Cannibal Galaxies, Songs You May Not Know, the Prince Wrote, and Some Unique Kitchen Tricks
Thinking back to Prince in 11 songs you may not have known, he actually wrote: all about galaxies that eat each other, Shakespearean vacation spots, the science of boredom, and more in this week’s Brain Buffet!
Cannibal galaxies and the fate of the Milky Way
When I studied astronomy, galactic motion was one of my favorite areas. The math that describes them is particularly elegant, but galaxies are an inconceivably massive example of fluid-like gravitational mechanics at work. Since galaxies are massive clusters of stars, gas, dust and other material, looking across the sky to see galaxies in various states of merging and colliding is a sight to behold, andthis video from DNews does a really good job on the subject.
Fortunately, they are less sensational and more scientific than some of the publications on the topic, but they explain that galactic collisions occur constantly, often in so-called “cannibal” galaxies that are large enough to swallow everything in the vicinity. Best of all, our Milky Way is a cannibal galaxy that has swallowed up several others in its lifetime. In fact, he is now consuming one. However, what is happening around is happening around – in a few billion years the Milky Way will complete its collision course with the much larger Andromeda Galaxy and will itself be “eaten”. (or “merge” if you ask me.) Don’t worry – you and I won’t be there to see this, but while that would mean a completely different night sky compared to today, it won’t mean much to those either. who stayed here to watch this happen, given the vast amount of empty space in the game, even in a galactic collision. Nevertheless, it is certainly interesting and instructive to study it. [ viaDNews ]
Eight Shakespearean Places You Can Actually Visit
Shakespeare’s plays and poems read well and for good reason, but besides being an incredible storyteller, Shakespeare was also brilliant at adapting real-world locations for his stories, whether they were set in Scotland, Denmark, Ancient Greece, or beautiful corners of the world. Verona, Italy. The Atlas Obscura runs through eight different locations in Shakespeare’s works that you can visit if you feel like it, and judging by the photographs they include, you’re likely to be inclined.
It’s not just the cities and countries in question – for example, in Denmark , Kronborg Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with beautiful views of the sea and the ancient history within its walls – but Shakespeare fans may know him better as Elsinore. the castle in which Hamlet takes place. If you’re on a hike, head to the Ardennes Forest in France, which modern history scholars will remember as the main site of the Battle of the Ardennes during World War II, but Shakespeare drew inspiration from its natural beauty. setting ” As you like it” . Check out the full list for more – and some vacation inspiration. [ via Atlas Obscura ]
The prince remembered in songs you may not have known he wrote
Everyone has their favorite Prince songs that they knew and loved, but did you know that Prince was a great songwriter who wrote hits from artists like Sinead O’Connor, MC Hammer, Chaka Khan and Stevie Nicks?
This video from Vox features 11 hugely popular songs that you’ve probably heard at some point and probably not associated with Prince, but should. After all, he wrote them. [ via Kottke ]
The Science of Boredom and Why It Matters
The Amazingly Awesome podcast this week touched on a topic that is close and dear to our hearts: boredom. In particular, why we get bored, how easy it is for people to get bored, and, of course, the real purpose of boredom is for human development and behavior. We explained that boredom, distraction and procrastination have a bad reputation and are actually very necessary for all of us, but in this episode, the team behind the show actually makes themselves bored – I mean, locked in a room they have nothing to do bored – and explore why it happens, how it happens and how they felt before, during, and after.
The show also penetrates the semantics of boredom by describing things as boring and what it means when you call something boring. Some people resent the fact that their interests or ideas might be considered boring to someone else, but for others it is just a descriptor that carries a less emotional baggage. They also discuss how society considers itself boring because of your social status, profession, class, or whatever. For something so important, you probably didn’t know that this word carried that much weight. [ viaGimlet Media ]
How to make matzo nachos for Easter (or anytime)
This is problematic to say the least, but I love to run out and buy matzo when there is one. This thin crisp is the perfect base for a variety of items that are drier and crisper than crackers (and cheaper). Usually they make killer PB&Js out of them, but Epicurious has a killer nacho matzo recipe that just reminds me to go and get a huge pack of them while they’re still on sale. [ viaEpicurious ]
What does Android mean when it says it charges “slow” or “fast”
In later versions of Android, you may notice that on the lock screen, after connecting your phone to a power source, it will inform you that it is either charging or charging slowly , or better yet, charging fast . Each of these phrases actually means something, and if your phone freezes and charges slowly, it could be an easy fix.
One curious Android user asked the Android StackExhcnage community what was going on with their device, and the answer is simple – and implies what you may already know:
Android simply tells you that the power source you plugged your device into is not supplying enough power to charge quickly.
It seems that:
- ” Slow charge ” means less than 1A (at 5V) ,
- “ Charging ” means 1 A to 1.5 A ,
- ” Fast charge ” means more than 1.5 A.
Simply put, if your phone is “charging slowly” and you want to speed it up, you should connect it to an outlet using a charging cable or a power adapter capable of handling at least 1-1.5 A of current, and replace the charging cables. (in case cable is a problem) or switch the USB ports on your computer if you are charging from a laptop or other device. [ via StackExchange ]
You Suck at Cooking’s Favorite Kitchen Tricks
You Suck at Cooking is one of my favorite YouTube channels (seriously, subscribe, watch the lag, especially theCold Brew coffee episode and enjoy) and the last episode is all about kitchen tricks!
But hold your tongue tightly to your cheek. The hacks themselves really work! …like. And beware of the spice thief.
Everyone this week! If you have thought-provoking stories, interesting podcasts, eye-opening videos, or anything else that you think is perfect for Brain Buffet, share it with us! Send it to me by email , leave it as a comment below, or send it in any way convenient for you.