Popcorn Shorts
Cool stuff that’s too small for a big article
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 necessarily 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!
How to push start a car… and why you can’t do it with an automatic
from Jalopnik.com– “If you’ve ever wondered how you can start a car without using the starter motor, allow me to demonstrate the art of the “push-start,” also called the “bump-start” or “roll-start.” It’s a way to use the motion of a car to fire up its engine. Here’s a look at how this joyful automotive pastime works, and why you can’t push-start a vehicle with an automatic transmission…”
Details that really would have mattered.
from TheImperfective.com– “For some reason, symmetry drives our brains crazy. If things are out of line it tends to stop us in our tracks and annoy us to no end. The funniest thing of all is that these little annoyances that are done by either us or others can really get to us. Usually, the people who screw up the most are the ones who of course had one job and one job only. Whether it is drawing a straight line of keeping things symmetrical, these people know how to screw up, big time. This being the case, here are annoying finds found by annoyed people…”
This ship is NOT sinking!
The Navy’s Floating Instrument Platform (FLIP) is 300’ long. If it doesn’t look that long in the picture that’s because about 220’ of it are under water… yet it’s not sinking! One of the coolest things we’ve randomly run across. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography- “FLIP, is not a ship, but a 355-foot-long research platform that can be deployed for oceanographic research… Normally docked with Scripps’s fleet in San Diego Bay, FLIP can be towed to out to sea in its horizontal position and then “flipped” 90 degrees so that 300 feet of its length are under water. This turns FLIP into a “spar buoy,” a tall, thin, weighty structure designed to be uniquely stable and resistant to wave motion…”
How to turn your backyard into a certified wildlife habitat
from The Optimist Daily- “One third of insects are classified as endangered and this is in large part due to habitat loss. Fortunately, there are ways you can help support all types of wild animals using your very own front yard. Transforming your garden into a Certified Wildlife Habitat is a great goal for families looking to have a real impact on conservation. So how can you turn your yard into a wildlife habitat? Thsee steps were created by the National Wildlife Federation and center around critical habitat components like food, water, and shelter… “
