The Incredible Discoveries of Ian J. Spector

Yes, there is a World Armwrestling Championship.

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:06:06 -0500

Yes, there is a World Armwrestling Championship.

curiositycounts: Remix footage of the world’s first helicopters...

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:02:28 -0500

curiositycounts:

Remix footage of the world’s first helicopters using samples from the British Pathe archives (via)

Just got an early rendering of my next book’s cover…...

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:18:00 -0500

Just got an early rendering of my next book’s cover… What do you think?

"The patty will be much like a regular quarter-pounder — but with one big difference: This one will..."

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 02:54:06 -0500

“

The patty will be much like a regular quarter-pounder — but with one big difference: This one will be created by growing bovine stem cells in a vat, transforming them into thousands of thin layers of beef muscle cells, mincing them into tiny pieces, then combining the bits with lab-grown animal fat to form a lump of meat the size of a golf ball.

If Post and his colleagues succeed, it would mark a technological triumph after years of working to improve upon the current, millennia-old method for making meat. Researchers in the field say the livestock industry in its current incarnation is too energy-intensive and land-intensive for a global population that’s rising in numbers and affluence.

”

- $330,000 lab-grown hamburger due out this year

Fat American science? Crazy Japanese science? Evil German science? Nope … it’s Dutch.

One Taiwanese airline seems to really like Hello...

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:09:00 -0500

One Taiwanese airline seems to really like Hello Kitty.

“The boarding passes, baggage stickers, luggage tags, headrest covers, pillows, tissues, paper cups, utensils, toiletries (soap dispensers and hand lotions), food (meals and ice cream), and aprons of flight attendants of the three planes—named ‘Apple Jet’, ‘Global Jet’, and ‘Magic Jet’—are all decked out in the kawaii cat’s images.”

via DesignTaxi: For Airborne Cuteness, ‘Hello Kitty’ Themed Airplanes

Swingset + Kinect + Software + Projector = Starfield

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:36:21 -0500

Swingset + Kinect + Software + Projector = Starfield

It’s like a Daily Show segment on Planned Parenthood, but...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:51:00 -0500

It’s like a Daily Show segment on Planned Parenthood, but for real.

Remember those crazies who got national attention for protesting against Krispy Kreme and their “pro-choice donuts?” Krispy Kreme offered a “free doughnut of choice” to every customer on Obama’s inauguration day. This group responded to a company JUST TRYING GIVING AWAY DELICIOUS DOUGHNUTS with this:

“The unfortunate reality of a post-Roe v. Wade America is that ‘choice’ is synonymous with abortion access, and celebration of ‘freedom of choice’ is a tacit endorsement of abortion rights on demand.”

Well, I’m pleased to announce that the American Life League is back with some good-ol’ conservative ignorance and I’m pretty sure they’ve outdone themselves with this, uh, video presentation about Planned Parenthood. If you’re missing new Colbert Report, you’ll get your fix here. Just remember that unlike Colbert, these guys are for real.

AMA approves updates to CPR instructions for 2012.

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:24:35 -0500

AMA approves updates to CPR instructions for 2012.

We can all agree on doing laundry. (via)

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:39:00 -0500

We can all agree on doing laundry.

(via)

This aired on Fox Business?

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:55:10 -0500

This aired on Fox Business?

Requiem for a Dream (in 60 seconds…with puppets) You can...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:20:39 -0500

Requiem for a Dream (in 60 seconds…with puppets)

You can vote for it in the Vancouver Virgin Radio Fake Film Fest here.

Every Apple design ever (ish) in 30 seconds

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:02:57 -0500

Every Apple design ever (ish) in 30 seconds

My son is doing a research paper on Chuck Norris for his High School English Class due to the popularity of your Chuck Norris Facts. Why did you decide to write the Chuck Norris facts. What made you choose him as your subject? Are they based on his movies or his real life or both?

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:32:27 -0500

Your son should be doing this research, not us! He’s welcome to email me with any questions: ijs (at) ianjspector (dot) com. He may also find this video to be helpful.

"A little while back, some airports introduced those whole body scanners – the ones where you stand..."

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:29:00 -0500

“

A little while back, some airports introduced those whole body scanners – the ones where you stand with your hands over your head and the machine takes an image of your body to rule out the presence of weapons, explosives, etc. Given all of the threats from shoe bombers to liquid bombers that have made it through traditional metal detectors, I thought this was a good idea. More monitoring to insure my safety is a good thing. But the outcry from the libertarians and the privacy crowd was deafening. It was newsworthy for weeks. All kinds of concerns about TSA agents peaking at one’s body profile, etc.

So imagine my surprise when I talked on the phone the other day with folks from Unique solutions. They use the exact same technology in the shopping mall to allow consumers to create a clothing size template that is unique to them. Armed with that scan information, you can go to certain merchants to buy highly customized clothing of a fit that is unique to you. When I heard about this, I wondered how widespread it is, but right after the phone call I saw one of these in a mall near my home. Consumers are flocking, apparently. No complaints from the privacy crowd on this one. Who’d a thunk it? Essentially the same scan. Same risks best I can tell (couldn’t an errant employee view your scan?). But no outcry.

”

- From Context is Everything. A great read on how reusing technology in a different setting can get people to enjoy getting a full-body scan.

"Despite their important implications for interpersonal behaviors and relations, cognitive abilities..."

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:49:41 -0500

“Despite their important implications for interpersonal behaviors and relations, cognitive abilities have been largely ignored as explanations of prejudice. We proposed and tested mediation models in which lower cognitive ability predicts greater prejudice, an effect mediated through the endorsement of right-wing ideologies (social conservatism, right-wing authoritarianism) and low levels of contact with out-groups. In an analysis of two large-scale, nationally representative United Kingdom data sets (N = 15,874), we found that lower general intelligence (g) in childhood predicts greater racism in adulthood, and this effect was largely mediated via conservative ideology. A secondary analysis of a U.S. data set confirmed a predictive effect of poor abstract-reasoning skills on antihomosexual prejudice, a relation partially mediated by both authoritarianism and low levels of intergroup contact. All analyses controlled for education and socioeconomic status. Our results suggest that cognitive abilities play a critical, albeit underappreciated, role in prejudice. Consequently, we recommend a heightened focus on cognitive ability in research on prejudice and a better integration of cognitive ability into prejudice models.”

- Bright Minds and Dark Attitudes: Lower Cognitive Ability Predicts Greater Prejudice Through Right-Wing Ideology and Low Intergroup Contact

Click above for the HTML link or download the PDF.

If Guys Wrote Valentine’s Cards

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:26:55 -0500

If Guys Wrote Valentine’s Cards

Pinnacle Vodka: “Paper or Plastic” Commercial (Or,...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:11:34 -0500

Pinnacle Vodka: “Paper or Plastic” Commercial

(Or, “This is what happens when you drink our vodka before going to the supermarket.”)

Just a Little Heart Attack (Directors Cut)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:58:41 -0500

Just a Little Heart Attack (Directors Cut)

DJ Schmolli - Super Bowl Anthem There have certainly been...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:52:26 -0500

DJ Schmolli - Super Bowl Anthem

There have certainly been more cleverly named track titles, but this is definitely a solid download for your weekend playlist. You can get the MP3 too.

One track, all this inside:

LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
Madonna - Celebration
Europe - The Final Countdown
Queen - Another One Bites The Dust
House Of Pain - Jump Around
Reel 2 Real - I Like To Move It
Tag Team - Whoomp (There It Is)
The Vinyl Rippers - Rapper’s Delight (Sugarhill Gang cover)
Labrinth ft. Tinie Tempah - Earthquake
MC Hammer - U Can’t Touch This
Queen - We Will Rock You
Metallica - Enter Sandman
White Stripes - Seven Nation Army (A capella cover)

The politically incorrect guide to a career in film Click to...

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:27:00 -0500

The politically incorrect guide to a career in film

Click to zoom.