When a 767 Runs Out of Fuel
Wednesday, January 17th, 2007
In 1983, a Boeing 767 ran out of fuel at 40,000 feet. The pilots managed to glide it to a safe landing.
Link: http://www.teamdan.com/…
(via digg)
Link #2: http://en.wikipedia.org/…
Archive for the 'Cool Stuff' Category
2006 Darwin Awards
Sunday, January 7th, 2007
The 2006 Darwin Awards are out. Taking the top prize were two college students who suffocated inside a large, helium-filled balloon (repeat after me, “helium is not oxygen”). Runner-ups were (1) an electrician who used copper wire to fly a kite, which subsequently touched a power line, and (2) a man who used a sledgehammer to take apart a rocket-propelled grenade.
Using Iodine To Raise IQ
Friday, December 22nd, 2006
An interesting article on efforts to iodize salt in developing countries. Apparently the added iodine has a significant boosting effect on the IQ of children.
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/…
(via digg)
Drunken President
Tuesday, December 19th, 2006
This hilarious Mad TV clip had me laughing out loud. It was so good that I watched it twice. The language is coarse and NSFW, but it was suitable for nighttime television.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/…
Perceptual Blindness
Tuesday, December 19th, 2006
At about 2:45 into this video, the speaker (Michael Shermer) begins a short test. It’s worth taking. Leave any thoughts in the comments.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/…
(via Neatorama)
Hiking China’s Huashan Mountain
Monday, December 18th, 2006
“Climbing Huashan is a game for the brave.”
Link: http://www.bond-diamonds.com/…
(via digg and Neatorama)
The Perpetual Staircase
Wednesday, December 13th, 2006
This video shows what happens when a man gets trapped on a perpetual staircase (made famous by M.C. Escher, but officially known as Penrose stairs).
The movie is called “Hallucii,” and there is a related web site. If the YouTube video doesn’t work, Hallucii can be downloaded or watched at the official site.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/…
Using Echolocation To “See”
Saturday, December 9th, 2006
This blind teenager can sense his surroundings via echolocation, much like the comic-book character Daredevil. He’s good enough to win at foosball, and can even play video games.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/…
(via Neatorama)
Drilling A Square Hole
Wednesday, December 6th, 2006
As weird as it may sound, there exists a drill bit that creates a square hole with slightly rounded corners. I tried to find a product page, but the company (Watts Brothers Tool Works) does not appear to have a web site. The bit is an example of a Reuleaux triangle (highly-technical explanation here). The linked article has a very nice animated gif that shows how it works, and the picture for this post shows a cross-section of the actual drill bit.
Link: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/…
(via digg)
Eerie O.J. Simpson Prediction
Sunday, December 3rd, 2006
The linked video is a short clip from the very first Chris Rock Show back in 1997. Towards the end, Chris almost perfectly predicts O.J. Simpson’s book, “If I Did It.” Simpson’s book and television special were both cancelled, after receiving international attention. But that didn’t keep advance copies of the book from being listed on eBay (and subsequently de-listed).
Link: http://www.youtube.com/…
(via digg)
How Hard Vacuum Affects Humans
Wednesday, November 29th, 2006
I’ve always wondered just how accurate Hollywood is in its depiction of people exposed to the vacuum of space. The short answer is that you have about 10 seconds of lucid thought/action, and you can survive if pressurized oxygen is restored within about two minutes. And, no, you don’t explode.
Ultraman Hits 40
Monday, November 27th, 2006
For those like myself who are old enough to remember the original Ultraman series from the late 60s/early 70s, here’s a history of the the franchise. While not that popular in the US, it’s still going strong in Japan. I have fond memories of the original series and recently got a chance to see it on DVD—man is it bad!
Link: http://slashdot.org/…
(via Slashdot)
