Thursday, October 31, 2013
Astronomy picture of the day: Night on a Spooky Planet
2013 October 31
Night on a Spooky Planet
Image Credit & Copyright: Stéphane Vetter (Nuits sacrées)
Explanation: What spooky planet is this? Planet Earth of course, on the dark and stormy night of September 12 at Hverir, a geothermally active area along the volcanic landscape in northeastern Iceland. Geomagnetic storms produced the auroral display in the starry night sky while ghostly towers of steam and gas venting from fumaroles danced against the eerie greenish light. Tonight, there is still a chance for geomagnetic storms triggered by recent solar activity, so high-latitude skygazers should beware. And ghostly shapes may dance in your neighborhood, too. Have a safe and Happy Halloween!
http://apod.nasa.gov/rjn/apod/ap131031.html
Image Credit & Copyright: Stéphane Vetter (Nuits sacrées)
http://apod.nasa.gov/rjn/apod/ap131031.html
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Fjord Picture -- Norway Photo -- National Geographic Photo of the Day
Fjord Picture -- Norway Photo -- National Geographic Photo of the Day
Western Norway’s fjords—like Nærøyfjorden, northeast of Bergen and a UNESCO World Heritage site—look like fingers of the sea intruding into the land. But they are also receptacles for fresh water pouring off the peaks and ridges that surround them.
See more pictures from the November 2013 feature story “Follow the Water.”
October 29, 2013
October 29, 2013
Fjord, Western Norway
Photograph by Erlend Haarberg
This Month in Photo of the Day: The Power of PhotographyWestern Norway’s fjords—like Nærøyfjorden, northeast of Bergen and a UNESCO World Heritage site—look like fingers of the sea intruding into the land. But they are also receptacles for fresh water pouring off the peaks and ridges that surround them.
See more pictures from the November 2013 feature story “Follow the Water.”
Monday, October 28, 2013
25 Killer Websites that Make You Cleverer - Imgur
http://imgur.com/gallery/1S2u5
25 Killer Websites that Make You Cleverer
1. Duolingo
http://www.duolingo.com/ This isn’t the first time I’ve recommended this language-teaching website (and app), and it certainly won’t be the last. Duolingo is a free version of Rosetta-Stone that delivers the same results: teaching you another language. Regular use of the site can have you speaking and writing Spanish, English, German, French, Portuguese and Italian in a matter of months depending on the diligence you put into it. Hopefully, even more languages will become available soon.
2. Khan Academy
https://www.khanacademy.org/ Have you ever wanted to pick up a subject you’re not well-versed in, but you didn’t have the money to invest in a college course? Khan Academy aims to provide education at the collegiate level for anyone who wants it. They provide resources for learning pretty much every subject out there, including math, science, history and more. As you learn, the platform will even assess your progress and help you gauge what you’ve learned.
3. Justin Guitar
http://justinguitar.com/ Guitar is one of the few instruments out there that’s actually pretty easy to learn if you’re a little older, making it one of the most accessible instruments. Still, learning how to play still takes some direction, at least for most people, so a guy named Justin decided he was going to help out. His website provides hundreds of free guitar lessons that range in different styles, depending on how you want to play. His schedule for learning is pretty easy to follow, and the site is a great stepping stone for people wanting to pick the instrument up.
4. Cooking for Engineers
http://www.cookingforengineers.com/ Founded by Michael Chu, Cooking for Engineers goes further than just providing recipes. The site is a blog that is geared toward making your food taste good. Additionally, his analytical take on ingredients and cooking recipes is interesting and will likely change the way you approach cuisine.
5. The Dating Specialist
http://www.thedatingspecialist.com/ Or Nick the Dating Specialist is a website that wants to help guys be better dates. The site is full of advice on how to approach social situations and flirt successfully with different types of people. Nick even offers personal coaching at your request, so he can help your specific situation or hurdle to successful dating.
6. Nerd Fitness
http://www.nerdfitness.com/ When we think of exercising and gym techniques, we typically think of bodybuilders and jocks from high school. Nerd Fitness aims to provide resources for getting in shape from a nerd’s point of view. All of the guides, blogs and fitness tips on this site have a geek flavor that is intended to make anyone who feels uncomfortable at the gym feel right at home here.
7. MIT Open Courseware
http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm As much as I would love an education at MIT, that isn’t really in the cards. Thankfully, the educators at the Massachusetts Institue of Technology decided to give out information for tons of courses online through Open Courseware. Hundreds of millions of people have benefitted from the information that they can learn from these courses, starting a trend for other sites to offer free courses as well.
8. Investopedia
http://www.investopedia.com/ I don’t like to admit it, but my lack of a business degree tends to make me feel easily intimidated when a conversation starts taking a turn for the financial. To solve this, Investopedia was born to provide a news blog that makes it easy to digest and really understand the financial markets. There are tons of resources like tutorials and videos that will help you keep up with the ever-changing world of money, and the news stories will keep you coming back for more.
9. Quora
http://www.quora.com/ Have you ever wanted to ask someone famous a question, but you suffer from never having the chance? Thanks to Quora, you can read the opinions and answers of fascinating (and varied) questions from the leading experts in pretty much everything. You can answer questions too and get feedback from numerous others who share your love for a given topic.
10. Information is Beautiful
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/ I love reading, but sometimes a visual demonstration just makes information come alive. Hence, Information is Beautiful is a platform that uses gorgeous visuals to impart data. For example, if you want to find out how much money individual organizations have lost from data breaches, you can view an action visual that shows bubbles that are labeled and sized accordingly, giving you an in-depth, but easy to digest overview of the data.
11. Spreeder
http://spreeder.com/ According to Spreeder, a lot of us have trouble reading quickly because we can only read as fast as our “inner voice” can. Spreeder’s solution is to teach you to read without an inner voice, boosting reading speed and comprehension immensely. The best part? It’s totally free.
12. Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/ Imagine a library with tons of free books that you can keep for the rest of your life. Actually, you don’t have to imagine that because Project Gutenberg gives you the ability to download thousands of free e-books, and it’s completely legal.
13. Codeacademy
http://www.codecademy.com/ If you haven’t noticed by now, the Internet has pretty much taken over everything, which means the skill of coding and developing websites is in higher demand than ever, and that’s not likely to change. With Codeacademy, you can use free tutorials that teach you the basics of coding with interactive and handy tools for helping you become an expert.
14. GeographyIQ
http://www.geographyiq.com/ Imagine if Google Earth and Wikipedia decided to make it official and have a child. That would be GeographyIQ. Using the world map, you can select any country and access virtually every facet of useful information there is about that country, including history, currency, population and more.
15. Anki
http://ankisrs.net/ It’s no secret that the key to memorizing information is mastering recall. With flashcards, you can recall things faster, making Anki an ideal resource for using flashcards online. Unlike other sites that use flashcards, Anki allows you embed more than just text. You can use video, audio and images to help you start studying faster and smarter.
16. Lumosity
http://www.lumosity.com/ Using games to learn is something I’ve treasured since Kindergarten, making Lumosity a trusted resource for me and countless others. Using a daily schedule of games, Lumosity is literally designed to make you more clever. As you progress, the software figures out what your strengths and weaknesses (such as memory or math skills) and assigns you games accordingly. The best part is that the games are actually addicting and fun to look forward to!
17. TED
http://www.ted.com/ For years, people have been benefitting from TED talks that provide free insights from the world’s smartest people. TED provides the value and learning growth of a seminar, but without the exorbitant costs and travel expenses, by providing visitors with tons of free video lectures. The app is also great for catching up on the latest talks, and you can even download some on iTunes.
18. CliffsNotes
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/ Ideal for high school and college students, Cliffsnotes provides valuable resources like study guides and test prep for standard books and subjects you’ll have to read anyway. The site also provides resources for math and science, giving you the chance to finally master the dark arts of homework.
19. Pinfruit
http://pinfruit.com/ Need to memorize a lengthy number? Pinfruit analyzes the number and provides all of the options you could want as a mnemonic device. That’s all there is to it, since (unfortunately) they only provide this for numbers and not words.
20. Mindtools
http://www.mindtools.com/index.html There are countless blogs that you can enjoy for being interesting and mildly useful, but how many of them actually help you with your career? Mindtools is a blog that teaches you what they call “practical career skills” that you can apply at your job. This is a great daily read for entry-level workers who want to make a great impression, and the variety of topics and advice provided make this is a fantastic bookmark for anyone wanting to excel.
21. Learn Street
http://www.learnstreet.com/ Want to take your coding skills to the next level? Learn Street helps teach you how to use advanced coding scripts such as JavaScript, Python and Ruby without making your head explode. It even provides a service for helping you teach advanced code to others.
22. HowStuffWorks
http://www.howstuffworks.com/ There are things we want to know about, and then there are things we didn’t know we wanted to know about. HowStuffWorks addresses the latter by providing information on a variety of topics and eye-opening facts that will broaden your horizons.
23. The World Factbook
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ Did you know that the CIA has information on pretty much everything in the world? Okay, but did you know that they make a ton of this information open to the public? The World Factbook is your godsend for research, allowing you to cite facts and details that pertain to a seemingly endless amount of information from reputable sources.
24. OneLook
http://www.onelook.com/ Finding a great dictionary is not a difficult task in a world full of search engines, but it can be tricky to define more complicated words and phrases that most dictionaries (besides UrbanDictionary) don’t attempt to define. With OneLook, you can find multiple definitions from numerous dictionaries in one place, even if you’re looking up a phrase that is obscure or too specific for normal dictionaries to help you out with.
25. Couchsurfing
https://www.couchsurfing.org/ Don’t let the name fool you, as Couchsurfing is far from a website that will make you lazy. Couchsurfing lets you connect with travelers all over the world and is the ultimate resource for experiencing other cultures. Put simply, you can use the social network to meet locals in a new community you are visiting. You can also open up your home to fellow couchsurfers, giving you the chance to make new experiences and memories with fascinating people from all over the globe. Source: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/25-killer-websites-that-make-you-cleverer-2.html
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
The great man and the dull man.
“The great man is not so great as folks think, and the dull man is not quite so stupid as he seems. The difference in our estimates of men lies in the fact that one individual is able to get his goods into the show-window, and the other is not aware that he has any show-window or any goods.”
- Elbert Hubbard
Friday, October 25, 2013
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Jesse James and Donald Trump
http://buttpee.tumblr.com/post/65021304030/tbt-thrown-a-up-the-horns-with-mr-trump
Hahaha! Fuck Yeah!
Hahaha! Fuck Yeah!
| #TBT Throw’n a up The Horns with Mr Trump #3rdPlace #TheApprentice @donaldtrumpjr #SATAN #NATAS #Slayer #Metal #WallStreet #What? #jessejames #westcoastchoppers |
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Astronomy picture of the day: North Celestial Tree
Image Credit & Copyright: Jerónimo Losada
FREE App from Appsumo: Failure Games
http://www.appsumo.com/failure-games-app/
https://itunes.apple.com/tr/app/failure-games/id717734907?mt=8
News properly displays new challenges.
iPad orientation fixes.
https://itunes.apple.com/tr/app/failure-games/id717734907?mt=8
Failure Games
By AppSumo
Open iTunes to buy and download apps.Description
The biggest thing stopping you from getting what YOU want is that nagging feeling in the back of your head saying, “I might fail.”
The Failure Games will challenge you to get out of your comfort zone, have some fun, and live your life to the fullest.
• Prove you’re not afraid by accepting daily challenges ranging from climbing a tree to eating lunch with a stranger.
• Upload photos/videos of your bravery and share them with friends and people around the world.
• Explore trending posts to see people succeeding and failing at the daily challenge.
• Tons more
To learn more about The Failure Games, check out http://failuregames.com/
Have questions, problems, or feedback? Reach out to us at support@appsumo.com
...MoreThe Failure Games will challenge you to get out of your comfort zone, have some fun, and live your life to the fullest.
• Prove you’re not afraid by accepting daily challenges ranging from climbing a tree to eating lunch with a stranger.
• Upload photos/videos of your bravery and share them with friends and people around the world.
• Explore trending posts to see people succeeding and failing at the daily challenge.
• Tons more
To learn more about The Failure Games, check out http://failuregames.com/
Have questions, problems, or feedback? Reach out to us at support@appsumo.com
What's New in Version 1.0.1
Bug fixes:News properly displays new challenges.
iPad orientation fixes.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
BigThink.com : Idea Entrepreneurship is Going Viral
http://bigthink.com/in-their-own-words/idea-entrepreneurship-is-going-viral
It’s intriguing that we’ve had an incredible response to this idea of the idea entrepreneur from people of every description. It's students, 13-year-old kids, MBA students, young people just starting out their careers, people who have retired, people from around the world, and people in all kinds of professions and disciplines.
So we’ve heard from Librarians, from people in insurance, from people in social entrepreneurship, and they all say, "This is what I would like to be, this is how I would like to structure my life. What can be better than to be following my own personal fascination, expressing myself in a way that gets the idea out, creating respiration in a way that brings the idea to lots of people, and affecting some kind of change or improvement in the world?"
And it seems to be catching on with people of all kinds. And I think part of it is that the need for individual action is so great that art institutions are not making change in ways that we would like to. So individuals are saying, "We need to do this and we believe we can do this." And they are aided by what I call the idea-plex, which is all those idea generating channels and systems and venues.
But I think it’s a very current idea and I’m fascinated by the response that we’ve had to it.
In Their Own Words is recorded in Big Think's studio.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
Idea Entrepreneurship is Going Viral
So we’ve heard from Librarians, from people in insurance, from people in social entrepreneurship, and they all say, "This is what I would like to be, this is how I would like to structure my life. What can be better than to be following my own personal fascination, expressing myself in a way that gets the idea out, creating respiration in a way that brings the idea to lots of people, and affecting some kind of change or improvement in the world?"
And it seems to be catching on with people of all kinds. And I think part of it is that the need for individual action is so great that art institutions are not making change in ways that we would like to. So individuals are saying, "We need to do this and we believe we can do this." And they are aided by what I call the idea-plex, which is all those idea generating channels and systems and venues.
So, the social media, all the conferences, there’s so many ways to get ideas out there now, so many more than there used to be that the effort of being an idea entrepreneur is made easier, but also made difficult because there are so many ideas out there that are competing with you.
In Their Own Words is recorded in Big Think's studio.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
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