Science Etcetera, Moonday 20080609

June 9th, 2008

A moment of silence please, for the now confirmed-extinct Caribbean monk seal, due to over-hunting. Only drawings of it exist now.

Carribean Monk Seal

10 airports have installed body scanners that show your naughty bits to security. Can’t wait to see a study analyzing the attractiveness of passengers to their probability of being scanned (HT Carolyn).

Dupe your friends in betting games! The NY Times has a fascinating article about probability, with examples, and how counter-intuitive it may often seem. Yay Math!

“You could drink the exhaust of the Honda FCX Clarity,” first hydrogen-fuel-cell car to hit the market for $600/month leasing, but there’s nowhere outside of California to fuel it (You can also drink Biodiesel, like Daryl Hannah).

First she gets unfairly blamed for breaking up the Beatles. Now Yoko Ono’s been getting a lot of hate mail because Lennon’s Imagine is played in the film Expelled, but she didn’t give permission for its use, and has unsuccessfully sued to have it taken out (It is, unfortunately, covered by fair use).

“Blue Zones” are areas where there are many people living longer, healthier, and happier lives, Dan Buettner’s new book explores what makes these cultures unique.

Ilkka Halso’s art concept, the Museum of Nature portrays a futurist possibility we must work to evade.