So it turns out that Hollywood archery isn’t historically accurate. (Surprise, surprise.) As it turns out, however, a lot of modern archery is far from being as developed as it could be too. This guy has studied historical depictions of archery and recovered a few lost archery skills.
Splitting an arrow in a target is now for noobs. This guy can split an incoming arrow in the air. Don’t try this at home.
This post is not intended to be inspirational (just in case someone thought it would be). This is about those stupid little things that you are “good” at. So I ask, what’s your superpower?
Mine? Probably being cold. That’s right, my superpower is being cold. I can be cold when no one else in the room is cold. I can be cold when everyone else in the room is hot. I’m really good at being cold. Ergo, superpower. I never said it was a good superpower.
My fingers and these icicles are approximately the same temperature 90% of the time.
And at least I don’t have one of the awful “super powers” from the TV show Haven (a good show, btw).
Haven: Home of the Worst. Superpowers. Ever.
My boyfriend has a cool superpower though; he can move with uncanny silence. He isn’t trying to sneak up on people, but for some reason, we never see or hear him coming. He must have a ninja superpower (he denies this).
How if I had a choice in my superpower, I would choose teleportation. Just saying. In case anyone out there is handing out legit superpowers.
What about you, readers? What’s your superpower? What superpower do you wish you had?
I don’t usually go for stuff like this, finding these videos more awkward and embarrassing than funny, but this one is hilarious. Watch this dashboard cam as a policeman sings the entirety of Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” – you can’t hear him, but they synced up the song perfectly.
I like it at 1:16 where you see him suddenly go all composed and give a curt nod and wave to someone off-camera.
I love seeing people just plain having fun. No pretense, no self-consciousness, just someone doing something that feels good.
I was always sorry when I told my roommate that I could hear him singing in the shower (he was hilariously atrocious), as he never did it again. Just have a little fun! No one minds, and it might make them smile too.
Science has done it! We have invented a technology that will allow us to climb anything!*
*One day, maybe.
In actuality, they’ve created gecko-feet-inspired climbing pads that can allow you to scale a vertical glass wall. Want to imitate Spiderman? Invest in some of these.*
*I don’t know if these are or ever will be for sale.
IFLS explains the science behind it as simply and comprehensively as only IFLS can (see link above). Essentially, instead of using one large suction device (as they attempted in the past), they’re using a multitude of little ones. As we’ve discovered with science in the past, bigger isn’t always better.
Scientists hope that this technology will help astronauts in space in the future, although DARPA plans to give it to their soldiers.
So what do you think, readers? Want some gecko pads for some free climbing? Or would you rather stay on the ground like me?
Dreams. No one really knows why we dream, but everyone has an opinion. Do they mean something or are they just garbage our brain is trying to process and throw out?
Here’s a nice summary of scientific thought on dreams:
Honestly, I’ve always thought dreams are more like garbage. I rarely remember my dreams, and when I do, they’re incoherent and nonsensical. And yet… every so often I’ll have a dream that I find myself wanting to attribute meaning to. Friday night I had a dream that I packed a bunch of stuff into my Jeep (including my cat) and drove off. I wound up visiting some relatives on their farm as my first stop to driving across the US.
Now where did that come from? I have a little turbulence in my life right now (some good, some less good), but I haven’t been giving holiday or travel (or even running away) any kind of thought lately. And yet the feeling of wanting to move, to just pick up and go, stuck with me powerfully for a few hours after waking up. I found myself wondering what it meant.
Why do we do that? Why do we try to attribute meaning to dreams? As I mentioned before, most of my other dreams are “dead flies and bits of fluff,” garbage that my brain is filtering out and throwing away.
And of course, not everyone shares my “garbage” view of dreams. Historically speaking, all kinds of meaning has been ascribed to dreams across all kinds of cultures (think oracles and prophets especially). Is this just a sign of human beings desperately trying to make sense of the world around us?
What do you think, readers? Have you had any (or many) dreams that you’ve sought or found meaning in? Do you think dreams are meaningful? Share your thoughts!
Well, time for a general update. I am planning on getting the next book, Fire Within, published this year (the sooner the better!) Edits are underway, and I’m hoping this book will take far less time than the last.
That being said, it’s already looking like this year is going to bring a lot of life changes for me. Some changes will be good, many are unknown, and some are less desirable. Writing, working, and playing all need to be balanced for life to go on in a sustainable fashion. Such is true for all of us, and as much as I wish things were a little more stable, I know I’m still incredibly blessed. In the meantime, it’s back to hunting for that day job to pay the bills until my writing pays off.
Now, I’ve never been one much for New Year’s Resolutions. Not officially, anyways. Life is a constant journey towards self-betterment, and although the reminder (in the form of the new year) is nice, the whole thing has become a little too cliche for me. I have my goals and I work towards them. I don’t need a formal list.
But what about you, dear readers? Do you do resolutions? I know some people really like them! Any big changes coming for you? Share in the comments!
Today, in creepy science news, we have electric eels and the latest from DARPA. Turns humans aren’t so clever for creating remote-controlled stuff.
(Some people are less creepy about it. DARPA’s new stuff is at least as unnerving as this. Keep reading.)
Electric eels, it turns out, can create electric currents to locate and then immobilize prey. It goes like this: the eel swims along, looking for food. Every so often it sends out a little pulse. When the pulse hits a fish all silent and hiding, the fish involuntarily jerks. The eels senses the movement. Before the fish can escape, the eel sends out a bigger jolt that freezes the fish’s muscles so it can’t swim away.
I can think of some uses for an ability like that… mostly the second one. Check out the link at the top for more details and a cool video.
In more human news, DARPA has finally created target-seeking bullets. These bullets can literally change direction mid-flight to adjust its course and hit its target. Not intimidating at all. For all the paranoid folk out there: you can no longer count on inclement conditions or long distances to keep you safe from sniper bullets. These bullets will find you. They will find you.
Ahem.
So hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, without to much stress and at least one cool present.
So what do you think is creepier? Natures version or ours? Or are you super awesome and know about these things already?
Stephanie Beavers 