Just like it says, Popcorn Shorts is about the kind of things we think are really interesting, but don’t really need a large article to explain them. From the sublime to the ridiculous, check in here for crunchy bits of info you’ll love to munch. By the way, much (but not all) of our delicious Popcorn comes from articles we’ve posted on our Facebook page. If you’re on Facebook, please stop by and “Like” us and we’ll keep a fairly-constant-but-not-frequent-enough-to-be-annoying stream of these coming to your virtual door!
Science Geekery Gets Very Real
All spacecraft must carry reaction mass (propellant) with them. According to Issac Newton they have to, because in a vacuum there’s nothing for a propellers or jets to function. But NASA has been testing a new electrically powered concept engine that develops thrust solely from electricity, requiring no propellant at all. It shouldn’t work, but tests are showing that it does, and guess what else? An unexpected side effect is a “warp field” that lets light move faster than Einstein said it should. It’s a long way from the Enterprise, but as Spock would say, it’s… fascinating.
Blatant Lies About Traffic Laws
Imagine you’re driving a truck, pulling a trailer with your friends sitting in it. You’re barefoot, wearing headphones, and steering with a “suicide knob”. You make a U-turn and the police officer following you pulls you over. Can you be ticketed for any of this? If you’re black and driving in most major cities, the answer might tragically be yes, but none of these things are actually illegal. No one actually reads the traffic laws, we pick it up from friends, family, movies, or news. Turns out this may not be the best place for legal advice, as this article from Jalopnik proves…
Bernie Sanders Enters The Race
If you don’t know Bernie Sanders, you’re about to. This month, the socialist (that’s right, a REAL socialist) Senator from Vermont entered the race for the Democratic nomination for President. Bernie, a weekly guest on the Thom Hartmann program, is a plainspoken, insightful, and down-to-earth advocate for the middle class and against the top 1%. On the first day of his campaign he raised $1.5 million, with an average of $43.54 each. Bernie may not have a chance to beat Hilary, but he’s going to be (and already has been) a huge factor in the race. Stay tuned!
Best Oregon Waterfalls
Looks like the beautiful weather may be here to stay, so it’s time to get out and enjoy our Oregon paradise. Few things offer such great opportunities for hot-weather fun as our gorgeous Oregon waterfalls, so please let us suggest several of the best waterfalls across Oregon. Click here for waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge, here for the Gorge to North Umpqua, here for the Coast Range, here for the Umpqua and Rogue rivers, and here for 7 waterfalls in the Eugene, Cascades, and Coast. Great weekend road trip idea? Waterfall tour. Get started!
