Fatbob

Dan Lunt is a climate scientist at Bristol University in Bristol, UK. He created a computer model of the climate of Middle-earth from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Writing under the name Radagast the Brown, Dr. Lunt published an article about it. In order to make the article accessible readers in Middle-earth who don’t know English, he published it Elflish and Dwarfish as well as English. Science magazine reports:

Using supercomputers and a model originally developed by the U.K. Met Office, his study compares Middle-earth’s climate with those of our (modern) and the dinosaur’s (Late Cretaceous) worlds. The Middle-earth model (pictured, showing predicted ground coverage: with grass in light green, trees in darker green, desert in yellow, and ice in white) reveals that the Shire—home to the Hobbits—would enjoy weather much like England’s East Midlands, with an average temperature of 7°C and about 61 cm of rainfall each year. An epic journey to Mount Doom, however, would see a shift in climate, with the subtropical Mordor region being more like Los Angeles or western Texas. The study—released today on the University of Bristol’s website and available in English, Elvish, and Dwarvish—also shows that the elves probably sailed from the Grey Havens because of that region’s prevailing easterly winds, while the dry climate east of the Misty Mountains is formed by a rain shadow.

It’s a fun idea for publishing and a sure way to get public attention. But Radagast’s work is also a serious attempt at understanding climate modeling. A press release from Bristol University explained:

Among other findings, he explains why the elves set sail from the Grey Havens (the prevailing winds were favourable for their journey to the West), and the existence of a dry climate east of the Misty Mountains (the mountains cast a rain-shadow over the region). Radagast also discusses the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary climate models, and shows how they can be used to understand and predict future climate. […]

Dr Dan Lunt added: “This work is a bit of fun, but it does have a serious side. A core part of our work here in Bristol involves using state-of-the-art climate models to simulate and understand the past climate of our Earth. By comparing our results to evidence of past climate change, for example from tree rings, ice cores, and ancient fossils of plants and animals, we can validate the climate models, and gain confidence in the accuracy of their predictions of future climate.”

-via io9

(YouTube link)

Ted and Mary in Manitoba made a video to show us what it's like blowing bubbles at -45°. When it's all said and done, that's the least impressive part of the video. What's really impressive is: Goodness, that woman isn't wearing gloves in this weather! What? The guy doesn't even have a coat on! And -oops- he gets water on his shirt. At -45°. And doesn't even react except to laugh at himself! They are altogether delightful. "Just keep blown' those bubbles, Honey." -via Viral Viral Videos

Atari earns court approval to emerge from bankruptcy originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 07 Dec 2013 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameMaxx Prank Box

Don't pack your fabulous gifts in ordinary holiday boxes. This holiday season hide those perfect purchases in the GameMaxx Prank Box from the NeatoShop. This fabulous box makes it looks like you are giving someone a ridiculous product created by a clueless company. It is a great way to share the gift of laughter with everyone you love.  

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Gag Gifts & Pranks. 

Link

submitted by kencrema [link] [1386 comments]

You've likely heard about Amazon's plans to launch delivery drones that will slowly achieve world domination and eventually turn humans into their minions — err, deliver products more quickly

When Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced Amazon Prime Air on 60 Minutes on Sunday, people were a bit taken aback by the company's futuristic ambitions. So Bezos is taking it all back

OK, not really. But this parody from YouTube user Dartanion London claims why he should

The takeaway is that Amazon Air is a little too close to certain sci-fi movie technology — just ask Arnold Schwarzenegger Read more...

More about Amazon, Viral Videos, Jeff Bezos, Humor, and Parodies

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

I'm generally a purist when it comes to food—I'll take my burgers with onions and pickles and my cookies with chocolate chips, thank you—but I make exceptions now and then, especially when they involve Brussels sprouts, easily my favorite fall vegetable.

On the menu today: Brussels sprout grilled cheese sandwiches. And ok, we'll go ahead and add some caramelized onions in there as well, because it's cold outside and nothing makes me feel cozy like an apartment filled with the smell caramelized onions.

To get the brussels sprouts sandwich-ready, I first finely shred them so that they meld into the cheese and onions. I use a knife, but a mandolin or the grating disk on a food processor will work as well.

To get 'em nice and sweet while still retaining some crunch, I cook them over crazy high heat in a bit of olive oil for just a few moments until they're charred in spots.

If you're the type of person who keeps caramelized onions in their freezer at all times (you know who you are), you can go ahead and use those, or just proceed with whatever technique you normally use to caramelize onions, including my cheaty 15-minute version. But if you don't want to use that method, a quick light caramelization in a moderately hot skillet will work just fine. The sprouts bring plenty of sweetness to the table, so you don't need to go with the candy-sweet low and slow approach here.

For the cheese, I used a sharp Vermont cheddar (specifically, the awesome three-year-aged cheddar from Grafton Village Cheese, which has a great balance of sharp bite and meltability), though a Comté or an aged Gruyère would be great as well, evoking more of a French onion soup aroma.

I'm perfectly happy with American cheese on white bread (It's the type of sandwich I make most often), but sometimes fancy pants cheese and fillings call for fancy pants bread. I used some slices of a French boule that Ed brought back from Pain D'Avignon in Hyannis, MA. It's good stuff.

You know where you do want to go low and slow? When it comes to actually cooking the sandwiches. The longer it takes for those sandwiches to crisp up in butter, the more evenly they'll brown, the better crunch they'll get, and the meltier the innards will be.

Pressing down on the 'wiches with a pan as they cook will also help them acquire a more even, crisp crust. It should take at least 8 minutes to properly cook a grilled cheese sandwich, though longer is not unheard of.

(Though to be honest, it looks like I might have cooked this one a little bit too fast. See how the center is darker than the rest? Oops.)

I really love the way the charred Brussels sprouts work with the buttery crust and sweet onions in this sandwich. Even my wife wolfed hers down without complaining about the dogs smelling like onions (as she usually does when I caramelize onions at home). Looks like this one's going to stay on the menu here for a while.

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

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(319): Just saw the mall santa roll by on a rascal scooter holding a chic-fil-a milkshake and stop to chat up trio of cute 20-somethings. New hero.

via

 

I have no idea if this is legit or not (and I don’t care) but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.

Thanks Tommy Salami

 

The Arvo Brothers have created a perfect Lego model of the most famous bike in sci-fi comic and cinema history: Kaneda's chopper from Akira. And while Lego may not make it into a commercial set, don't worry, the Arvo Brothers are publishing an online manual so you can build it yourself.

Read more...

The typical formula for a short film to get millions of views is to assemble a huge collection of effects and high concept sci-fi stuff, without much concern for story or character.

PROXiMITY, awkward title spelling aside, is a lot more traditional, but that doesn’t mean boring. What that means is that the short is a simple idea — a riff on The Most Dangerous Game, and on the techno-thrillers that have sprung from it — explored with a couple twists and an almost non-existent effects component. This short is a solid idea, one location, and a few guys with a camera and a couple props. And it works really well. Check it out below.

Here’s a making-of featurette, which runs longer than the short, but goes into a lot of detail about how it was made. I like that this is down and dirty filmmaking, a project rising from the ashes of another failed endeavor, with everyone involved making the best of the situation and moving forward.

Some of these shorts lead to development deals for the filmmakers, and I’ll say this: if I had a deal to hand out, I’d give it to the guy whose work demonstrates that he can manage actors and crew and deliver solid work from a less than ideal set of circumstances.

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It costs $550 each year to make wholesome food choices in high-income countries – which could be a barrier to healthy eating for low-income families

In advance of Computer Science Education Week, which kicks off on Monday, Code.org has brought together some of the biggest names in the tech industry to teach everyone to code. All it takes is an hour to start learning.

Read more...

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A new generation means new controllers—but the road to the current PlayStation 4 and Xbox One controllers was full of tweaks.

Read more...

Gomo is Now Available on Steam!
How far would you go to save your best friend?
For Gomo, the answer to this question is clear: To the end of the world an further, if necessary.
Join him on his journey through the bizarre 2D landscapes of this dreamlike Point & Click Adventure!

Far away, in a hidden valley Gomo and his dog Dingo live in undisturbed peace; but serenity in this fairy tale vale soon comes to a violent end: an unknown alien force abducts Gomo's companion. In exchange for his beloved pet, Gomo is supposed to obtain a rare crystal for the alien. This crystal lies well protected in a subterranean mine- getting your hands on this one won't be easy!
However, there is no choice, but doing as the alien asks...

You want to help Gomo? Then be prepared for a surreal journey packed with challenging puzzles.

Thanks Bonnie