Monday, October 27, 2008

clean primitive people

Whenever you see primitive people on TV or in movies, they’re ugly. I’m not talking about real tribes, but about depictions of neanderthal and cro-magnon men and women.

They’re dirty and unkempt, have lumpy faces and make ugly sounds, but why should they be ugly? Animals are beautiful—there are very few ugly primates.

The tribes that could be considered the most primitive may seem bizarre to us, but they’re never dirty or unkempt.

Why this insistance on the fact that primitive man was dirty? In all likelhood, he was magnificent—clean, well-groomed, and in great shape.

In this post-Baconian world, perhaps we seek to reassure ourselves that all this progress is really worth something.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

dazzle camouflage

This is the first installement of a series about amazing things that no longer exist. Like dinosaurs, these phenomena were once breathtakingly cool but are now gone.

During World War I, before airplanes played an important role in warfare, warships were camouflaged in a mind-blowingly colorful style.

We think of camouflage as a way to hide. However, during WWI, the goal of the camouflage was to make it impossible to clearly see the outlines of a ship. The result was that enemy gunners were unable to effectively estimate size, direction and speed.

The techniques used resemble modern art from the 1950’s, and these ships were gorgeous monuments of splashy color.

After the war the ships were repainted. Few photos remain of dazzle camouflage (almost none in color).

dazzle photo 1 · dazzle photo 2 · more information

Saturday, October 18, 2008

women’s razors

Women’s Razors Work Better
http://posnitubek.com/2008/1018%20Women’s%20Razors%20Work%20Better.html

Razor blades made for women work better than men’s blades for men who shave irregularly.

Razor blades made for men are oriented towards permanently clean-shaven guys who shave every day.

Women’s razors, on the other hand, have blades at a steeper angle and have more space between blades (on a three-blade Wilkinson Sword, for example).

Women’s razors are made for cutting longer bristles, since women tend to shave their legs less frequently.

For men this means that they clog less and cut a three-day growth more easily.

The only question is: are you comfortable using a pastel pink or green razor blade?

Friday, October 17, 2008

what’s quantum?

I’ve frequently been hearing the word quantum, and of course, the new James Bond just came out, Quantum of Solace.

Coincidentally, I recently bought the collected James Bond short stories by Ian Fleming (most of which I’d never suspected the existence), and one of them is also entitled Quantum of Solace.

The story has nothing to do with the film—the stories just supply the new film titles.

I realized that I had no idea what quantum means, so I looked it up.

Quantum (n, plural quanta): the smallest discrete amount of any quantity.

Quantum (adj): significant (frequently used to describe a change).

In addition, there are several meanings that apply to specific scientific theories or contexts.

sources:
members.tripod.com/l_asproni/Atom/atom_glossary.htm
www4.nau.edu/meteorite/Meteorite/Book-GlossaryQ.html
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quantum