Posts Tagged: Things I Didn’t Know
The Swoosh is a Lie
Posted by on Friday, January 6, 2012 in - leave a comment
From the delightful 99% Invisible podcast, I learned today that many televised sporting events use pre-recorded audio samples to fake a sense of realism. When you watch at least some sports on television, particularly those that cover large areas, the swoosh of a cross-country skier, the splash of …
Space Pop
Posted by on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 in - 2 comments
Fact: there is a Canadian-made Larrivee guitar on the International Space Station.
Map of Nuclear Explosions
Posted by on Monday, July 5, 2010 in - 1 comment
This animated map of nuclear explosions from 1945 to 1998 is remarkable to watch. Note how France and England both have extensive tests, but none on their own mainland. Watch through to the end to see an overlay of all explosions. Since this animation was compiled, North Korea has conducted two …
Things I Didn’t Know: Liberal Arts
Posted by on Sunday, March 28, 2010 in - 3 comments
Why is a “Liberal Arts degree” is called “Liberal”. I had wondered if and how it might be related to political liberalism. It turns out, it’s not. • According to the Wikipedia, the Liberal Arts are so called because: • “In classical antiquity, the liberal arts denoted the education proper to a …