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!
30 Things That Will Disappear From The Auto Industry By 2030
Do you remember when your highbeams were controlled by a foot switch? Can you still drive a stick? If so, you’ve seen a lot of changes in the auto industry already. There’s more on the way with the rise of electric vehicles, self driving technologies, and even personal drone tech. Here’s a look at 30 more changes coming to transform an industry near you…
There Maybe Could Possibly Be a Treasure Buried Under Portland, Oregon
from AtlasObscura.com– The archives of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library in Portland house many treasures—but only one honest-to-goodness treasure map. “It is an odd thing,” says research services manager Scott Daniels of manuscript number 2039, a scrap of creased and stained tracing cloth kept in the library’s climate-controlled vault. Unfolded, the document is 6 inches tall and 18 inches wide, covered from edge to edge on one side with long strings of blunt capital letters written in blue pencil, and a crude map sketched in blue and yellow. On the far left, there’s a port with a building topped by a tall spire on its shore. And on the right, there is a barn and two slashes that seem to be gravestones. In black ink, someone has written “MONEY”—highlighting two separate caches of $3,000 each. In February 1862, when the map seems to indicate the treasure was buried, $6,000 would have been a fortune, several years wages for the average worker.
How to Legally Dispose of Old Tires
from LifeHacker.com- “Thanks to regularly scheduled garbage pickup, we’ve gotten used to the idea that if we want to throw something out, we can just pop it in trash bag or can, put it out on the curb, and on a designated day of the week, sanitation workers or waste disposal companies whisk it away. But as it turns out, there are certain rules that cities and private companies have in place dictating what they will and won’t accept. In fact, in many states, it’s illegal to dispose of particular items via your regular trash collection—including old tires. Here’s how to get rid of them legally…”
17-Year-Old’s Electric Motor Design Could Transform the Electric Car Industry
from SmithsonianMagazine.com– “Robert Sansone is a natural born engineer. From animatronic hands to high-speed running boots and a go-kart that can reach speeds of more than 70 miles per hour, the Fort Pierce, Florida-based inventor estimates he’s completed at least 60 engineering projects in his spare time. And he’s only 17 years old. A couple years ago, Sansone came across a video about the advantages and disadvantages of electric cars. The video explained that most electric car motors require magnets made from rare-earth elements, which can be costly, both financially and environmentally, to extract. The rare-earth materials needed can cost hundreds of dollars per kilogram. In comparison, copper is worth $7.83 per kilogram.…”
