Page 1994 – fakuto

September 26, 2016

Most of the genetic changes and muscle memory spurred…

Most of the genetic changes and muscle memory spurred by exercise are lost by a month or two of no training, a study found.

September 26, 2016

Due to time dilation its possible to travel anywhere…

Due to time dilation its possible to travel anywhere in the galaxy within a human lifetime. A ship accelerating constantly at 1g (earth gravity) could travel to the center of the milky way and back in 40 years.

September 26, 2016

Arnold Palmer, drank iced tea with lemonade at home…

Arnold Palmer, drank iced tea with lemonade at home, and in 1960 at the U.S. Open at the Cherry Hills Country Club, he ordered the drink at the bar. A woman sitting nearby overheard him, and ordered “that Palmer drink”, thus giving the beverage its name.

September 26, 2016

The last surviving Civil War veteran…

The last surviving Civil War veteran lived long enough to have seen television.

September 26, 2016

Joe Biden Will Appear on ‘Law & Order: SVU’ This Week

Rebecca OConnell

filed under: crime, politics, Pop Culture, tv

Image credit:

YouTube

Law & Order: SVU is known for its shocking twists, but the show’s latest surprise is of a different variety: On Wednesday, September 28, Vice President Joe Biden will be making a cameo appearance.

The episode, titled “Making a Rapist,” is a spin on the popular Netflix docuseries Making a Murderer. Without giving too much away, the episode centers around a man who has his rape conviction overturned, only to be accused of raping another woman. According to The Daily Beast, the episode opens with Biden praising Lt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her team for weeding through a backlog of untested rape kits.

While the story is a work of dramatic fiction, the subject matter itself is staked squarely in reality. Biden has made campus rape and sexual assault a point of focus during his vice presidency and has been working to help victims of sexual abuse since he brought the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to Congress in 1990.

This isn’t the Vice President’s first television cameo. In the fifth season of Parks and Recreation, he made a brief appearance to meet Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler’s Biden-loving public servant). Now that the veep appears to be building an impressive resume on IMDb, and will soon be out of a job, we’re excited to see where the politician’s acting career might take him next.

[h/t The Daily Beast]

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

September 26, 2016 – 6:30am

September 26, 2016

Morning Cup of Links: The Perfect Fantasy Movie

Miss Cellania

filed under: Links

Why The Princess Bride is a Perfect Fantasy Movie. Because it’s got something for everyone.
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Magical Life Advice from Muppets Creator Jim Henson. He was always looking at the bright side.
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18 True Crime Podcasts That’ll Seriously Creep You Out. In case you enjoy the depths of human depravity right in your headphones.
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It Was A Hot Summer. How Will That Affect The Changing Fall Foliage?
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10 Secrets of Filming Reality TV Shows. Starring in one can’t be worth the headaches and humiliation.
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The Absurdist Theme Park Where Confederates Win and Dinosaurs Roam. Dinosaur Kingdom II is Mark Cline’s bizarre collection of attractions you can visit.
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The rise of the ‘bedless hospital.’ It’s cheaper, and probably safer, to recuperate at home.
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10 Female Gangsters You Should Know About. They were bad, and they often got away with it.

September 26, 2016 – 5:00am

September 26, 2016

15 Amazing Notebooks to Inspire You to Write More

Rebecca OConnell

filed under: Lists

Image credit:

TM Shop

It can be hard to get started writing, but when you’re using one of these awesome notebooks, you’ll at least be tempted to jot something down (especially with the right pencil).

1. STAR TREK CAPTAIN’S LOG; $8

A lot can happen on a mission, so it’s important to keep a thorough captain’s log to help you remember it all. Trekkies will love writing their notes in this 64-page themed notebook, which is about the size of a passport and slides easily into a pocket.

Find it: Amazon

2. WONDERLAND PASSPORT; $8

It’s unlikely Alice would have had an easier time exploring Wonderland if she’d had the proper paperwork, but this notebook modeled to look like a passport will please any literary bureaucrats you know.

Find it: Amazon

3. TREE TRUNKS; $11

Write down all your most outdoorsy thoughts in these notebooks, which have covers that look like different tree barks—and are textured to feel just like real trees. The 96-page books are made with FSC certified wood and recycled paper.

Find it: Amazon

4. LEFTYBOOKS; €12

Most of the notebooks designed for lefties are pretty basic. Not Leftybooks, which are made specifically with left-handed people in mind and are plenty of fun, too: Writers can choose from covers with fun designs like marble, feathers, cereal, and more.

Find it: Imborrable

5. MICROWAVEABLE BOOKS; $27

Your mother probably told you not to put non-food items in the microwave, but we’re here to tell you to put your notebook in there—or at least this one specific kind. The Rocketbook is a handy notepad that’s reusable: After filling it with notes and doodles taken with a Pilot FriXion pen, pop the notebook in the microwave. When the pen’s ink hits 140°F, it turns invisible, rendering the the pages clean and ready for another use. You can microwave the notebook up to five times before you have to get a new one. Writers who want to keep their notes can download an accompanying app that will send your notes to the cloud service of your choice.

Find it: Amazon

6. TABLE TENNIS NOTEBOOKS; $15

When you have this set of notebooks, you and a friend can play table tennis anywhere. Two books act as paddles—they even have textured rubber on their covers, just like actual paddles—while the third book serves as the net. There’s also a scorecard on the inside of the books to keep track of your games, plus 100 pages in each for recording tactics and strategies.

Find it: ThinkGeek

7. ETCH-A-SKETCH; $7

This may seem like an ordinary Etch-a-Sketch, but it’s really a notebook in disguise. Open it up and discover 200 blank, unlined pages waiting to be filled. The two white dials are secretly erasers, since shaking it won’t work this time.

Find it: ThinkGeek

8. LENTICULAR MARIO BROTHERS; $8

The lenticular cover of this notebook features everyone’s favorite Koopa-killing plumber; Mario jumps up to activate a question mark block as you open and close the book. Inside, you can find 200 lined pages with grey illustrations along the bottom.

Find it: ThinkGeek

9. GOLDEN RATIO PAGES; $23

If you’re working in a creative field, a simple lined notebook might not be ideal. Instead, consider the Hard Work Notebook, which, according to the seller, has 256 pages adorned with a “combined isometric and golden ratio print guide, with a section in the centre stripped back to show a white golden ratio on blue background.”

Find it: Bazaar

10. COLORING BOOK NOTEBOOK; $22

If you hit a wall while writing, take a coloring break—and with this fun notebook, you don’t even have to change books when you make the switch. The hardcover book lies flat when you open it, making it easier to color every inch of the 50 pages that feature illustrations (the notebook has 176 total pages).

Find it: Coloring Notebook

11. DECOMPOSITION; $8

Decomposition Notebooks are a lot like regular notebooks, but these are made with recycled paper—and they’re absolutely adorable. The fun designs vary from dinosaurs to feline cosmonauts. Each book is made with soy-ink and contains no chlorine, so it can be recycled again.

Find it: Amazon

12. RAINBOW PAGES; $26

Your notes will look beautiful when jotted down on pastel paper—especially when that paper is also handbound in colorful leather. The 120-page A6 journal can be purchased with either lined or blank sheets.

Find it: Etsy

13. SUSHI CATS; $8

When picking out just the right notebook, why not choose one covered in sushi cats? You can even get matching puffy sushi cat stickers to put on it.

Find it: Urban Outfitters

14. LEGO MOLESKINE; $16

If you love building with LEGO bricks, pick up this Moleskine notebook. The black hardcover comes with a fancy LEGO design and a real LEGO plate. Inside, you can find two sheets of LEGO stickers.

Find it: Amazon

15. INSPIRATION PAD; €21

Created by a Brussels-based design and advertising firm, this notebook is meant to break the norm of traditionally lined paper. The Inspiration Pad features a different pattern on each page: You can watch as the lines warp and shift in spirals, slopes, and waves. The notebooks are available in yellow, brown, or blue and can be shipped internationally.

Find it: TM Shop

September 26, 2016 – 4:00am

September 25, 2016

Trees Communicate Underground (Here’s How)

Chris Higgins

filed under: video, ecology, fungi

Image credit:

YouTube // TED

In this TED Talk, ecologist Suzanne Simard summarizes her three decades of research into tree communication. Her experiments demonstrate that trees can share resources and information through underground fungal networks. These interactions also allow them to look out for one another, sharing resources when certain trees are under stress, or immature trees are at risk.

This is fascinating stuff—particularly when Simard explains how trees of different species communicate and share resources. Check it out:

Check out the TED site for a full transcript.

[h/t: Kottke.]

September 25, 2016 – 12:00pm

September 25, 2016

This Week’s Best Amazon Deals You Can Still Get

Smart Shopping Team

filed under: shopping

Image credit:

amazon / istock

As a recurring feature, we share some amazing Amazon deals we’ve turned up. These items were the ones that were the most popular with our readers this week, and they’re still available.

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 25, 2016 – 11:00am

Amazon Product Id:

B01FUVWWFE

September 25, 2016

Mark Hamill’s Original ‘Star Wars’ Audition

Jake Rossen

filed under: birthdays, celebrities, Movies, Pop Culture

Image credit:

Getty Images

Luke Skywalker, the dreamy-eyed kid who fantasized about a life beyond his dirt farm in Tatooine, has come full circle: Mark Hamill turns 65 today, making him three years older than Alec Guinness was when he portrayed wise old Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in 1977’s Star Wars.

Hamill was just 25 years old when he was cast in George Lucas’s space opera, having auditioned at the urging of friend (and future Freddy Krueger) Robert Englund. Hamill was paid $1000 a week during shooting, and later received a quarter of one percent of the film’s profits; 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back netted him $1 million. We can only speculate that the Disney vault rewarded him accordingly to return as Skywalker for The Force Awakens.

To celebrate Hamill’s special day, have a look at his original audition reel for Star Wars, which is punctuated by someone saying, “Okay, good” off-camera and then coughing. It’s Hollywood movie magic, kids!

September 25, 2016 – 10:30am

1. STAR TREK CAPTAIN’S LOG; $8

2. WONDERLAND PASSPORT; $8

3. TREE TRUNKS; $11

4. LEFTYBOOKS; €12

5. MICROWAVEABLE BOOKS; $27

6. TABLE TENNIS NOTEBOOKS; $15

7. ETCH-A-SKETCH; $7

8. LENTICULAR MARIO BROTHERS; $8

9. GOLDEN RATIO PAGES; $23

10. COLORING BOOK NOTEBOOK; $22

11. DECOMPOSITION; $8

12. RAINBOW PAGES; $26

13. SUSHI CATS; $8

14. LEGO MOLESKINE; $16

15. INSPIRATION PAD; €21

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