Over the course of your life, you have probably walked past hundreds of black widows without even realizing it. Each one packs enough venom to lay out a heavyweight boxer for days, yet globally only a few people each year are killed by widow bites.
If you ever wondered about how it felt like being bitten by a black widow, read this.

What are politicians doing at Glastonbury and the GQ awards? I feel guilty going, and I’m a comedian. Why are public officials, paid by us, turning up at events for fashion magazines? Well, the reason I was there was because I have a tour on and I was advised it would be good publicity. What are the politicians selling? How are they managing our perception of them with their attendance of these sequin-encrusted corporate balls?

Wisdom courtesy of Russell Brand.

What are politicians doing at Glastonbury and the GQ awards? I feel guilty going, and I’m a comedian. Why are public officials, paid by us, turning up at events for fashion magazines? Well, the reason I was there was because I have a tour on and I was advised it would be good publicity. What are the politicians selling? How are they managing our perception of them with their attendance of these sequin-encrusted corporate balls?
Wisdom courtesy of Russell Brand.

This is a temperature chart for the last 11 000 years. It got hot rather quickly. 

[gallery]

This is a temperature chart for the last 11 000 years. It got hot rather quickly. 

A philosophical argument over views on Immanuel Kant descended into violent mayhem in southern Russia, leading to a man being shot several times.

Who said debating philosophy wasn’t dangerous?

A philosophical argument over views on Immanuel Kant descended into violent mayhem in southern Russia, leading to a man being shot several times.
Who said debating philosophy wasn’t dangerous?

Enclothed Cognition is the idea that the clothes that you are wearing change your behaviour. 

A fascinating short video by Dave McRaney, the guy behind You Are Not So Smart.

Enclothed Cognition is the idea that the clothes that you are wearing change your behaviour. 

A fascinating short video by Dave McRaney, the guy behind You Are Not So Smart.

Ingredients–
1 lb. ground lean beef 2 cloves, minced garlic
2 little green onions, finely chopped
1 heaping teaspoon, India relish 2 tablespoons, capers
1 heaping teaspoon, Spice Islands sage Spice Islands Beau Monde Seasoning — ½ teaspoon
Spice Islands Mei Yen Powder — ½ teaspoon
1 egg, beaten in a cup with a fork
About 1/3 cup dry red or white wine
1 tablespoon cooking oil

What to do–

Break up the meat with a fork and scatter the garlic, onion and dry seasonings over it, then mix them into the meat with a fork or your fingers. Let the bowl of meat sit out of the icebox for ten or fifteen minutes while you set the table and make the salad. Add the relish, capers, everything else including wine and let the meat sit, quietly marinating, for another ten minutes if possible. Now make your fat, juicy patties with your hands. The patties should be an inch thick, and soft in texture but not runny. Have the oil in your frying pan hot but not smoking when you drop in the patties and then turn the heat down and fry the burgers about four minutes. Take the pan off the burner and turn the heat high again. Flip the burgers over, put the pan back on the hot fire, then after one minute, turn the heat down again and cook another three minutes. Both sides of the burgers should be crispy brown and the middle pink and juicy.

Hemingway’s hamburger recipe.

Ingredients–
1 lb. ground lean beef 2 cloves, minced garlic
2 little green onions, finely chopped
1 heaping teaspoon, India relish 2 tablespoons, capers
1 heaping teaspoon, Spice Islands sage Spice Islands Beau Monde Seasoning — ½ teaspoon
Spice Islands Mei Yen Powder — ½ teaspoon
1 egg, beaten in a cup with a fork
About 1/3 cup dry red or white wine
1 tablespoon cooking oil

What to do–

Break up the meat with a fork and scatter the garlic, onion and dry seasonings over it, then mix them into the meat with a fork or your fingers. Let the bowl of meat sit out of the icebox for ten or fifteen minutes while you set the table and make the salad. Add the relish, capers, everything else including wine and let the meat sit, quietly marinating, for another ten minutes if possible. Now make your fat, juicy patties with your hands. The patties should be an inch thick, and soft in texture but not runny. Have the oil in your frying pan hot but not smoking when you drop in the patties and then turn the heat down and fry the burgers about four minutes. Take the pan off the burner and turn the heat high again. Flip the burgers over, put the pan back on the hot fire, then after one minute, turn the heat down again and cook another three minutes. Both sides of the burgers should be crispy brown and the middle pink and juicy.

Hemingway’s hamburger recipe.

Check out the rest of the 2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest Winners at In Focus. 

[gallery]

Check out the rest of the 2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest Winners at In Focus. 

This raft was used by Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl and five of his companions for a 4300 miles (almost 7000 kilometers) 101-days journey through the Pacific Ocean before smashing into a reef in the Tuamotu Islands.

Talk about a bonding.  

[gallery]

This raft was used by Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl and five of his companions for a 4300 miles (almost 7000 kilometers) 101-days journey through the Pacific Ocean before smashing into a reef in the Tuamotu Islands.

Talk about a bonding.  

Unbeatable rock-paper-scissors robot

Unbeatable rock-paper-scissors robot

Unbeatable rock-paper-scissors robot

www.k2.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/fusion/Ja…

Some Japanese scientists have a lot of free time. 

Tetris. We’ve all played it, rotating the pieces (“tetrominoes”) and dropping them in the perfect place, or despairing as we discover a piece won’t fit. You may have even joked about “mastering” the game during a stint of unemployment, or as a child, before you could afford any other Game Boy cartridges. But what about the people who’ve truly mastered Tetris? Where are the Kasparovs and Fischers, the great champions who’ve dedicated their minds to solving its deepest puzzles?

Ecstasy of Order is a documentary about Tetris’ greatest players. 

Tetris. We’ve all played it, rotating the pieces (“tetrominoes”) and dropping them in the perfect place, or despairing as we discover a piece won’t fit. You may have even joked about “mastering” the game during a stint of unemployment, or as a child, before you could afford any other Game Boy cartridges. But what about the people who’ve truly mastered Tetris? Where are the Kasparovs and Fischers, the great champions who’ve dedicated their minds to solving its deepest puzzles?
Ecstasy of Order is a documentary about Tetris’ greatest players. 

You must understand that without the French toast I am no good to the cast and crew. And I will not eat the French toast if it is not prepared the right way. If I do not eat the French toast, my blood sugar will drop to precariously low levels, and I will be groggy and unable to make the necessary split-second decisions a director has to make in order for a film to be successful. Therefore, it is essential that you understand something about the French toast: it is not only my breakfast, it is the film.

Stanley Kubrick gives guidelines to the new guy who makes his French toast.