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!
A Giant Spider is coming to Sellwood Community House… bring the kids!
Sellwood- The Sellwood Community House is doing their part to save Halloween in CovidWorld. Their “Trick or Treat” all week is going on now through Friday, but it’s possible their finale for Thursday’s Spider Day could use some rethink… they’re bringing in a giant spider for a “Petting Zoo” with the kids. You may have seen this monstrosity rampaging through Monster March or OMSI, but this is a chance to see it (or to avoid seeing it) up-close. Natasha, the only Arachno Giganticus in captivity, will be at SCH from 3-5p on 10/29. Bring the kids to get their spooky spider rings, and to find out exactly what could go wrong when a 10’ tall armored and venomous engine of death romps with YOUR child!
The diabolical ironclad beetle can survive getting run over by a car. Here’s how.
from ScienceNews– “The diabolical ironclad beetle is like a tiny tank on six legs. This insect’s rugged exoskeleton is so tough that the beetle can survive getting run over by cars, and many would-be predators don’t stand a chance of cracking one open. Phloeodes diabolicus is basically nature’s jawbreaker. Analyses of microscope images, 3-D printed models and computer simulations of the beetle’s armor have now revealed the secrets to its strength. Tightly interlocked and impact-absorbing structures that connect pieces of the beetle’s exoskeleton help it survive enormous crushing forces. Those features could inspire new, sturdier designs for things such as body armor, buildings, bridges and vehicles…”
Is a Portland/Vancouver Ferry on the way?
KATU2.com– The group pursuing a possible commuter ferry between the Portland metro and Vancouver is shedding more light on how it would run along the Willamette and Columbia rivers. The Friends of Frog Ferry planning team just finished its feasibility study and finance plan. The ferry would run from Vancouver to Oregon City with 9 total stops. The study looked at the route and the kind of vessel that would be necessary. It also estimates that 3,000 people a day would take the ferry…” KATU story continues here Friends of Frog Ferry’s website is here.
Oregon’s last coal plant closes… 20 YEARS EARLY!
from The East Oregonian– “Since 1980, the Boardman Coal Plant has produced reliable energy capable of powering 500,000 homes. But keeping the lights on has come at a cost. The plant can burn up to 8,000 tons of coal a day, making it the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state. That production — both of energy and emissions — will come to an end in just a few months. The PGE-owned facility, the last coal plant operating in Oregon, will close by the end of 2020. About a third of the electricity used in Oregon will still be created by out-of-state coal, but Boardman’s closure will mark the end of an energy era…“
