Month: December 2016

Holiday songs are usually full of imagery of snowy nights, cozy fires, and loved ones gathered around the Christmas tree. One thing they lack, though, is a reminder of how artificial intelligence is slowly creeping into our lives. But don’t worry, this new tune from the University of Toronto has that base covered.

According to Smithsonian, computer scientists at the university developed an artificial intelligence system capable of composing an original song inspired by a digital photo of a Christmas tree. The result below is a valiant effort, but it’s no reason to think the next Irving Berlin will be coded by a software developer. The University of Toronto team is just the latest group to experiment with music and AI. Earlier this year Sony shared a Beatles-inspired AI composition entitled “Daddy’s Car,” and they plan to release an entire album of neural network originals sometime next year.

[h/t Smithsonian]

Header/banner images courtesy of iStock.

Don’t miss an episode—subscribe here! (Images and footage provided by our friends at Shutterstock. This transcript comes courtesy of Nerdfighteria Wiki.)

1. Hi, I’m Mike, this is mental_floss on YouTube, and did you know that in the ’50s the Catholic church condemned the song “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus?” So the record label flew the 13 year old Singer, Jimmy Boyd, out to Boston to meet with the archdiocese. Afterwards, they determined that the song was okay after all.

And that is the first of many facts about holiday songs that I’m gonna share with you today. Sorry, it’s gonna get pretty Christmas-y up in here, but don’t worry, we’ll be back to our secular ways soon enough.

2. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” and “Run, Rudolph, Run” were all written by the same man, Johnny Marks, who was Jewish.

3. “The Little Drummer Boy” was originally known as “The Carol of the Drums.” The von Trapp singers are credited with popularizing the song—yes, those von Trapps.

4. “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” from The Nutcracker, was written in 1891 for the celesta, an instrument that was invented only five years earlier. Oh hi Nutcracker! This is a great outfit. Where do you shop?

5. In 1906, “O Holy Night” became the second song to ever be broadcast on radio.

6. The singer of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” might sound old, but that is Brenda Lee—who was 13 years old at the time.

7. The first Christmas song to mention Santa Clause was “Up on the House Top” in 1864. These guys are slightly younger than that.

8. “Do You Hear What I Hear?” was written by two people with the most Christmas-y sounding names of all time: Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne. It is also, as it turns out, about the Cuban Missile Crisis. So next time you listen to “Do You Hear What I Hear?” just keep that in the back of your mind.

9. “Joy to the World” was originally a song about Christ’s resurrection and his second coming on Easter, not his birth.

10. And the popular New Year song, “Auld Lang Syne,” was never supposed to be associated with the holiday at all. One live band in New York coincidentally played it just after midnight on the radio, then it became a tradition. Not long after it also became a tradition to turn to someone next to you at the New Year’s party and say, “What does ‘Auld Lang Syne’ mean anyway, I don’t even know.”

11. The song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” mentions that there will be scary ghost stories, which doesn’t seem Christmas-y—but in fact it was a holiday tradition that started in Victorian England and has since died out. Spending all of that uninterrupted time with your family is scary enough so there’s no need for ghost stories. Just kidding, Mom and Dad, very excited to come home for Christmas.

12. Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft sang “You’re a Mean One, Mr Grinch.” He was also the voice of Tony the Tiger for 50 years. Not going to make a grrr-eat joke.

13. During World War I, there was a Christmas Truce, in which the French, English, and German troops sang “Silent Night.”

14. On the other hand, the BBC would not play the song “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” during World War II because they didn’t want to lower the morale of their troops.

15. Songwriter Meredith Wilson wrote “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” in addition to the University of Iowa fight song and The Music Man. That guy had range.

16.The group recording of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” brought a feud between Boy George and George Michael to popular consciousness. Of George Michael’s recording, Boy George said, “God, he sounded camp.” But then, he is.

17. George Michael actually wrote the Wham song “Last Christmas.” He also got sued for it because of its resemblance to the Barry Manilow song “Can’t Smile Without You.” It was settled out of court.

18. Irving Berlin, who wrote “White Christmas,” hated Elvis’s cover of his song. In the ’50s, he started a campaign to ban Presley’s version of the song from the radio, a process that proved akin to banning snow from falling.

19. And speaking of which, “Let It Snow” was written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne during a 1945 heat wave in California.

20. Another song that was written in the heat: “The Christmas Song,” also known as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” Apparently songwriter Bob Wells was overheating, so he wrote a list of things that reminded him of cold weather. Chestnuts roasting, Jack Frost nipping, yuletide carols, et cetera. And then, it became the star of a song.

21. The residents of Armonk, New York believe that the song “Frosty the Snowman” was written about their town. They even hold an annual parade in honor of it.

22. “We Three Kings” was originally written in 1857 for a Christmas pageant at the General Theological Seminary in New York City. I imagine that’s a little bit different than the one that you would find in A Charlie Brown Christmas.

23. The original Yiddish version of “I Have a Little Dreidel,” the dreidel is made out of bley, which means lead. It was translated to clay.

24. “Deck the Halls” started as a dance tune, the lyric “follow me in a merry measure” means “join me in dance.”

25 “Silver Bells” was originally called “Tinkle Bells.” Then the song writer Ray Evans told his wife about it, who responded “Are you out of your mind? Do you know what the word tinkle is?”

26. There are three, count them, three separate music videos for the Mariah Carey song “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and for some reason, I’m not surprised.

27. When “Winter Wonderland” was written in the ’30s, some people were offended by the bit about Parson Brown marrying people on a whim. The line was replaced with “In the meadow we can build a snowman, and pretend that he’s a circus clown.”

28. “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” was originally sung by Elmo Shropshire, a veterinarian, which I guess means that there’s some kind of professional expertise supporting the described results of when grandmas and reindeers collide.

29. Paul McCartney wrote, sang, and played every instrument for “Wonderful Christmastime.” He still earns between $400,000 and $600,000 every year in royalties for the song.

30. If you really received all of the gifts from “The 12 Days of Christmas,” there would be 364 presents total. Someone did the math in 2013, and determined that it would cost around $114,651.18.

31. Finally, I return to the salon to tell you that “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” was written for the Judy Garland film Meet Me in St. Louis, originally it contained lines like “Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last, faithful friends who were dear to us will be near to us no more,” but Garland insisted that the songwriter change them, because she was supposed to sing it to a 7 year old and didn’t want to seem like, I quote, “A monster.”

Thanks for watching mental_floss on YouTube, which is made with the help of these nice people. My name is Mike Renetta, if you like my face, you can find more of it on YouTube at PBS Idea Channel, and if you like my voice, you can find it on my podcast, Reasonably Sound, links to those things in the Dooblydoo, and hey, DFTBA, and happy holidays!

Since Monopoly hit store shelves in 1935, it has been tweaked and reinvented countless times. From Pokemon to World War II, there is a variation for everyone. And now cat lovers can play a Monopoly-inspired game that’s completely dedicated to all things feline.

Cat-Opoly, an unofficially licensed board game by Late for the Sky, takes the Monopoly formula and adds a lot more whiskers. Instead of properties and railroads, players can buy cat breeds; instead of going to jail, there’s a water square; instead of a luxury tax, there’s fleas. All the chance cards come with cat facts on the back, so the game is both enjoyable and educational. You can grab a board for your family game night on Amazon. Just remember cats can’t hold game pieces—and they’re terrible cheaters anyway.

[h/t The Daily Dot]

Star Wars fans certainly have it better than they did back in 1977, when Kenner sold an empty box containing gift certificates for action figures they had underestimated the demand for. Today, there are so many options for Jedi-related gifts that it can be overwhelming. We’ve curated some of the newest, best options in the galaxy.

Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers 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. Thanks for helping us pay the bills!

1. MOMA DESIGN STORE R2-D2 3D MODEL KIT; $15 

It can be hard to balance Star Wars fandom with design aesthetics: A lot of the mythology’s characters might look out of place in a sparsely-decorated room. The Museum of Modern Art’s 2.75-inch tall R2-D2 glue-free model kit keeps it basic, offering a steel-sheet finish for those who prefer a more subtle form of droid worship. 

Find It: MoMA

2. AIR HOGS REMOTE CONTROL MILLENNIUM FALCON QUAD; $68

We’ll spare you the Kessel Run jokes: Just know that Air Hogs’ Falcon is one of the few toys based on a space fantasy vehicle that can mimic its onscreen counterpart by taking flight—thanks to four motored fans and a wireless remote that controls its direction. If it happens to get shot down by an enemy craft (or a dog) don’t sweat it: The light, foam-like material is impact-resistant.

Find It: Amazon 

3. INTERATECH IMPERIAL STORMTROOPER; $20

Your giftee can terrorize Jedis with this 13-inch Stormtrooper that boasts a surprisingly robust personality for an emotionless foot soldier. The Imperial grunt will make noises when locked in combat with other figures, shooting a blaster, or taking to the skies. A Hasbro app helps program a variety of sounds.

Find It: Walmart

4. STAR WARS: SECRETS OF THE GALAXY DELUXE BOX SET; $80

Guide to the galaxy: Help a loved up brush up on their Star Wars mythology with this illustrated collection from New York Times-bestselling author Daniel Wallace. The set features The Jedi Path, Book of Sith, The Bounty Hunter Code, and Imperial Handbook, all annotated by characters from the saga.

Find It: Amazon

5. STORMTROOPER WAFFLE MAKER; $40

There’s no reason a person’s love for Star Wars needs to lack nutrition. This waffle maker imprints an image of a foreboding Stormtrooper head on anything you put into it, including flour, brownie mixes, or sandwiches. The non-stick surface wipes clean with a damp cloth.

Find It: Amazon

6. BB-8 APP CONTROLLED ROBOT WITH FORCE BAND; $200

Sentient ball droid BB-8 was the breakout star of 2015 fim The Force Awakens, and he’s gotten an upgrade. The robot can be moved with the included wrist band that senses the direction of the wearer’s arm. Don’t have the band handy? You can still have him do your bidding with Sphero’s phone app.

Find It: Amazon

7. GEEK TIKIS; $15 EACH

These 14-ounce ceramic tiki mugs have been molded to resemble Boba Fett, R2-D2, Darth Vader, and several others—blending Star Wars with the craftsmanship expected from a fine tiki bar. The set of all 6 options is priced at $80.

Find It: ThinkGeek

8. LEGO STAR WARS KRENNIC’S IMPERIAL SHUTTLE; $76

Director Orson Krennic of the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story promises to be a rightful heir apparent to Grand Moff Tarkin. (Even though he’s technically occupying the same time frame—just go with it.) LEGO’s 863-piece play set shows off his space transport vehicle, complete with folding wings and a five-figure cockpit.

Find It: Amazon

9. STAR WARS SOCKS; $20 EACH

Did Darth Vader wear socks? The world may never know. But your favorite fan can wear Darth Vader on their socks thanks to Stance, which uses premium combed cotton to deliver a warm, comfortable fit.

Find It: Stance

10. NIXON WATCHES; $400 AND UP

Keep time in style with Nixon’s line of Star Wars-inspired watches. Available in Stormtrooper white, or Vader black, these timepieces are stainless steel and feature Imperial or Rebel logos on the face. The back features art and lines from the films.

Find It: Nixon

11. R2-D2 DOME PURSE; $60

R2 doesn’t always need to be smuggling information that could alter the fate of the galaxy. Sometimes you just need him to carry your e-reader. ThinkGeek’s faux-leather droid bag is durable, cavernous, and a great way to tote the rest of your Star Wars gift collection around.

Find It: ThinkGeek

Microwave Memories. In the early days of “microwave ovens,” the hype was way above reality.
*
Here’s what the apocalypse will look like, according to the movies. The future’s so bleak, I’d rather wear shades.
*
Scientists Find Signs of Intelligent Tool Use 300,000 Years Ago. People left their tools behind in a cave in Israel.
*
Watch historical photographs being brought to life with the addition of color. People of the past suddenly look much more real.
*
Here’s one plausible reason why Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 phones kept exploding. You cannot push performance beyond the limits of physics.
*
Mediocre Beasts and Where To Find Them. It’s Funny or Die’s parody of the JK Rowling movie.
*
George Takei Comments on Those Angry at Mall of America. There’s no valid reason why Santa Claus needs to be white.
*
6 Cats Who Made a Mark on the Silver Screen. As if a feline cares about fame and fortune.