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!
The Microscopic Masterpieces of Willard Wigan
Sure, Einstein, who doesn’t love Einstein? But look closer and realize what you’re seeing. Look at the silver frame Al’s leaning against. Your eyes aren’t deceiving you… that’s the eye of a needle! That’s right, this sculpture of Einstein was created by hand, under a microscope, between the heartbeats of Willard Wigan. From his website: “As a school boy, Willard found both reading and writing did not come naturally to him. At that time Autism, Dyslexia and learning differences were not accepted or recognised. Told by his school teachers that he would amount to nothing, he was used as a warning to others what academic failure looked like. Whilst hiding at home from the world that taunted him, he discovered his hidden talent and began a new journey to greatness…” We invite you to join Willard and see how the smallest things can become everything.
How many people can the Earth handle?
from BBC Future– “On the uncannily specific date of 15 November 2022, the United Nations has predicted that there will be eight billion humans alive at the same time – up to 800,000 times as many as there were [70,000 years ago]. Fast-forward [to today] and our once-obscure species of hairless ape has undergone a population explosion, colonising nearly every habitat on the planet and exerting our influence on even the remotest corners… So is the world overpopulated currently? And what might the future hold for the global dominance of humanity? The debate over the ideal number of people on the planet is as fractured and emotionally charged as ever – but time is running out to decide which is the best direction…”
A petri dish of brain cells just learned to play Pong
(from ScienceAlert.com)- “How many brain cells does it take to play a video game? There’s a real answer, thanks to a neural network system called DishBrain. If the game is Pong, the number of brain cells is around 800,000. This is the first synthetic biological intelligence experiment that shows neurons can adjust their activity to perform a specific task – and, when provided with feedback, can learn to perform that task better. It’s pretty amazing stuff, with potential applications in computing, as well as studying all sorts of brain stuff, from how drugs and medication impact brain activity to how intelligence develops in the first place…”
(You’ll also like “Lab-grown brain cells play video game Pong” by BBC.com)
Cincinnati fights back against Corporate Landlords
(from NPR)- “The owner of the homes is The Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, known as The Port. It’s run by Laura Brunner, who says she was shocked last year when her staff discovered — after months of digging — that institutional investors own at least 4,000 houses in the county. Most of those houses were bought for cheap after the 2008 housing crash, then turned into rentals. This national trend picked up pace through the pandemic, with institutional investors buying a record share of single-family homes — more than a third of sales in some cities.…”
