Stigler’s Law of Eponymy, attributed to Robert Merton, is a fantastic thing.
An interesting essay on fashion and copyright, courtesy of guest bloggers Kal Raustiala and Chris Sprigman at Freakonomics.
A discussion on the difficulty of defining exactly what sex is. The best part of it? 23% of those questioned who were male and over the age of 65 did not consider a penis penetrating a vagina to meet their definition of “sex”. Now I’m curious, readers — what is the bare minimum for you to consider something to be sex?
Would you like a Terminator of your own? A certain governor of California, Batman, or Summer Glau to call your own? Then you’re in luck! The Terminator is up for auction!
(by Jason Barnhart)
Want to join the US Military? Chances are you’re too fat. Or sick. Or dumb. Sorry.
In their new book Superfreakonomics, the Steves (Levitt and Dubner, not Mr Topp) make some statements about global warming which are controversial. Which probably goes without saying — public statements about global warming are always controversial it seems, no matter what is said. Today (er, yesterday) they respond on their Freakonomics blog.
We start the day off with two small things. First, this Freakonomics article begins in a manner that is … unusual for Freakonomics:
Ever since I was a child, I’ve known my father as the King of Farts. It was a matter of great pride in the family. After all, if he was the king, that made me the Prince of Farts, of course. Who wouldn’t want to be royalty?
Ever wanted to make crazy scenes from photoshop, but lack the necessary skills? Now you don’t need them!
(by Giuliano Bekor)
Like film noir? You’re in luck — there’s a public domain collection now available online. Enjoy!
Have an HD TV, and think the image is better than your old TV? You’re fooling yourself. Thinking of upgrading? Think again. It turns out that the difference is not perceptible, and we may just be fooling ourselves into the belief that HDTV gives a perceptible difference.
Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net
This just in: Scientists have found a switch on your biological clock! It’s the fountain of youth! Of course, the linked-to article is a summary of a newspaper report on a scientific discovery. In other words, it might be best not to believe a word of it.
Freakonomics argues for a 37-cent coin, as the current coinage would appear to be too inefficient to their liking.
Noam Chomsky on the current economic crisis.
(Thanks to night__watch for the link to the comic!)
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