This week's recommended links cover the fascinating number 42, the delights of revenge, the count of the living versus the dead, the laughter of bonobos, and the victims of Chernobyl, among dozens of other things, including videos, galleries, and more.
Featured Links
The meaning of life, the universe, and everything else... solve x³+y³+z³ = 42: Science fiction fans know that the number 42 is linked to Douglas Adams, "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" (1979). For mathematicians, since March 2019, this number was the only one under 100 for which we didn't know its sum as three integer cubes. On September 6, 2019, that sum was uncovered by Andrew R. Booker (Univ. Bristol, UK) and Andrew Sutherland (MIT, USA).
Why do we like revenge?: Psychologist Nereida Bueno-Guerra studied in her thesis the evolutionary sense of the feeling of injustice and the desire for revenge: "When there were no cities, when we were still hominids, if you didn't defend yourself against those who harmed you, you would be the target of future aggression. You had to respond, say enough, don't do this to me again," she explains.
George R.R. Martin criticizes the flaws in the ending of 'The Lord of the Rings': While waiting for him to write The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, the last books of the saga, the author has taken time to talk about the ending of the literary saga of The Lord of the Rings, which he considers "the best book of the 20th century, which doesn't mean it's perfect", so he would have "liked to discuss some aspects of it with Professor Tolkien".
What do bonobo monkeys laugh about?: I keep asking her. They laugh at the same things we do, at tickles and surprises. They hide to reappear, exaggerate their gestures and their contact to burst into laughter. They laugh like us when what they fear isn't so fearsome. They laugh like us, as a gentle form of challenge. They laugh when a threat turns into a greeting. So, do bonobos have a sense of humor? Yes in a broad sense, not in our sense of language.
Are there more living or dead?: It is commonly said that there are more people alive today than those who have ever lived, and this fact has gained relevance again since the UN announced that the planet's population reached a new milestone. The idea fuels fears that the population is expanding too quickly. It is true that if we go back to the beginning of time, the Earth's population was tiny compared to today and logically it might seem that the living outnumber the dead.
The arcade machines before the arcade machines: We could well call these devices "the arcade machines before the arcade machines", since they used to have similar principles but at a cruder and more primitive level. Pinballs are collection pieces today, basketball games are still seen at fairs. But most of these machines and toys have fallen into inevitable oblivion. Let us pay tribute to the curious, nostalgic, and students of the always healthy activity of playing. In NeoTeo we also wrote a similar article, 10 years ago: Video games before video games.
Clues found of Greater Adria, a lost continent beneath the Mediterranean mountains: Geologists from several countries, investigating all the mountain ranges from Spain to Iran in detail for ten years, have found evidence of the existence of the lost continent of Greater Adria, a piece of continental crust the size of Greenland, which once separated from North Africa and sank into the earth's mantle beneath southern Europe.
Astronauts Manage to Create Cement in Space: The experiment to create cement in space was carried out by astronauts on the International Space Station. It was part of the Microgravity Cement Solidification Research project (MICS). "On missions to the Moon and Mars, humans and equipment will need protection from extreme temperatures and radiation. And the only way to do that is by building infrastructure in those extraterrestrial environments," explained Aleksandra Radlinska, principal investigator of the project and civil engineering professor at Pennsylvania State University.
Chernobyl, what was the total number of victims of the nuclear disaster?: According to the officially recognized death toll, only 31 people died as a direct result of Chernobyl, while the UN estimates that 50 deaths can be attributed directly to the disaster. Brown's research, however, suggests that the Chernobyl disaster was much worse.
The mysterious death of Chung Ling Soo: On the night of March 23, 1918, the public filled the Wood Green Empire, as in previous days. The theater posters announced the show of the well-known Chung Ling Soo, as they had been on previous days. The beautiful posters outside the theater announced the show of the famous Chung Ling Soo, the "wonderful Chinese magician". For 20 years, no matter where he performed, people flocked to see this man from the Far East.
When animal rights activists play into the hands (and increase the profits) of multinationals: The animal liberation movement has been fighting for decades to eliminate the more than necessary animal experimentation and unfortunately they have just achieved a victory, which far from being celebrated, will allow multinationals in the sector to save a lot of money on safety controls and even in the long run put many people's lives at risk.
Hong Kong and the rule of 'One country, two systems': Since the handover, Hong Kong residents have accused Beijing of overstepping its authority. The "Umbrella Movement" was a series of protests in 2014 that ended in more transparent elections for the city's chief executive. In early 2016, Hong Kong booksellers disappeared and "appeared" in police custody in China. And this year, protests are taking place over a proposed law to allow extradition to mainland China.
Videos
Microsoft the Musical, pressing hot, the last inhabitant of Epecuén, a rhino charging, oxyacetylene explosions, Legend of Zelda music on marimba, FIFA penalties from 94 to 19, The Imperial March by the Empire, the year 1999, drone through roller coaster, dog helps make sandwich, a unicycle, Star Trek music on a Tesla coil theremin, traveling at 10620 kph, two corgi puppies fighting, the best cosplay of DRAGONCON 2019, friendly hummingbird, Minecraft 2019 super photorealistic, "Home Alone" super violent, Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child on Gayageum, spaghetti madness, how to defend yourself from a sitting guy, realistic cakes, does the great "Fast and Furious", how to paint with water, and the shorts Hedgehog’s Home, The Escape and Martha The Monster.
Galleries
The best photos of the world in 2019, the monsters of Charles W. Stewart, the New York subway during 1980 and 1984, the funniest animal photos of 2019, the model with giant eyes, competitive pillow fights, wildlife photographs, astronomy photography winners, behind the scenes of cool photos, Carandini illustrations, the Fukushima exclusion zone, the Animated Dump and the Visual Dump.
https://old.neoteo.com/creepypasta-scp-022/Hey, you made it to the end alive! Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.
