The Urban Sherpa - a blog by Christopher DeWan

(little doses of strangeness to liven up your day...)

The Urban Sherpa keeps a collection of stories and curios filed under Mythic Proportions.

In Other News...

I can't write everything! Here's a collection of interesting news and tidbits from around the known universe. It has its own RSS feed!

1. You Need Phosphorous to Live -- and We're Running Out

Peak phosphorus doesn't get a lot of buzz, but maybe it should.

2. Subway to introduce 'singles cars' to help commuters find love

Trains won't be the only ones hooking up anymore! The Prague public transportation system hopes the change will draw new customers, too.

3. You'll never look at parenthesis the same way again.

Whoops. The poster for Lars von Trier's new film has a lot in common with the new logo for the CFB Playoff.

4. People Getting Dumber? Human Intelligence Has Declined Since Victorian Era, Research Suggests

Our technology may be getting smarter, but a provocative new study suggests human intelligence is on the decline.

5. Steve Jobs’ Dream Device Has Arrived

And it's made by Microsoft. Meet the Xbox One.

6. Tornado Survivor Finds Dog During TV Interview

While the camera rolls, a woman discovers her dog alive in the rubble.

7. Topless Woman Strolls Manhattan

"It's to raise awareness that it's legal for a woman to be topless anywhere a guy can be without a shirt since 1992 here in New York state."

8. This Is What Baseball Looks Like In the Lowliest Minor Leagues

If you build it, they will come, is a quintessentially American idea, a koan-like expression of confidence in hard work and faith in providence.

9. EXPOSED: Angelina Jolie part of a clever corporate scheme to protect billions in BRCA gene patents, influence Supreme Court decision (opinion)

I love a good conspiracy theory. I don't know if this is a good one, but it is an interesting read....

10. Is This Virtual Worm the First Sign of the Singularity?

Meet OpenWorm.

11. Netflix Adultery Afflicts Half of Relationships

In a study of 2000 American adults, 12 percent confessed to watching ahead on TV shows they were supposed to save to watch with their partners.

12. Why You're Addicted to TV

The way they hook us.

13. Iranian Scientist Claims to Have Built "Time Machine"

Ali Razeqi says his time machine uses complex algorithms to see the future.

14. Cicada Recipes: Bugs Are Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Food

Blanched, boiled, or candied, cicadas are a healthy snack, experts say.

15. 'Bloodbath' Day at Village Voice: Musto, Sietsema, Feingold Out

Going forward, the Voice will just be a bunch of prostitution ads with no articles at all.

16. What Can We Learn from Denmark?

Something's refreshing in the state of Denmark.

17. The major sea change in media discussions of Obama and civil liberties

The controversies over the IRS and especially the AP phone records appear to have long-lasting effects

18. Scientists Clone Human Embryos To Make Stem Cells

The accomplishment is a long-sought step toward harnessing the potential power of embryonic stem cells to treat many human diseases. But ...

19. Let Me Tell You All About My Narcissism

How do researchers determine whether a generation thinks highly of itself?

20. How Chris Hadfield Made Us Care About Astronauts Again

Somehow, over the years, leaving our planet to occupy the heavens became ordinary.

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