You can find some really fantastic handmade geeky crafts on Etsy (they do have a whole section called geekery), and one type I’ve noticed a lot of lately are scarves – probably because it’s cold outside! Though of course you can’t go wrong with emulating Doctor Who, here’s some you might want to snatch up – but be quick because Etsy goodies are often one-of-a-kind.
Friendship “Chemistry” Could be Biology
The idea that friends are the new family might go deeper than purely cultural patterns. A US study raises the possibility that genetics may contribute to who we do and don’t form friendships with.
James Fowler, an assistant professor at the University of California, San Diego, has previously looked into the way humans form social networks in “real life” as well as online. He decided to examine whether there was a genetic basis to those patterns by looking at two US studies that contain data both about the genetics and friendships of those tracked in the study.
Before going any further, it’s important to note that (even beyond the usual caveats of scientific research results), what Fowler found was far from conclusive. With four of the six genetic markers studied, there was no clear pattern at all.
However, the findings did show that people with the DRD2 marker, which is associated with a tendency towards alcoholism, were likely to form “clusters” of friendships with one another. Meanwhile people with CYP2A6, which has been linked both to the metabolism of nicotine, and openness to new ideas, tended to form friendships with one another.
How much of this pattern is genetic and how much is down to social behavior is hard to tell. For example, there’s certainly a strong argument that people who drink a lot are more likely to spend more time in bars and strike up friendships. Then again, those whose bodies are able to cope with heavy smoking should theoretically be less likely to make friends with each other according to the genetics, but in reality many smokers can form friendships through the common bond of being forced outdoors or to designated smoking areas.
The most interesting outcome of the research isn’t so much the specifics of the gene, but rather the wider pattern that it suggests: that people can be likely to form friendships not only with those who are genetically similar, but also those with genetic differences.
It follows on from previous exploration of whether the idea that “opposites attract” is purely a social phenomenon, or if there’s a genetic element to it. There is a theory that people susceptible to genetic conditions may be wired to avoid those who could be susceptible to the same condition, thus reducing the chances of passing it on to children.
(Image credit: Flickr user iDJs (CC))
Gas Mask Ring [Pic]
A cool-looking gas mask ring from Manillusion.com, complete with rubber hose and slave ring, for those of you who like… unconventional-looking jewelry.
Ten 80s Movies that Will Remind You of Your Geek Roots
For those of you who grew up at least in part in the eighties, you know that it wasn’t all about Molly Ringwald and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Though not all cinematic masterpieces, there were a lot of really fun movies that glorified the geeks of the day. Here are a few you could pick up for nostalgia’s sake – or especially if you missed the eighties, make sure you’ve seen these if you haven’t!
Weird Science (1985)
“That’s not a bad idea, making a girl.” Especially if she’s Kelly LeBrock. This movie is the geekiest of the John Hughes set, and shows us that all you need to create a hot girl in your bedroom is a hack into a government computer, a Barbie doll, and that ever-favorite plot device, a bolt of lightning.
Real Genius (1985)
Remember when Val Kilmer was one of the 10 greatest minds in the country? This movie was the best of both worlds – military conspiracy PLUS college life. And lasers.
Short Circuit (1986)
Ally Sheedy AND Steve Guttenberg? And a robot? Tick off the eighties check list! Plus this movie follows a great eighties tradition of Cold War related what ifs. In this case, what if a military robot gets hit by lightning and comes to life and is adorable? Way cuter than WALL-E.
Space Camp (1986)
Raise your hand if this movie made you want to go to space camp. (I didn’t actually go, but I wanted to.) Plus, more robot friends! Every kid in the eighties wanted a robot, except for those who wanted an alien after watching E.T. (Also did you know the kid in this movie is Joaquin Phoenix?)
The Last Starfighter (1984)
I actually don’t remember the exact plot of this movie except that it was about a teenage boy who was recruited by aliens to fight in a war in space – because he was good at a videogame. Which is even better than having a robot friend, really. Also the CGI was really cutting edge for the time.
WarGames (1983)
Because something we definitely learned from the eighties is that being good at videogames translates to, if not flying space ships, then controlling thermonuclear wars. Trivia: Wikipedia says this movie is credited for coining the term “firewall.”
The Wizard (1989)
The other thing you can do if you’re a kid who’s really good at videogames? Travel cross country, play in a championship, and debut Super Mario Bros. 3 to the world. Also remember how cool the Nintendo power glove looked in this movie? Imagine if we could have given that kid a Wiimote.
Flight of the Navigator (1986)
Yet another kid abducted by aliens and yet another awesome robot-ish friend. Actually this one kind of made me want to go to space camp too.
Tron (1982)
This one doesn’t really need much comment. A cult classic, Tron showed us what a “computer genius” movie can really be. And it’s a real shame that even after the recent release of the sequel, it’s really hard to get your hands on the original.
Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
I don’t really need to comment on this one either, do I? I mean, it’s Revenge of the Nerds. It’s Robert Carradine and Anthony Green in the most awesome fictional geekfrat ever. The sequels are pretty awful but this one is definitely a classic. Also I can’t seem to hear “We Are the Champions” without thinking of this movie.
So what was YOUR favorite geek movie of the eighties?
Gaming: Opening Doors to Other Worlds Since 1958
This short video, titled “The History of Gaming”, was created as a university project by a team of game design students from Munich. The goal of the project was to cover various eras of video game history in video format. Apparently, the whole thing was filmed in just a single shot, but it took a total of 45 takes to finish, meaning that the team had to restart filming everything each time they messed things up.
One Rat Short [Video]
Written and directed by Alex Weil from creative design studio CHRLX, One Rat Short is an amazing 3D animation featuring a common city rat which, because of his appetite, gets trapped in a high tech rat lab. The movie won multiple awards, including the Best of Show award at the SIGGRAPH 2006 Computer Animation Festival.
[Vimeo]
The Best Skin Care Cream of All Time [Pic]
Acid Drive: Engage! [Video]
There’s a new technology being tested on TNG’s Starship Enterprise: The Acid Drive!
Cloning Scientist Takes on Mammoth Task
Cloning sheep was scientifically impressive, but not that visually impressive. Cloning mice had research value, but created footage that was a little freaky at best. But using cloning to get an elephant to give birth to a woolly mammoth? Now that’s science you can see.
This isn’t the plot of another Jurassic Park sequel, but a project by a Japanese professor who believes he has a “reasonable chance” of success before the decade is out. Akira Iritani of Kyoto University plans to take tissue from a Russian university’s mammoth carcass, extract the nuclei from the cells, and use this to replace the nuclei in an elephant egg cell. The resulting embryo will be inserted into the uterus of an elephant.
The basic concept isn’t new: a project in the 1990s aimed to revive the extinct mammoth in the same way, but experienced problems in extracting suitable tissue from the frozen carcass. Iritani will now use a technique developed by Teruhiki Wakayama, who in 2008 cloned a mouse from cells frozen 16 years earlier, to identify healthy cells from the tissue before it is thawed.
Even if all goes to plan, it will be a lengthy process. Once the extraction is taken care of, it will take an estimated two years to prepare the embryo. Once the elephant becomes pregnant, the gestation period means the resulting animal won’t be born for another 22 months.
If the project does succeed, the main purpose will be to study the resulting mammoth in the hope of discovering more about how it became extinct. Iritani says there’ll need to be discussion about whether the mammoth should be further bred, and whether a public display (of the mammoth, not of the breeding) is appropriate.
The technique won’t, however, be of any use for bringing back dinosaurs. Having died out “only” around 5,000 years ago, there are still suitably preserved mammoths from which to work, an option that isn’t available for dinosaurs.
New Game Of Thrones Trailer: Let the Game Begin! [Video]
HBO has just released an awesome new Game Of Thrones trailer featuring a few shots of the series’ famous Iron Throne. Check it out:
[Via Topless Robot]