Speaking of GM and electric cars, here’s an ad from 1969 that shows a series hybrid powered by a stirling engine. The underlying concept isn’t actually so different from the upcoming Chevy Volt, and while at the time the technology probably wasn’t there to make this a commercial success, we can wonder what happened to this concept in the years between then and now.
But how serious are they? The International Atomic Energy Authority ranks them using a special International Nuclear Events Scale (INES) – ranging from ‘anomaly’ to ‘major accident’, numbered from 1 to 7.
The events at Fukushima are level 5, so far and there has only been one 7 in history: Chernobyl in 1986. You can see the full ranking system below and on the attached spreadsheet
WoW! At least we know that celebrities get treated like crap by retail electronics stores too.
So I’m in Best Buy… literally trying to buy iPod shuffles for orphans and they won’t sell them to me because they’re saving them for other customers. Thank you Best Buy for all of your help. They wouldn’t let my friend buy the rest either haha! What the hell is wrong with y’all?!
Being unemployed is generally regarded as detrimental to your mental health, with the prevailing wisdom being that gainful employment will fix you right up. Unfortunately, according to research published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, a crappy job can be just as bad — if not worse — than unemployment.
Analyzing more than 7,000 working-age Australians across a great number of data points, the researchers found that people defined good jobs as ones that provided a defined social role and purpose, friendships, and structured time (among other things). Being hired into these kinds of jobs resulted in an overall improvement in mental health. Conversely, those in jobs that offered little control, were very demanding, and provided little support and reward lead to a general decrease in mental health.
When he wrote the following mission statement — which, for argument’s sake, I’m classing as a letter written to himself — Bruce Lee was 28 years of age and a minor TV star in the United States, having featured in a number of shows which included, most notably, the ill-fated Green Hornet series. With his second child recently born and no financial security to speak of, the clearly determined founder of Jeet Kune Do decided to put his “definite chief aim” down on paper.
The rest is history.
My Definite Chief Aim
I, Bruce Lee, will be the first highest paid Oriental super star in the United States. In return I will give the most exciting performances and render the best of quality in the capacity of an actor. Starting 1970 I will achieve world fame and from then onward till the end of 1980 I will have in my possession $10,000,000. I will live the way I please and achieve inner harmony and happiness.
Bruce Lee
1969
We’re not so sure about the scientific validity of this experiment, but it looks like everyone is having a ball! (Get it?)
Utah State University’s Physics Department set a new record yesterday when it organized a ball drop greater than New Year’s Eve in Times Square. From 100 feet above a parking lot, a helicopter dropped 20,000 colorful bouncy balls. And the shocking result? They bounced, and the crowd went crazy.
