 6:59pm

Dude, Where's My Laser Gun: A Brief History Of Ray Weaponry

In honor of my daughter's first birthday, today I thought I'd write about ray weaponry. With only a quick stop at your local box store, you can be ready to pop a conventional cap in someone’s ass; however, charring said ass to a crisp using a las ...

Article - Garth Sundem - Apr 30 2009 - 6:58pm