September 2016 – Page 18

September 26, 2016

Newsletter Item for (86612): DNA of Ancient Cats Traces the Path of Their Global Conquest

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DNA of Ancient Cats Traces the Path of Their Global Conquest

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Cats have been using humans for thousands of years.

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Animals

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DNA of Ancient Cats Traces the Path of Their Global Conquest

September 26, 2016

Newsletter Item for (86519): 13 Mummified Facts about Ötzi the Iceman

Headline:

13 Mummified Facts about Ötzi the Iceman

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In honor of the 25th anniversary of his discovery.

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Stones, Bones & Wrecks

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13 Mummified Facts about Ötzi the Iceman

September 26, 2016

Newsletter Item for (86518): Retrobituary: Patrick Manson, the Man Who First Linked Mosquitoes to Disease

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Patrick Manson, the Man Who First Linked Mosquitoes to Disease

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He was the first to figure out that irritating buzz could be a danger sign.

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Retrobituaries

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Retrobituary: Patrick Manson, the Man Who First Linked Mosquitoes to Disease

September 26, 2016

24 of the Most Banned Books of All Time

Shaunacy Ferro

filed under: books

Image credit:

iStock

“A book is a loaded gun,” Ray Bradbury famously wrote in Fahrenheit 451, and plenty of people seem to concur with the story’s book-burning Captain Beatty that certain works are just too dangerous to leave sitting around. Parents and library patrons regularly band together to demand that certain books be pulled from public shelves, citing a desire to protect readers from coarse language, sexual themes, or other perceived offenses. In honor of Banned Books Week (September 25 to October 1), take a gander at the infographic below from Readers.com, which features some of the most protested books ever published, according to the American Library Association.

Though the ideas presented in books like the Harry Potter series might not be quite as dangerous as some protesters would have you believe, a few kids’ books have actually had to be recalled for safety reasons—like the 1990s crib books, which mistakenly included straight pins left over from the manufacturing process.

Know of something you think we should cover? Email us at tips@mentalfloss.com.

September 26, 2016 – 11:30am

September 26, 2016

Kick Off the Week With Monday’s Best Amazon Deals

Smart Shopping Team

filed under: shopping

Image credit:

amazon / istock

As a recurring feature, our team combs the Web and shares some amazing Amazon deals we’ve turned up. Here’s what caught our eye today, September 26.

Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers, including Amazon, and may receive a small percentage of any sale. But we only get commission on items you buy and don’t return, so we’re only happy if you’re happy. Good luck deal hunting!

September 26, 2016 – 12:47pm

Amazon Product Id:

B00E3RH61W

September 26, 2016

Why Are Pancakes Always Round?

Matt Soniak

filed under: Big Questions, Food, food science

Image credit:

iStock

There’s a simple reason why pancakes are round: Because gravity is an excellent chef. Gravity pulls on fluid uniformly, so when a dollop of batter hits the griddle at a right angle, it gets tugged down into a round, symmetrical shape. Meanwhile, surface tension helps hold it in a perfect circle.

If you’re a nonconformist who prefers a Jackson Pollock–style lumberjack breakfast, toss the batter onto the griddle at an angle. Delicious Abstract Expressionism should result!

September 26, 2016 – 11:00am

September 26, 2016

Polaroid Introduces Instant, Touchscreen Franken-Camera

Jake Rossen

filed under: photography, technology

Image credit:

Polaroid

A number of manufacturers have been attempting to solve a puzzle that has plagued the digital camera industry since the smartphone came of age: how to convince consumers they need a separate device to take pictures.

Recently, Leica unveiled a series of colorful instant cameras that can develop film on the spot. The move was a fairly clear homage to Polaroid, which became world-famous for its instant camera and the ability to print stiff, distinctively gauzy photos on demand. Now Polaroid is attempting to outdo its competition with the Snap Touch, a camera that blends old-school features with the one must-have component of the modern day: a touchscreen.

Polaroid

Like the new Leica Sofort, the Polaroid Snap Touch comes in variety of snazzy colors. Unlike the Leica, users can opt for the 3.5-inch touchscreen instead of a viewfinder to frame their 13 megapixel photos. Prints will roll out on a 2-inch by 3-inch proprietary color photo paper that’s also waterproof. To further guarantee you won’t have to juggle devices, the Snap Touch can also shoot high-definition video.

For printing enthusiasts, the camera’s coolest feature may be analog in nature: photos are printed using Polaroid’s ZINK Zero, a process that uses heat to activate color crystals pre-printed on the paper.

The camera will retail for $179.99, with packs of paper starting at $9.99 for a 20-pack. Polaroid is now taking pre-orders

[h/t SlashGear]

September 26, 2016 – 10:30am

September 26, 2016

10 Game-Changing Facts About the Nintendo 64

Jay Serafino

filed under: Lists, video-games

Image credit:

Flickr/Bryan Ochalla

When the Nintendo 64 was released in the U.S. on September 26, 1996, it threw players into a whole new world of gaming. Complete with 3D worlds and 64-bit graphics, this mega console helped turn video gaming into the immersive medium it is today. To celebrate its 20th anniversary in the U.S., check out 10 facts about the Nintendo 64.

1. IT ALMOST HAD A DIFFERENT NAME.

While in development, the Nintendo 64 was codenamed “Project Reality,” but that was obviously never meant for mass consumption. The system did, however, have another name planned for consumers: Ultra 64. That was the working title for the system until the company learned Konami had the word “Ultra” trademarked for its Ultra Games division.

2. ON AVERAGE, GAMES WERE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THEY ARE TODAY.

$59.99 might sound like a steep price for a game today, but when the N64 was released, titles were actually substantially higher, averaging about $75 a pop when the system first came out. Not only that, but game prices weren’t as consistent as they are now, with some coming in at $59.99 and others (like Killer Instinct Gold) topping out at $79.99—and we’re not even adjusting for inflation.

3. IT LAUNCHED WITH JUST TWO GAMES IN THE U.S.

If you weren’t a fan of the Super Mario Bros. franchise, you were out of luck when the N64 first launched. Outside of Super Mario 64, there was only one other game available when the system first hit shelves: Pilotwings 64. That’s it. Eventual system-sellers like GoldenEye 007, Banjo Kazooie, WCW/nWo Revenge, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time were still a ways off in September 1996. In a bit of digital symmetry, the N64’s launch lineup almost perfectly mirrored that of the Super Nintendo’s, which included Super Mario World, the original Pilotwings, and F-Zero.

4. A PERIPHERAL ALLOWED IT TO GO ONLINE, BUT ONLY IN JAPAN.

Years before online gaming became the norm, Nintendo attempted to bring gamers together with the Nintendo 64DD—a peripheral disc drive that allowed players to interact via the Internet and play games, share creations, and socialize. Unfortunately, due to years of delay, the actual tech behind the 64DD was out of date by the time it became available for purchase, and company support quickly dwindled. It also didn’t help that it was only available in Japan, basically cutting its potential user base into a fraction of its potential.

5. NINTENDO HAD TO SELL MARIO PARTY WITH PROTECTIVE GLOVES.

The Nintendo 64’s controller was oddly shaped and difficult for some gamers to grasp at first, but the implementation of an analog stick is something that systems have been using ever since. However, that stick, despite being a logical leap forward for gaming tech, came back to haunt the company. After receiving complaints about injuries suffered while using the analog stick to play Mario Party, the New York Attorney General came to terms on a settlement with Nintendo to begin selling sports gloves to anyone who bought the title.

What type of injuries could a game controller inflict? Blisters, of course. During portions of the game that required players to move the stick at a rapid pace, people were reporting not only blisters but also puncture wounds, friction burns, and other injuries to the palms of their hands. To avoid an even messier situation, Nintendo agreed to provide worried customers with sports gloves if they called an 800 number. Though the title sold more than 1 million copies, the cost of the gloves bit into the profits for Nintendo; luckily for the company this problem wasn’t widespread, as they had received fewer than 100 complaints from parents over the years.

6. PEOPLE ARE ROUTINELY BEATING SUPER MARIO 64 IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS.

Super Mario 64 was a big deal for Nintendo in 1996: It revolutionized 3D game design and proved that simple mechanics can make the jump to a far more powerful console. The game’s impact was so huge that it’s still being played today—albeit by speed runners looking to get into the record book for the fastest completion time.

By memorizing each section of the game, and exploiting a few glitches here and there, players have found ways to complete Super Mario 64 in under two hours. As of right now, the record for the fastest time collecting all 120 stars in the game is one hour, 40 minutes, and 12 seconds.

7. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME WAS ALMOST A FIRST-PERSON GAME.

If you think fans were enraged when The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker gave the franchise a cel-shaded makeover, imagine how they would have reacted if Nintendo went ahead with its early idea of making Ocarina of Time from the first-person perspective. In an interview about the game’s development, designer Yoshiaki Koizumi said creator Shigeru Miyamoto toyed with the idea early on:

“Right. In the beginning, he had the image that you are at first walking around in first-person, and when an enemy appeared, the screen would switch, Link would appear, and the battle would unfold from a side perspective.”

8. THE CARTRIDGES KEPT CERTAIN GAMES FROM SEEING THE LIGHT OF DAY.

Nintendo’s insistence on sticking with cartridges over discs was seen by some as one of the charms of the company, but the reality was that the decision held the system back in countless ways. Simply put, discs on a system like Sony’s PlayStation could hold more data than cartridges, and while discs do require loading times (sometimes lengthy loading times for those who remember), you could pack more high-quality graphics, video, and audio into a game that way.

While Sony could release sprawling, technologically superior games like Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid on two or three discs, the N64 would have had to use numerous cartridges to fit the same game, which was incredibly cost-prohibitive and cumbersome. As the console wars raged on, this relegated the N64 to releasing first-party titles with simpler, more cartoonish graphics, while Sony was able to push the limits further with a range of outside developers.

9. SHIGERU MIYAMOTO WANTED GOLDENEYE 007 TO END WITH EVERYONE SHAKING HANDS.

When you look across the vast library of Nintendo games over the years, there’s one thing that’s (almost) noticeably absent compared to other systems: violence. The company has always held tight as the more “family-friendly” gaming option, with Mario, Luigi, and even Zelda providing fairly bloodless adventures. But one of the Nintendo 64’s most popular games also happened to be one of the most violent: GoldenEye 007.

Despite its popularity, all the guns and killing didn’t exactly thrill Shigeru Miyamoto, who, at one point, suggested after the main mission was over, players should be able to “shake hands with all your enemies in the hospital,” according to an interview with the game’s director, Martin Hollis.

10. SUPER MARIO BROS. 64 IS STILL THE CONSOLE’S BESTSELLING GAME.

This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise: Super Mario 64 is the bestselling game on the Nintendo 64—by a lot. It sold around 11.89 million copies, while Mario Kart 64, the next highest seller, sold around 9.87 million. GoldenEye 007 came in third, with 8.09 million copies sold.

September 26, 2016 – 10:00am

September 26, 2016

Lack of Paid Leave Costs Americans $20.6 Billion a Year

Michele Debczak

filed under: money, Work

Image credit:

iStock

Paid family leave is a hot-button issue in this country. Despite the growing number of households that have two parents working full-time, the U.S. is one of the few nations that doesn’t guarantee paid maternity leave. Many companies do offer this and similar benefits to their workers, but as a recent report [PDF] shows, the employers that still don’t are costing us. According to a new analysis from the Center for American Progress, families lose out on at least $20.6 billion each year due to the lack of paid family and medical leave in the U.S.

Bringing a new baby into the family isn’t the only reason workers may need to take time off. Leaving work to recover from illness or care for a loved one would also be covered under a comprehensive paid leave policy. “The reality is that almost every worker will need time away from their job at some point in their working career,” report co-author and Director of Women’s Economic Policy at the Center for American Progress Sarah Jane Glynn said in a release. “But few workers can afford to take unpaid leave, putting workers who are facing caregiving responsibilities or a serious illness in an impossible bind.”

A lack of affordable childcare is also hurting U.S. families. The report estimates that this costs Americans an additional $8.3 billion a year. When workers are forced to quit their jobs or reduce their hours because their employers won’t accommodate their needs, the effects are felt beyond individual families. According to Glynn, local businesses and communities can also suffer. “Critics often argue that establishing a national paid family leave program or investing in affordable child care is too expensive, but in fact, the cost of failing to make such investments presents a substantial burden on the nation’s economy,” she says.

Paid leave is becoming a priority for both men and women entering the workforce. When family leave is offered across the board it can beneficial to the whole family. One Swedish study [PDF] found that a woman’s future earnings increase by 7 percent for every month of paternity leave taken by her spouse.

Know of something you think we should cover? Email us at tips@mentalfloss.com.

September 26, 2016 – 9:00am

September 26, 2016

You Can Help Reissue a Copy of Carl Sagan’s Voyager Golden Record

Caitlin Schneider

filed under: History, music, space, shopping

Image credit:

Ozma Records // Kickstarter

In 1977, NASA sent the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes off into the cosmos with no particular destination in mind. Their objective was to travel and explore, relay messages back to us on Earth, and, perhaps, deliver a message from us, should they encounter any extraterrestrial life.

Nearly 40 years later, Voyager 1 is now in interstellar space. Both probes are still in communication with us back at home, and they still carry those carefully curated sounds of life here on Earth on the Golden Records. Now you too can listen to—and own—the only government-authorized alien playlist in history.

The Voyager Golden Record: 40th Anniversary Edition is a Kickstarter campaign that has more than doubled its fundraising goal in just a few days’ time. The box set is a reproduction of the original phonograph records, which were selected by a team headed by Carl Sagan, and include audio of the human experience that ranges from Beethoven to birds. (As The New York Times reports, not even Sagan himself got a copy.) The audio—about two hours in all—is even being remastered by the original producer, Timothy Ferris, for optimal sound preservation and quality.

For $98 you can get a copy of the set, which includes three heavyweight translucent gold vinyl LPs, a hardbound book with images from the original Golden Records, along with photos taken by the probes, essays, and other project-related material. There’s also a digital download card and a lithograph of the iconic Golden Record cover diagram, printed with gold metallic ink on archival paper.

You have until October 20 to contribute to the campaign and secure one of the box sets for yourself. As you can imagine, production costs for the reissue are high, and the team writes on the Kickstarter page that the “overwhelming majority” of funds raised will go to that, along with licensing and royalties incurred.

For a better look at the set, and to learn more, check out the video below.

[h/t The New York Times]

Know of something you think we should cover? Email us at tips@mentalfloss.com.

September 26, 2016 – 8:30am

GADGETS

KITCHEN

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OFFICE, SCHOOL, AND CRAFTS

OUTDOORS, GARDEN, AND SPORTS

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TOOLS

1. IT ALMOST HAD A DIFFERENT NAME.

2. ON AVERAGE, GAMES WERE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THEY ARE TODAY.

3. IT LAUNCHED WITH JUST TWO GAMES IN THE U.S.

4. A PERIPHERAL ALLOWED IT TO GO ONLINE, BUT ONLY IN JAPAN.

5. NINTENDO HAD TO SELL MARIO PARTY WITH PROTECTIVE GLOVES.

6. PEOPLE ARE ROUTINELY BEATING SUPER MARIO 64 IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS.

7. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME WAS ALMOST A FIRST-PERSON GAME.

8. THE CARTRIDGES KEPT CERTAIN GAMES FROM SEEING THE LIGHT OF DAY.

9. SHIGERU MIYAMOTO WANTED GOLDENEYE 007 TO END WITH EVERYONE SHAKING HANDS.

10. SUPER MARIO BROS. 64 IS STILL THE CONSOLE’S BESTSELLING GAME.