STUFF: News, Technology, the cool and the plain weird

[MIKA27]

Wonderful Prank Gives Housekeeper The Home She Was Supposed To Clean

Those make-good-stuff-happen pranks are getting crazy. After turning a waitress’ shift into the best day of her life, the people at Break decided to give away a house to Cara Simmons, a housekeeper and single mother of three. But first, they made her believe the new house was actually her new workplace.

In fact, the prank was for the entire family: They believed that the whole thing was only a nice day off for Cara. They were blown away when they discovered they got a new house that will be theirs for life.

[MIKA27]

This Ultra-Compact Support Lets You Shoot Hands-Free With Your iPhone 6

The iPhone 6 and iOS 8 make it impossibly easy to shoot timelapse and high-speed footage using just your phone. But while the boxy design of the iPhone 5 meant it could be stood on its edge for hands-free shooting, you unfortunately can’t steady the curvy iPhone 6 that way. Lots of companies have announced tiny tripods and folding cases to help solve that problem, but none seem as elegantly simple and straight-forward as the MOS Kick.

You can’t really call the Kick a tripod since it doesn’t have even a single leg, but it provides similar functionality while being far more slim and compact. They say the best camera is the one you actually have with you, which is more often than not our smartphones these days. And that same sentiment goes for a tripod, particularly if you’re someone who likes to experiment with long exposures and time-lapse videos.

Made from metal so it’s durable and heavy enough to serve as a counterweight for even the largest phones and phablets, the MOS Kick features a simple knob-adjusted clamp that’s lined with soft foam so it can securely hold onto almost any make and model of mobile device. And you can insert your device facing either forward or back for hands-free photography or video calls.

The MOS Kick has a standard tripod screw mount so if you do happen to be carrying a set of sticks you can finally use it with your smartphone of choice. And if that’s not added value enough, one corner of the Kick is notched so it serves as a bottle opener — giving you yet another reason to carry it with you everywhere.

If you’re sold on the idea, the MOS Kick is starting life through a Kickstarter campaign this morning that’s attempting to raise $US25,000 to fund a production run. The first 250 backers can pre-order a Kick for $US25, with the final price tag being closer to $US30 when it’s available sometime in January of next year. But if you’re hesitant about backing it, don’t be. The folks behind the MOS Kick already have a great track record when it comes to making their other creations a reality, without cutting corners on what they have promised just to get something out the door. [Kickstarter - MOS Kick]

[MIKA27]

The Very Beginning Of NASA's Next Mars Lander

One of the things that fascinate me the most about mechanical things is how they build them, especially the very first steps in the process. NASA has released this photo of the first assembly step of their next Mars lander. It seems like some lost part from a Celestial designed by Jack Kirby.

Technicians in a Lockheed Martin clean room near Denver prepare NASA’s InSight Mars lander for propulsion proof and leak testing on Oct. 31, 2014.

[MIKA27]

Tony Hawk Dominating On A Real Hoverboard

After years of waiting, the world finally has a a hoverboard. It’s hard to ride! Here, Tony Hawk shows us how it’s done.

Last week, we caught wind that Tony Hawk was taking the Hendo hoverboard for a spin, and today, we’re finally seeing the full-length video shot by The Ride Channel.

Even one of the greatest skateboarders of all time finds the hoverboard strange at first.

MIKA: The beginning of a great technology IMO can be used for loads of stuff for the future

[MIKA27]

How WWII Made Rock Climbing Safer

The leader must not fall.

That was once the rule of rock climbing. Still is, to some extent—falling's never a good thing, when you're suspended high above the ground. But in the early years of rock climbing, when teams of climbers were inventing new gear and scaling vertical faces that no one ever had, the stakes were higher. The ropes that climbers used, made of manila or hemp, were relatively weak and often could not withstand the force of even a short fall.

If the leader fell, the rope could snap. Or worse, it could drag the rest of the team down—and then snap. The mountaineer G.D. Abraham wrote in 1916: "The parting of a rope to which a climbing path is tied…is a frequent accompaniment of an accident. Yet this generally means the leader has fallen, and but for the breakage of the rope the rest of the party must have been dragged down."

In the early years of the sport, rock climbers eschewed most technology. They might wedge pitons (metal spikes) into the rock—but some thought even that amount of help diminished the accomplishment. But as the sport became more popular, more climbers started using more gear. By the 1910s, a team of German climbers had developed a more modern system of pitons, carabiners, and belay ropes.

It wasn't until after World War II, though, that the rules really changed. In 1934,a DuPont company scientist, Wallace Hume Carothers, had discovered a substance that was named "nylon," and by the 1940s, militaries were using the material to make ropes and training their soldiers to use those stronger, better ropes to help scale mountain ranges quickly.

After the war, serious rock climbers started experimenting with nylon ropes, too. They were certainly stronger than the old ropes—but it had some disadvantages. Nylon tended to melt, for instance, when friction heated it. In the 1950s, though, a German company created "kernmantle rope"—a layer of woven fibers protecting the stronger core of nylon ropes inside.

Finally, the leader could fall without serious risk. (But that still doesn't mean it's a good idea. Especially in ice climbing.)

[MIKA27]

BBC Video Shows UFO as Sightings Increase Over UK

What is drawing UFOs to the United Kingdom? Over the past month there have been some credible sightings, complete with photographs and videos, of UFOs in various shapes and sizes. Is Stonehenge sending signals? Is London hosting a real Miss Universe pageant? Let’s take a look and see if we can determine the cause.

On October 8, two fast-moving UFOs were spotted behind a reporter during a BBC news report from Walton-on-the-Naze. The crafts made some nice air show maneuvers before flying off in the same direction. For some strange reason this video didn’t appear on the Internet until recently. Enlarged photos discount speculation they may be birds or drones. No comments have been made by the BBC or any authorities in the area.

Giedre Misiunaite spotted a color-changing circular UFO the night of November 14 over Liverpool. She says it changed colors from bright blue to red to amber while making some unusual flight patterns.

It was bright blue and then it was staying still – like it was floating – and then it went really, really fast backwards and forwards. And then it went amber and then red. Then it just stood still and then disappeared but it came back about 10 minutes later. I’m sure it wasn’t a plane, it was 100 miles too fast for a plane.

Geidre believes others must have seen it but no other reports have surfaced nor have any comments from authorities.

Moving to Middleton, Manchester, John Hindley says he felt a “pulling sensation” on the morning of November 7 that dragged him to a third-floor window where he saw a saucer-shaped UFO over the Pennines mountains about two miles away. Hindley took a picture with his cell phone and says the oval-shaped object with outboard lights remained motionless for a half hour before disappearing. With the lights appearing so close together, this one doesn’t look like a drone or Chinese lantern. Again, no official reports from authorities on this sighting.

Magnified view of UFO taken in Manchester.

Three very different recent UFO sightings over the UK, one that may have used some sort of mind control to pull a man to come and see it. Are aliens congratulating us for landing on a comet? Or sending a warning? Any ideas?

[MIKA27]

Hilarious Prank Sees Guy Blowing Girls Clothes Off By Sneezing

Tastefully done and very very funny, this skit sees YouTube prankster Roman Atwood innocuously sneezing as he walks past two girls posing for a photograph.

As he does so, WHOOSH! Off fly their clothes, revealing nothing more than some skimpy underwear underneath. Everyone is on the prank, apart from the unsuspecting member of the public taking the photo.

Their reactions are priceless, from total embarrassment for the girls and the situation itself through to fit of giggles and laughter. It takes mere seconds for them to suddenly realise that for the average passerby, it looks as if they're seemingly photographing two half-naked women!

[MIKA27]

Eastern Ukraine Braces for ‘Full-Scale War’

Ukrainian soldiers are on edge and artillery barrages continue. With Russian troops and tanks crossing the border, how long can this ‘ceasefire’ hold?

DONETSK, Ukraine—There was a deep growl of artillery and Grad rocket bombardment in the distance, but it didn’t have any heads turning in the center of Donetsk. People here are used to the rumble of a fight that has raged since the summer around the city’s airport on the outskirts and their swift steps homeward seemed more to escape the freezing cold than dictated by fear.

On the outskirts of the city, though, the guards were nervous at the four Ukrainian government checkpoints we had to navigate to enter Donetsk from the west. In the dark, the soldiers and volunteers shifted their weapons uneasily as they peered into cars and trucks to scan faces and documents. Vehicles that failed to switch off headlights rapidly enough as they approached in the darkness incurred a single warning shot and then a string of curses.

“You are a foreigner!” a peeved checkpoint guard blurted at me after letting off a round in anxious protest at my laggardness. And then he angrily waved me through.

While documents were checked laboriously at the government checkpoints, on the pro-Russian separatists’ side there was a wave-through policy from guards sporting “New Russia” flashes on their uniforms. They weren’t as jittery. Nor was there any jumpiness among separatists dressed in camouflage or casual black clothing as they drank in the downstairs bar of the Ramada hotel surrounded by heavily made up young women with snake-like eyes perched at nearby tables.

Few doubt here that something is afoot. There is an air of anticipation about the Russian military build-up in recent days and the sending of reinforcements by the Kiev government to bolster defenses against a possible redoubled offensive. “They are preparing and we are preparing,” says a young government soldier from the nearby city of Dnipropetrovsk.

But the calmness in rebel-held Donetsk on Sunday night suggested no big push is planned in the next few hours, at least. A nighttime curfew that was imposed a few weeks ago seems barely enforced now—no doubt to the relief of the women at the Ramada. But for most people in Donetsk there is nowhere to go in the evening with most restaurants and bars closed.

Things were worse a few days ago, with mortar attacks on Debaltseve that killed two Ukrainian soldiers and wounded five more, according to Ukrainian authorities. But Donetsk is quieter now, and journalists who have started returning to the disputed eastern Ukrainian city are now debating whether the build-up on both sides amounts to another stare-down between adversaries or if a larger fight is in the brewing.

Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko, appears in no mood to accept the loss of the Donbas region. Late Saturday, he issued a decree he hopes will bring the people of the industrial region to their senses: ordering the withdrawal of all state services, including funding for hospitals and schools, from rebel-held areas by next weekend. He has also ordered the central bank to cut the separatists off from Ukraine’s banking and credit-card system.

And if anyone thought this was an abdication and a letting go of the unruly region they need to think again. In the decree, he asked the country’s new parliament to revoke a law granting self-rule to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions—in effect rescinding September’s “special status” law granted under a ceasefire allowing the two mainly Russian speaking eastern region some autonomy.

The National Security Council recommended Poroshenko revoke the special status law following the November elections in the separatist Luhansk People’s Republic and Donetsk People’s Republic—polls that broke the conditions of the Sept. 5 Minsk ceasefire agreement. That ceasefire allowed for local elections in Donbas in December, but under Ukrainian supervision..

The separatist polls amounted to a direct challenge to Kiev’s authority. But the decision now to sever economic ties with the eastern regions was a surprise—and a gamble.

Russian President Vladimir Putin pounced quickly Sunday, denouncing the economic blockade of the Donbas. But he also saw it as a gift, arguing that the move to sever economic ties with rebel-held areas and to stop funding local public services won’t help locals trust Kiev. “I don’t understand why Kiev authorities are cutting off those territories with their own hands. Well one can understand—to save money,” he told journalists in Australia covering the G-20 summit. The Russian leader suggested Kiev is breaking a “moral obligation.”

Some worried Ukrainian critics are mounting the same argument against the high-risk move aimed at pressuring the region’s ordinary people to throw out the bespredelshchiki (“reckless, amoral men”), as some Ukrainians dub the Kremlin-backed separatists. The critics fear that it will have the opposite effect, as most locals who disapprove of the insurgency have long fled the Donbas, leaving either diehard supporters behind or those too poor or old to go. Pensioners especially are likely to react with anger to the ending of public services.

[MIKA27]

The NFL Runs on Piles of Painkillers

Football is so brutal that the league is accused of doling out dangerous amounts and mixes of narcotics to keep players in the game. Now even the DEA is concerned.

On Sunday, according to ESPN, Federal Drug Enforcement agents conducted “surprise inspections” of multiple NFL teams, including the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers, as part of an ongoing investigation into the use, or rather the misuse, of prescription drugs.

A source explained to ESPN that “the inspections were motivated by allegations raised in a May 2014 federal lawsuit, filed on behalf of several prominent NFL players, who allege team physicians and trainers routinely gave them painkillers in an illegal manner to mask injuries and keep them on the field."

The two teams listed above weren’t explicitly targeted. A law enforcement official told the Washington Post that, “the investigation focuses on practices across the 32-team league, including possible distribution of drugs without prescriptions or labels and the dispensing of drugs by trainers rather than physicians.”

This unannounced visit by the feds didn’t result in any NFL employees being trundled off in chains, mind you. "Our teams cooperated with the DEA today and we have no information to indicate that irregularities were found,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said.

Well, that’s technically true, but regardless of Sunday’s events, the idea that there are no “irregularities” when it comes to prescription drugs and the NFL is laughable.

Oh, you haven’t heard of this particular stain on pro football’s record? It’s certainly understandable, what with the still-unresolved questions about Commissioner Roger Goodell’s possibly willful blindness with regards to the Ray Rice tape, the shocking images of Adrian Peterson’s battered toddler, or the growing public awareness that vast majority of retired players will suffer some form of debilitating brain disease in their lifetime.

And that’s before we even get to lesser scandals, like the fact NFL’s breast cancer awareness month is a massive boondoggle, the Geisha-like treatment of cheerleaders, and the strip-mining of the public coffers to finance stadiums.

The question then is, after decades of treating everyone that pulls on a helmet and pads like so much disposable meat, could this be the scandal-du-jour that proves to be the tipping point? Will the viewing public come to realize that football isn’t really an All-American national pastime, but more closely resembles a bloodsport that leaves an ever-growing list of casualties in it’s wake?

The short answer is, no. It won’t. Despite all of the negative press and worse behavior over the last few months, attendance is at a five-year high, and television ratings are holding steady.

As to the painkiller lawsuit that got the DEA sniffing around, it is headlined by a slew of former members of the storied 1985 Chicago Bears, including quarterback Jim McMahon, Hall of Fame defensive end Richard Dent, and approximately 1,300 additional plaintiffs. They allege that for decades, the NFL "intentionally, recklessly and negligently created and maintained a culture of drug misuse, substituting players' health for profit" by doling out highly addictive narcotics without prescriptions, at dangerous dosages, often recklessly combining or “stacking” anti-inflammatory drugs with painkillers and other opioids while failing to notify the players of the potential risks and future negative health impacts—whatever was necessary to get an injured or impaired player on the field.

As current ESPN commentator and former Washington offensive lineman Mark Schlereth told the Washington Post in 2013: “I would strap a dog **** to it if I thought that would make me feel better,” he said. “Bottom line is, I’d do whatever I have to do. Have I had Toradol shots? Yes. Have I abused anti-inflammatories? Yes. Have I used painkillers? Yes. Have I got shot up with painkillers and Xylocaine and different things to numb areas so I can play? Yes. I’ve done it all.”

Of course, even if the lawsuit itself hasn’t resulted in bold-font headlines, the idea that NFL players have to be heavily medicated in order to play isn’t exactly news. In 2011, a study by the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine found that:

• Fifty-two percent of the retired players said they used prescription pain medication during their playing days. Of those, 71 percent said they misused the drugs then, and 15 percent of the misusers acknowledged misusing the medication within the past 30 days.
• Those who misused prescription painkillers while playing were three times more likely to misuse the drugs today than those who used the pills as prescribed while playing.
• Sixty-three percent of the retired players who used prescription pain pills while playing obtained the medications from a nonmedical source: a teammate, coach, trainer, family member, dealer or the Internet.

If you’re asking yourself why a team would practice such shoddy and potentially criminally liable so-called medicine, well, you’re getting to the problem that’s at the heart of pro football: the league is not financially incentivized to keep its employees healthy over the course of their lives. The players themselves are faced with the no-win choice of taking whatever pills are put in front of them, not asking questions—or, in the case of former tight end and wide receiver Nate Jackson, not even being allowed to see his own medical records—or risk being cut and/or branded as a “troublemaker.”

Football is an abattoir, and what happens to the minds and bodies of athletes once they’re no longer able to play isn’t the NFL’s concern. When ex-players start getting litigious and recounting horror stories of addiction and ongoing health problems, they’ve got more than enough financial clout to make their problems go away. That’s the air-tight game plan that the NFL ran to score a big win in the recently settled concussion lawsuit. Not only were they able to avoid admitting any culpability or legal responsibility, they’re pretty much indemnified against future claims.

As Patrick Hruby wrote at VICE Sports: “As currently written, the settlement isn't designed to help hurting former players. To the contrary, it's designed to save the NFL as much money as possible, to the tune of billions of dollars of potential brain damage liability. If the deal goes through, many sick retirees won't get paid. Most of those who do will receive minuscule sums.”

So if you happen to read glossy press releases from the league declaring that this “reaffirms the NFL's commitment to provide help to those retired players and their families who are in need,” try not to roll your eyes

I spoke with Hruby to get his take on this particular brush with the law and what it might mean for the painkiller suit moving forward. He explained that NFL’s recent request to have the case dismissed is a “shell game. They’ll say that the teams are the ones who are responsible for medical care, so we’ll throw them under the bus, then the doctors, and finally the players union. Anything to keep it out of the league office.”

The two cases are further linked by the fact that, as Hruby wrote last August, “the [concussion] settlement's vague, expansive language indemnifying the NFL from future lawsuits could be interpreted to cover the painkiller cases, too.”

That said, an investigation by the DEA does pose a risk should actual criminal charges arise. The process of discovery and airing of the league’s dirty laundry—even though, yes, we’ve seen a great many soiled skivvies recently—could potentially cause “the public to realize that the real performance enhancing drug problem in football isn’t necessarily steroids and HGH; it’s painkillers,” he said.

“And these drugs aren’t even performance enhancing, they’re performance enabling. Basically, we wouldn’t have pro football if these guys weren’t pumped full of painkillers like racehorses. Without them, it would be impossible to play. You’d have to triple the size of the rosters and possibly put forth an inferior product.”

That, of course, would end up costing money, and now we’re back where we started. As long as the NFL remains a money-printing machine, they’ve got more than enough in their war chest to bury litigants or buy them off. That’s far more profitable in the long run than actually devising a system that somewhat lessens the amount of harm the game itself causes, and so there’s zero motivation for them to alter the way they do business.

[MIKA27]

ISIS: We Have a Drone

Unmanned aircraft are crowding the skies over Iraq. Now ISIS says they’ve got one of their own—a drone they took from Iran.

ISIS fighters in Iraq are bragging about an Iranian drone they claim to have captured.

Social media accounts associated with ISIS have been posting photos of the unmanned aircraft since this morning, claiming it was shot down in the Iraqi province of Diyala. The drone shown in the photos is “100% not U.S. or NATO sourced,” according to Christopher Harmer, an analyst with the Institute for the Study of War. Harmer added the drone “looks very similar to an Iranian Mohajer-4.”

The drone’s existence inside Iraq points to Iran’s role in the country and its ongoing clashes with ISIS forces.

Iran has played a central role inside Iraq since before ISIS’s rise and has been helping direct military operations inside the country. In addition to influencing the government and backing Shia militias in Iraq, Iranian drones—alongside those belonging to the U.S. and other members of the American led coalition—have patrolled Iraq’s skies since the early summer.

If ISIS did capture the Mohajer-4 this morning, it’s not the first time they’ve grabbed the equipment their foes. Recently, ISIS forces in Syria grabbed American arms shipments meant for their Kurdish opponents. It might not even be the first Iranian drone that has fallen into the militant group’s hands recently. The Twitter user @green_lemonnn who follows “news and analysis of Syrian civil war, Iraq insurgency & related subjects,” pointed to other recent photos of downed Iranian drones that have shown up in areas where ISIS clashed with Tehran-backed forces.

Harmer noted that “ISIS has shown the ability to shoot down Syrian Air Force fixed wing and helicopters; they are capable of shooting down drones.” But he added that the “suspicious lack of damage to the airframe,” indicates the drone might have crashed rather than been shot down.

What ISIS can do with the drone, assuming one is in their hands, is an open question. Without the proper equipment to repair and operate the Mohajer-4 it may be more of a photo prop than a piece of weaponry. If ISIS gets its hands on “an intact command and control unit, it is possible they could use [the drone] once or twice but unlikely that they could effectively employ it,” Harmer said. “In the unlikely case that they could control a Mohajer,” Harmer said, its “most likely use would be as a suicide drone flown into a high value target.”

MIKA: HA! ISIS bunch of d**ks IMO. Reminds me of this...

[MIKA27]

2015 ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH CARBON EDITION

Aston Martins hardly need any extra features to distinguish themselves, but that hasn’t kept the British automaker from indulging in some extravagance with the 2015 Vanquish Carbon Edition.

Sculpted from aerospace-engineered carbon fiber, this all-black (or all-white) beauty features black window surrounds, special brake calipers, a set of 10-spoke alloy wheels finished in gloss black, quilted-leather upholstery, a Bang & Olufsen audio system, and more carbon fiber than you’ve ever dreamed possible. There’s even an Aston Martin badge machined from a single block of the stuff. There aren’t any performance upgrades, but when you’re already working with a 6.0-liter, V-12 engine that produces 568 horsepower, 465 pound-feet of torque, and a blistering 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, there’s no need to tinker. Expect to pay in the neighborhood of $300,000 if you want one of the most unique rides in the world. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

BRYAN CRANSTON READS “YOU HAVE TO F*CKING EAT”

If you’ve ever been in charge of a toddler who found every food item not called mac & cheese to be a ghastly affront to their taste buds, you know the frustration that can ensue at dinnertime. It’s almost enough to whisk you away to Obscenity Town. Hey, why not let Bryan Cranston drive you there instead?

The Emmy Award-winning star of Breaking Bad has provided his voice for author Adam Mansbach’s newest children’s book for adults, You Have to ******* Eat. Will your kid get the point when Walter White is telling them “The sun rise is golden and lovely. The birds chirp and twitter and tweet. You woke me and asked for some breakfast. So why the f—k won’t you eat?” Let’s hope so. The audiobook is a follow-up to Mansbach’s international best seller, Go the **** to Sleep with Samuel L. Jackson doing the honors. [Download]

[MIKA27]

CANDLEWOOD CABINS

Had enough of the hectic city life? Looking for a place to reconnect with nature? Check out Candlewood Cabins, a natural get-a-way experience in Wisconsin. The unique getaway retreat is hidden deep in the Ocooch Mountains, surrounded by nature, and offers several cabins that come with all the comforts of home, and are filled with simple pleasures, such as enjoying a wood-burning stove, a soothing bath, cozy up to the fire, or simply star gaze. A magical place that leaves the stress of daily life far behind...

You sit here with your Cigar and drink

[MIKA27]

BREITLING CHRONOSPACE MILITARY WATCH

Sporting a black look that's more special ops than general infantry, the Breitling Chronospace Military Watch is ready to keep time on your next mission. At its heart is a SuperQuartz chronograph caliber that's ten times more accurate than ordinary quartz movements, allowing it to offer a 1/100th of a second chronograph with split times, dual timezones with Coordinated Universal Time, and a countdown timer across its two NVG-compatible backlit screens. A black steel case, rugged, military-style fabric strap, and a black steel mesh bracelet complete the set.

[MIKA27]

The Fascinating Differences Between Men And Women Astronauts In Space

NASA and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute have published a new research paper detailing how space flight affects “cardiovascular, immunological, sensorimotor, musculoskeletal, reproductive and behavioural implications” on men and women. Here are the highlights.

• Orthostatic Intolerance, or the inability to stand without fainting for protracted periods, is more prevalent upon landing in female astronauts than in their male counterparts. One possible reason for this observed difference in orthostatic intolerance between the sexes is reduced leg vascular compliance, which was demonstrated in bed-rest studies — which is a ground analogue for spaceflight.
• Women have greater loss of blood plasma volume than men during spaceflight, and women’s stress response characteristically includes a heart rate increase while men respond with an increase in vascular resistance. Still, these Earth observations require further study in space.
• The VIIP syndrome (visual impairment / intracranial pressure) manifests with anatomical ocular changes, ranging from mild to clinically significant, with a range of corresponding changes in visual function. Currently 82% of male astronauts vs. 62% of women astronauts (who have flown in space) are affected. However, all clinically significant cases so far have occurred in male astronauts.
• Changes in function and concentration of key constituents of the immune system related to spaceflight have been reported. However, differences between male and female immune responses have not been observed in space. On the ground, women mount a more potent immune response than men, which makes them more resistant to viral and bacterial infections; once infected, women mount an even more potent response. This response, however, makes women more susceptible to autoimmune diseases. It is not clear if these changes on the ground will occur during longer space missions, or missions that involve planetary exploration (exposure to gravity).
• Radiation presents a major hazard for space travel. It has been reported that female subjects are more susceptible to radiation-induced cancer than their male counterparts; hence radiation permissible exposure levels are lower for women than men astronauts.
• Upon transition to microgravity after arriving at the International Space Station (ISS),female astronauts reported a slightly higher incidence of space motion sickness (SMS) compared with men. Conversely, more men experience motion-sickness symptoms upon return to Earth. These data were however not statistically significant, due both to the relatively small sample sizes and small differences in the incidence of SMS reported by the men and women astronauts.
• Hearing sensitivity, when measured at several frequencies, declines with age much more rapidly in male astronauts than it does in female astronauts. No evidence suggests that the sex-based hearing differences in the astronaut population are related to microgravity exposure.
• The human musculoskeletal response to gravity unloading is highly variable among individuals and a sex-based difference was not observed.
• Urinary tract infections in space are more common in women and have been successfully treated with antibiotics.
• There is no evidence of sex differences in terms of behavioural or psychological responses to spaceflight. Analysis of ISS astronauts’ neurobehavioral performance and sleep measures showed no sex or gender differences using the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) of alertness and Visual Analogue Scales of workload, stress, and sleep quality. Since all all astronaut candidates undergo a robust process of psychological screening and selection, the likelihood of an adverse behavioural health condition or psychiatric disorder is greatly diminished.

Although there are a lot of differences, at the end one thing is clear: Both men and women are pretty much screwed up when it comes to long stays in microgravity. We evolved to walk on Earth, not to be weightless in space. You can read the paper here.

MIKA: NOTE - Click on the picture to expand it

[MIKA27]

Turn Your Unused MicroSD Cards Into Invisible Extra MacBook Storage

Sticking an SSD drive inside the MacBook Air helped Apple create one of the sleekest laptops you can buy. The tradeoff was limited storage, since SSDs don’t boast the same capacity as regular hard drives at any sort of sane price. Thankfully, there’s also an SD card slot you can use to boost your MBA’s storage, but instead of grabbing one of those expensive trimmed SD cards to sit flush inside, consider Brando’s cheap microSD adaptor instead.

When inserted into your MacBook Air the adaptor sits almost completely flush to the edge, with just enough of a lip to make it easy to remove. And it’s just $US10, since it comes without any storage, but there’s a good chance you’ve already got a couple of unused microSD cards floating around anyways. If you don’t, for around $US30 you can buy a 64GB microSD card which is a pretty cheap way to boost your MBA’s storage, without burdening yourself with an external drive. [Brando]

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This Wooden All-In-One Neo Geo Arcade System Is An Absolute Work Of Art

The last time we lusted over a cloned video game console it wasn’t some cheap plastic knock-off from Taiwan, it was the Analogue Nt, a perfect NES homage made from a solid block of aluminium. And now the Analogue Nt’s creators are back with a new creation that sees a classic Neo Geo arcade system elegantly packed into a slim wooden housing that looks downright beautiful.

Handcrafted from 100 per cent ash with a dark ebonised finish, the Analogue NEO features an original SNK MV1C motherboard which means the games aren’t emulated, authentic Seimitsu buttons and joysticks for two players, and all of the same features as SNK’s classic Neo Geo arcade cabinets.

But they’re now all packed into a considerably smaller housing that easily connects to both modern hi-def TVs (with component cables) as well as the old CRT still sitting in your parent’s basement.

The Analogue NEO can even use the Neo Geo’s original memory cards and game carts, of course, and should provide the exact same gaming experience you enjoyed back in the ’90s if you weren’t completely invested in Nintendo and Sega.

Indulging in a bit of nostalgia doesn’t come cheap this time, unfortunately. Analogue Interactive is only making 20 of the Analogue NEO consoles, and each numbered and signed unit will sell for a hefty $US1500. That being said, you also have to keep in mind your money is going towards a memento of a bygone era in gaming from craftsman who obviously put a lot of care into their work. And it doesn’t hurt that the Analogue NEO will look downright lovely complementing your entertainment center. [Analogue Interactive]

Ahhhh memories

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James Earl Jones Was Originally Paid $7000 For Voicing Darth Vader

If you can believe it, James Earl Jones was paid just $US7000 for doing the voice of Darth Vader in the first Star Wars film. That’s about $US26,000 adjusted for inflation, but still not anywhere near a huge payday for a major motion picture.

“I got paid $US7000 and I thought that was good money,” told the American Film Institute a few years ago.

So how much did Jones make for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi? He fails to mention those figures, but you can bet they were more than $US7000 each.

Don’t feel too bad for Jones. He’s now estimated to be worth about $US45 million. And if you haven’t heard the original on-set audio by English actor David Prowse, who played Vader in the suit, you should definitely listen to it now. It’s hard to imagine Vader being taken too seriously without Jones voicing the role.

Original Audio:

[MIKA27]

Aussie Architects Want To Build A Surf Park In Melbourne That Floats In The Ocean

Australia is home to some of the best surfing in the world, but at least a few surfer-slash-designers aren’t content to leave their city to find great waves — so they’re proposing an urban “surf park” right in the Melbourne’s harbour.

The idea for the Docklands Surf Park came from a group of young Melbourne architects who teamed up with the global engineering firm Arup to develop the idea. Their still-very-rough plan proposes building a park on the water in the city’s Docklands neighbourhood, where the harbour actually makes its way in towards the city center. As such, very little actual wave action reaches the formerly industrial wharf, but architect Damian Rogers wants to take advantage of the urban location by creating artificial wave action.

“To surf in Melbourne normally requires you to get in the car and drive all the way down to Bell’s Beach, and hour and a half away,” says Phil Carter, an urban and transport planner at Arup, who imagines people being able to take the train to surf after work. “The convenience of just surfing in the docklands is something we thought was really interesting.”

Rogers and Arup imagine a wave pool that functions much like other artificial surf parks — except it uses (filtered) ocean water and it floats in the harbour, next to a beach and an entertainment facility. According to The Age, the pool would create a 30m wide wave that would run the length of the 150m long enclosure.

Of course, this project is still very, very far from reality — it’s still just a figment of Arup and Rogers’ imaginations. Surfing mag Stab says that city officials have called the project “interesting”:

Arup are seeking funding from developers and potential operators rather than the government, but Melbourne City Council and Places Victoria would still have to approve construction. Both organisations have met with Arup, and a council spokeswoman said it was an ‘interesting concept’ if private funding were available. City Of Melbourne have yet to officially back the project.

Even if the project never gets built, it’s interesting to imagine a surf park as part of an urban downtown. And this is just one of a growing number of civic proposals that are attempting to make urban waterfronts more accessible — call it the Plus Pool effect.

MIKA: What a waste of space Docklands has been thus far. So much potential yet wasted. IMO this or something new either way would be of benefit to this area.

[MIKA27]

Rosetta's Lander Has Found Organic Molecules On A Comet

Philae, the probe that landed on a comet as part of the Rosetta mission, has detected organic molecules in the comet’s atmosphere. We don’t know exactly what the molecules are yet, but they could hold a key to early life on Earth. Hell, this is a big reason we sent Rosetta all the way to a lonely comet in the first place.

Organic molecules are any that contain carbon. We, being carbon-based life forms, are all made of such molecules. Past experiments have found that organic molecules can form on comets. In turn, scientists have suggested that comets may have brought those molecules to Earth, providing the raw materials for life to emerge on our planet.

The Rosetta team was expecting to find organic molecules on the comet, but didn’t — and, as yet, still don’t — know exactly what kind. It could be simple organic molecules like methane, which is not news. More exciting would be complex ones like amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Amino acids can be either left or right-handed, but the vast majority on Earth are left-handed. What we find on this comet could help us figure out the origin of amino acids on Earth.

To get a complete picture, scientists will need to analyse samples from beneath the comet’s surface too. One report says that the experiment to drill into the comet and analyse samples may have failed. We’re still very much in the process of piecing together the scene from 300 million miles away though. Philae may have gone dark, but scientists are working hard on analysing the data it sent back.

[MIKA27]

Working Aeroplane Transformed Into Perfect Loft Now Available On Airbnb

The latest marketing stunt from the Dutch airline KLM gives you the chance to spend a night in this aeroplane refurbished into a gorgeous loft. At first I thought that sleeping next to the runaway of one of the busiest airports in Europe sounded like a bad idea, but then I saw the pictures and changed my mind.

The plane is listed in Airbnb and will only be available on November 28, 29 and 30.

Of course, it has some house rules:

• No flying.

• Don’t use the inflatable emergency slide.

• Smoking is not allowed when the non-smoking sign is on.

• No marshmallow roasting with the jet engines.

• Please water our plants and feed our fish.

• The consumption of alcohol is not allowed.

• Please treat our plane like you treat your own plane.

[MIKA27]

This Is The Definitive Photo Of The Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko

All photos from space are cool, but this photo of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is simply masterful, the most spectacular of all the photos of the comet so far. Worthy of a Kubrick movie frame.

[MIKA27]

The World's Fastest Train Is Ready To Ride

http://youtu.be/e7UIJp0FKZQ

The world’s fastest maglev train, the 500km/h Series Lo prototype from JR Tokai, made its first public run on Saturday. One hundred lucky passengers took part in a 44km trip between Uenohara and Fuefuki… which took just five minutes to complete once the train got up to speed.

This, of course, is just the first in a number of test runs the company is conducting on its test track in Yamanashi Prefecture over the next eight days. Barring any setbacks, the blindingly fast locomotives — even speedier than the existing class of 320km/h bullet trains — will enter service between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027.

[MIKA27]

Here Are All 556 Asteroids That Bombarded Earth In The Past 20 Years

NASA has released a new map of every single asteroid that entered Earth’s atmosphere from 1994 to 2013. Although almost all 556 of the asteroids disintegrated harmlessly, this well splattered map shows us exactly how common asteroids strikes are and how often our atmosphere saves our skins.

This map from NASA’s Near Earth Objects (NEO) Program is based off of government sensors, and it is more complete than a previous map based off of instruments used to detect nuclear blasts. The largest dot is over Chelyabinsk, Russia, where a 9000-tonne chunk of space rock memorably exploded in 2013.

The heat and pressure of passing through Earth’s air breaks up the smaller asteroids whose paths collide with the Earth’s. But there are a lot of rocks slinging through space, big rocks too, and we aren’t doing a very good of tracking them.

[MIKA27]

Some Billionaires Want To Give NYC A $170 Million Park In The Hudson

Last month, Mayor De Blasio announced a push to fund green spaces in New York’s poor neighbourhoods. This probably isn’t exactly what he meant: very wealthy power couple Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg have announced plans to fund a giant park in the Hudson River.

Pier 55, as the proposed park is called, would sit on the current site of Pier 54, one of many crumbling remnants left over from New York’s maritime heyday. Back then, Pier 54 was a critical hub of port activity in NYC: the Cunard-White Star Line was based there, and was the port from which the Lusitania sailed. It was also the port where Titanic survivors decamped after reaching New York. But over the past half century, Pier 54 slowly crumbled into ruins — all that’s left now is the rusting steel facade and part of the pier.

Pier 55 would turn the rusty pier into a huge, glittering park funded by the IAC boss Barry Diller and his wife, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. It’s tough to call this a park, exactly: It’s more like an outdoor entertainment complex, with a 1000-seat amphitheatre and two other performance spaces, to be overseen by several prominent members of the theatre industry. The couple unveiled their plans yesterday in The New York Times, along with a concept design by the British architects at Heatherwick Studio — the same studio responsible for London’s proposed park over the Thames.

Of course, the word “park” implies public space, and this definitely isn’t a purely public project, although it will be public ally accessible: The NYT says Diller is putting up $US130 million of private cash for the project and agreed to pay for operations for 20 years. The city, meanwhile, will put up $US40 million.

The plan still has a ways to go: It has to go through a long approval process, and even though it’s designed to allow sunlight to filter down into the river below it to feed the sanctuary-status ecosystem, it could pose major environmental challenges to the river itself.

But otherwise the fact that two wealthy civic figures want to pay for it will go a long, long way towards making it real.