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.
Massive underwater volcano expected to erupt this year as risk to life explained
(Emma Rosemurgey on LADBible, Jan 2026) “A huge underwater volcano located around 300 miles from the coast of Oregon in the US is very likely to erupt this year. Experts previously warned Axial Seamount, one of the most active submarine volcanoes, could erupt as early as late 2025, however this turned out not to be the case. Now, scientists believe the volcano is likely to erupt by mid to late 2026, which isn’t actually as scary as you might think. Axial Seamount is located on a divergent plate boundary of the Juan de Fuca Ridge and it’s already pretty active, having previously erupted in 1998, 2011 and 2015 that we know of, though it’s possible there could have been more. Now, a research associate at Oregon State University has confirmed Axial has gone through a period of high seismicity and steady ground inflation caused by magma rising below the seafloor, which means an eruption is fairly imminent…”
The Most Disgusting Foods in the World
(from the Disgusting Food Museum)- “After running the Disgusting Food Museum since 2018, we have developed a strong sense of what is disgusting and delicious. With 20 000 visitors per year to the Malmö Disgusting Food Museum, that means a lot of interactions with visitors and getting their take on what is disgusting. In the tasting bar our visitors can try out about 20 items for themselves, we have seen reactions ranging from delight to outright vomiting. In fact, at the time of this writing, 108 vomits have occurred in the Disgusting Food Museum, from people from all over the world… Below is the foods that we believe are among the most nasty foods, the most disgusting foods, in the world. All of these are or have been dishes on display in the Disgusting Food Museum. Below we will explore some food taboos and what some might call weird food. If you want to see them yourself, you can buy tickets to the Disgusting Food Museum…”
New national law will turn large parking lots into solar power farms
Jo Borras in ElecTrek, Nov 2025
“Starting this month, parking lots in South Korea with more than 80 spaces will be required to install solar canopies and carports. But, unlike similar laws that have been proposed in the US, this new law doesn’t just apply to new construction – existing lots will have to comply as well! South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced in August that it has prepared an amendment… that all publicly- and privately-owned parking lots in the Asian country with room for more than 80 vehicles will be compelled to add solar panels to their lots in a move designed to proactively expand renewable energy and create more solar and construction jobs…”
How much difference would it make if we instituted rooftop solar in the US? Click here to see an analysis of the returns if we just did the WalMart parking lots!
Why not just put those homeless people to work?
(from Ground Score Association) “Ground Score’s G.L.I.T.T.E.R Program provides litter collection and tentside waste collection services for houseless camps across the Portland Metro Region. G.L.I.T.T.E.R.’s name was sourced by workers: it stands for Ground Score Leading Inclusively Together Through Environmental Recovery… G.L.I.T.T.E.R. formally employs 47 workers as of April 2025, at least 90% of whom are currently or formerly houseless… Since having started working for G.L.I.T.T.E.R., over 70% of houseless workers have become housed… Because of G.L.I.T.T.E.R., our team is able to provide life-saving support services, including stable income, digital equity training, CPR/first-aid training, de-escalation training, and resource navigation support—including support with re-entry into the formal workforce…” Learn more about G.L.I.T.T.E.R. and the Ground Score Association here.
