October 2016 – Page 79

October 4, 2016

Name That Novel With Just 3 Words

October 4, 2016 – 2:45pm

October 4, 2016

This Candle Will Fill Your Home With the Scent of a Freshly Unboxed MacBook

Rudie Obias

filed under: apple, home, technology, fun

Image credit:

Twelve South

You can now experience the fresh scent of a new MacBook without the hefty price tag. Apple accessory company Twelve South has released a scented candle that smells like a freshly unboxed Mac, The Verge reports.

The South Carolina-based company partnered with the candlemakers at Candlefish to create “New Mac.” The 100 percent soy wax candle, which will burn for up to 55 hours, contains the various scents of mint, peach, basil, lavender, mandarin, and sage, which reportedly combine to form the distinct smell of unwrapped plastic and aluminum.

“The idea is tongue-in-cheek and fun, but at the end of the day we wanted to make a candle that we wanted in our house,” Twelve South co-founder Andrew Green told Adweek.

The first batch of the $24 candles is already sold out, but Twelve South is taking pre-orders for the next run.

[h/t The Verge]

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

October 4, 2016 – 5:30pm

October 4, 2016

The Entire Harry Potter Franchise Is Coming to IMAX for One Week Only

Headline:

The Entire Harry Potter Franchise Is Coming to IMAX for One Week Only

mfna_dek:

Warner Bros

Image:

mfna_eyebrow:

News

mfna_real_node:

The Entire Harry Potter Franchise Is Coming to IMAX for One Week Only

October 4, 2016

The 15 Highest-Paying Jobs That Require Only a Bachelor’s Degree

Headline:

The 15 Highest-Paying Jobs That Require Only a Bachelor’s Degree

mfna_dek:

iStock

Image:

mfna_eyebrow:

Live Smarter

mfna_real_node:

The 15 Highest-Paying Jobs That Require Only a Bachelor’s Degree

October 4, 2016

You Have to See Tuesday’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, October 4.

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!

October 4, 2016 – 12:56pm

Amazon Product Id:

B003EH22KC

October 4, 2016

Artist Plants Miniature Redwood Forest in Downtown Brooklyn

Michele Debczak

filed under: art, cities, nature, nyc

Image credit:

Timothy Schenck, Courtesy of Public Art Fund, NY

New Yorkers are used to jungles of the concrete variety. The trees that do line the city’s streets and populate its parks pale in comparison to the immense redwoods that brush the skies above the opposite side of the country. Looking to recreate the wilderness of a redwood forest in an urban setting, artist Spencer Finch planted 4000 trees in a downtown Brooklyn park. The installation mirrors a real forest in California, albeit on a much smaller scale, FastCo.Design reports.

“Lost Man Creek,” named after the original plot of trees it’s modeled after, is a grove of dawn redwood saplings planted in the middle of MetroTech Plaza. Finch came up with the idea over a year ago after he was contacted by the Public Art Fund to design their annual installation for the site. He was inspired by the plaza’s 4500-square-foot wedge of grass and got to work transforming it into a miniature forest.

The project is a 1:100 scale replica of its 790-acre twin on the west coast. Instead of towering trees, the saplings in the park reach a maximum height of 4 feet. Even the topography of the original patch of forest has been recreated using foam blocks to stand in for hills and valleys. The highest hill reaches 8 feet to represent the 800-foot peak in California.

Hyperion, the tallest redwood tree on Earth, stands at nearly 380 feet tall, a height that rivals some of the tallest skyscrapers in Brooklyn. The trees at MetroTech have a long way to go before catching up with their relatives out west: Experts estimate Hyperion to be about 600 years old. Unfortunately the installation won’t be open long enough for the forest to reach its full potential in Brooklyn. After it closes in March, 2018, the trees will be relocated to a new habitat.

[h/t FastCo.Design]

All photos by Timothy Schenck, Courtesy of Public Art Fund, NY

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

October 4, 2016 – 2:30pm

October 4, 2016

‘Gilmore Girls’ Fans Can Now Drink Coffee at a Real-Life Luke’s Diner

Kirstin Fawcett

filed under: Food, Pop Culture, tv

Image credit:

Netflix

Luke Danes brews the best coffee in Stars Hollow—and on October 5, Gilmore Girls fans can sample it in real life. As Entertainment Weekly reports, Netflix is promoting its new four-episode miniseries, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, by converting 200 cafes and coffee shops into Luke’s Diner pop-ups.

Your barista probably won’t be a flannel-clad Scott Patterson, but employees at the pop-up shops across the U.S. and Canada will don “Luke’s Diner” T-shirts and aprons. The first 200 customers will be treated to free 12-ounce cups of coffee (plus, what Netflix bills as a “fun surprise” hidden under their Gilmore Girls-themed coffee sleeves).

Want to live a morning in the lives of Lorelai and Rory? The Luke’s Diner pop-ups will run from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., and a full list of participating shops is available online (on a mock Stars Hollow town website, no less).

[h/t Entertainment Weekly]

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

October 4, 2016 – 2:15pm

October 4, 2016

8 High-Tech Ways to Upgrade Your Haunted House

Michele Debczak

filed under: halloween, Lists, tech, technology

Image credit:

YouTube

Today’s kids aren’t easily spooked. If you plan to make your home the envy of the neighborhood in time for Halloween, you’ll need to think beyond fake cobwebs, styrofoam skulls, and bowls of peeled grapes. Designing a haunted house that’s fit for the 21st century requires a bit of tech savvy, and here are a few ideas to get you started.

1. TEXT-ACTIVATED JACK O’LANTERNS

Even in the most elaborate cases, jack o’lanterns are traditionally low-tech. One way to give your pumpkin a modern upgrade is by connecting it to your smartphone. For this project, an amateur mad scientist programmed an Arduino circuit board to respond to text messages. LEDs in the jack o’lantern light up red on the word “red,” blue on “blue,” etc. The trick isn’t limited to simple color commands—as the above video shows, a word like “chaos” can be used to trigger a frenzy of fog, strobe lights, and spooky sound effects. You can find the step-by-step instructions on the Twilio blog.

2. HAUNTED MANSION-STYLE SINGING BUSTS

The Haunted Mansion set a high bar for haunted houses when it opened in Disneyland in 1969. Many of the special effects that brought the ride to life nearly 50 years ago are just as frightening today, and you can even recreate some of them at home. To build your own version of the Haunted Mansion’s “grim grinning ghost” troupe, you’ll need a computer, a projector, and four white mannequin heads. The actual footage from the ride can be projected onto the blank busts to animate them while their lips move to the iconic tune.

3. MAGIC MIRROR

As countless horror movies have demonstrated, mirrors provide the perfect opportunity for a jump-scare. To transform your mounted flat screen TV into a “magic mirror,” find an old mirror and replace the glass inside with two-way mirror film (a tinted sheet of Plexiglas also works). Hang the frame in front of your television screen and wait for innocent victims to walk by. The set-up can be motion-activated to display the horrifying content of your choice (but as you can see above, the classic “mirror, mirror” mask is tough to beat).

4. HELL HOUSE

Special effects don’t need to be complicated to instill fear in the hearts of your neighbors. This larger-than-life trick requires just one major piece of gear: a flickering flame projector. Set up the equipment in your driveway and watch as your house is engulfed by hell fire. An appropriate playlist can help amp up the atmosphere—some of the tracks suggested on the Instructables page include “The Roof Is on Fire” and “Burning Down the House.”

5. REAPER DRONE

Haunted homeowners don’t have to wait for trick-or-treaters to come to them to deliver the best scares—all they need is a bit of engineering know-how. By strapping a plastic skeleton prop onto a quadcopter with some Velcro, Mesa, Arizona resident D.J. Vegh constructed this floating ghoul himself in 2012. Aided by an excellent soundtrack selection, Vegh’s video has since gained widespread attention on the web.

6. SPOOKY ANIMATRONICS

If you already have a plastic skull and pumpkin mixed in with your Halloween decorations at home, the first step of this project is taken care of. Now all you have to do is engineer the props to speak and move the way you want them to. The detailed directions are available on Instructables: You’ll need some RC servos to act as the “muscles” of the robots, and specific software to program them how you please. At the very least, the activity is a fun opportunity to show off your spooky voice acting skills.

7. A OUIJA BOARD WITH A MIND OF ITS OWN

Ouija boards are scary when they work. But during an unsuccessful seance, the occult icon can feel like a glorified board game. Ensure your planchette springs to life every time by building your own high-tech Ouija board at home. Constructing this piece is a major time commitment: You have to carve, stain, and wire the hardware yourself. The final product is a Ouija board you can command to spell out customized messages from your computer. Be thankful this wasn’t around during your slumber party years.

8. FLOATING SKULL HOLOGRAM

NK5 via Instructables // CC BY-NC-SA 2.5

Creating a hologram at home isn’t as difficult as sci-fi movies let on. All you need is a computer, a sheet of glass, and a video you wish to use for the effect. The creator of this Instructables project chose footage of a ghastly green floating skull to do the trick. When the glass is placed at an angle above a computer monitor that’s hidden from view, it will reflect whatever image is on the screen. If done right, the floating head will appear to materialize from thin air.

October 4, 2016 – 2:00pm

October 4, 2016

First American Bees Join Endangered Species List

Kate Horowitz

filed under: Animals, Bees?, endangered species

Image credit:

YouTube // naturesblueprint

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is shining a spotlight on threatened bee populations. Last week, USFWS suggested the rusty patched bumble bee belonged on the endangered species list. This week, it officially added seven species of Hawaiian yellow-faced bees to the list [PDF]. The ruling, which will go into effect October 31, re-classifies the bees, three other animals (the band-rumped storm-petrel, the orangeblack Hawaiian damselfly, and the anchialine pool shrimp), and 39 plant species.

Hawaiian yellow-faced bees (genus Hylaeus) aren’t as well-known as their bumble bee cousins or honeybees, but their story is no less incredible. A single bee traveled to Hawaii, found a local, and mated. Their offspring multiplied and spread across the islands, settling into niches in lush forests, volcanic slopes, high deserts, and white-sand beaches. Today, there are no fewer than 63 native Hylaeus species living in the islands. Naturalist R.C.L. Perkins called [PDF] the yellow-faced bees “almost the most ubiquitous of any Hawaiian insects.”

But their glory days were numbered. Human development began to chip away at the bees’ habitats and food supply, while invasive species like ants and flies carried disease and began competing for resources. Nine of the original 63 species have not been spotted in 80 years and may be extinct. Others have vanished from their original habitats, corralled into fast-shrinking safe areas. Among those are the seven newly designated endangered species: Hylaeus anthracinus, H. assimulans, H. facilis, H. hilaris, H. kuakea, H. longiceps, and H. mana.

While it might not sound like it, endangered species status is actually good news in this case. The bees and their classmates were already endangered; official designation is a step that makes it easier to protect them. Mary Abrams is USFWS supervisor for the Pacific Islands office. “Listing these species as endangered will help draw attention to the threats that have brought them so close to extinction, and allow us to begin the process of bringing about recovery,” she said in a press statement [PDF].

The designation is a good start, says Matthew Shepherd, communications director for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Still, he writes on the society’s blog, “there is much work that needs to be done to ensure that Hawaii’s bees thrive.” Habitat loss is a major threat, but the USFWS did not call out any areas of the islands as “critical habitat,” a label that would ensure additional protection.

Abrams emphasized that the designation was just the beginning, adding, “We will continue working with local communities, governments, industry, and the people of Hawaii to protect and recover these native species, which are an important part of what makes these islands so special.”

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

October 4, 2016 – 1:15pm

October 4, 2016

‘Super Mario’-Themed Airbnb Transports Guests to the Mushroom Kingdom

Michele Debczak

filed under: design, geeky, Pop Culture, travel

Image credit:

André Farinha/Airbnb

Nintendo offers dozens of ways to experience the world of Mario. Video game nerds can have the pint-sized plumber race go-karts, glide through space, or challenge Bowser to a few rounds of tennis. Now there’s a new way for fans to fully immerse themselves in the franchise without purchasing a virtual reality headset. They just have to be willing to book a flight to Lisbon, Portugal, where Airbnb host André Farinha has transformed a room in his apartment into a Nintendo-lover’s paradise, Mashable reports.

The space’s interior pays homage to Super Mario’s 30-plus-year history, from a wall depicting his origins in Donkey Kong (back when he was called “Jumpman“) to a hard hat that references the 2015 game Super Mario Maker. A wall decorated with coins, goombas, and toadstools looks down onto a bedspread that’s been stitched with Mario’s iconic blue overalls and red shirt. The bathroom fully commits to the plumber theme, with green piping winding along the sky-blue walls.

Guests enamored with the entire Nintendo universe will be happy to hear that the theme doesn’t stop with Super Mario. The room also features a Wii U, a display of amiibo characters, and a Nintendo 3DS stand where guests can play The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Farinha, a 32-year-old computer game programmer and self-described “major nerd,” spent roughly €10,000 (over $11,000 US) designing the space. Travelers passing through Lisbon can experience it themselves for just $39 a night. If the room happens to be booked for the dates you had in mind, Farinha also has two additional rooms available for rent, including some equally nerdy Star Wars-themed digs.

[h/t Mashable]

All images courtesy of André Farinha // Airbnb.

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

October 4, 2016 – 1:00pm

GADGETS

KITCHEN

HOME

HEALTH AND BEAUTY

OFFICE, SCHOOL, AND CRAFTS

OUTDOORS, GARDEN, AND SPORTS

ELECTRONICS

TOOLS

1. TEXT-ACTIVATED JACK O’LANTERNS

2. HAUNTED MANSION-STYLE SINGING BUSTS

3. MAGIC MIRROR

4. HELL HOUSE

5. REAPER DRONE

6. SPOOKY ANIMATRONICS

7. A OUIJA BOARD WITH A MIND OF ITS OWN

8. FLOATING SKULL HOLOGRAM