Explaining Monty Hall’s Problem, Why Textbooks Are so Expensive, and Live Streaming With Kittens
This week, we’re planning a pinball-themed country tour, looking at some of the most significant buildings of the last hundred years, and wrapping it all off with adorable kittens streaming live right now.
The most outstanding buildings in the last hundred years
I am certainly not an architect, but I am a lover of interesting and beautifully designed buildings – structures that break stereotypes and function as shelter and art. Luckily, The Architectural Record has just selected their 125 best buildings from the last 100 (plus) years, highlighting each’s contributions to art, architecture and progressive design.
The list is full of old classics and some new, futuristic and modern buildings, so if you’re a fan of both old and classy and sweeping and elegant, you’ll find something to fall in love with on this list. For example, the High Line in New York, the Heydar Aliyev Center in Azerbaijan and, as shown above, the Diamond Ranch High School in California are all listed along with some other buildings that you will probably recognize from history books or documentaries. films about the most famous places in the world. But don’t be fooled – there are plenty of surprises too. [ via Architectural Record , thanks Kottke ! ]
Why textbook prices keep going up for no reason
Anyone who has gone to college in the past few decades can tell you about the ridiculous prices of textbooks. Sometimes this is a course where the professor insists that you buy the book he wrote, and of course the latest edition. Sometimes it’s because so many scientific texts are in the hands of fewer and fewer publishers. Either way, this episode of the Planet Money podcast explains why and what the reasons are behind the ever-increasing prices. This is an old episode, but it was recently replayed on air for good reason. [ via Planet Money NPR ]
Plan a pinball-themed cross country trip
Atlas Obscura staff always have something fun to tell us about our world and the amazing, often invisible places in it, but if you’re a pinball fanatic, this interactive Google map and road trip will definitely tickle your imagination.
Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of pinball – it’s just not the kind of hobby I’ve ever gotten into – but I can absolutely admire the kitsch aspect of it all and the love for quirky, interesting and unique pinball machines that, at best, only when -or several pieces were made. Atlas Obscura details the rapid rise and popularity of pinball here, and its sharp decline for the uninitiated like me.
The interactive map (above) on Google Maps comes preloaded with a ride to the best and most famous pinball arcade games in America, with essential information for each destination, perfect for the vacation you are planning to take. Pack your bags. [ via Google Maps , thanks Atlas Obscura ! ]
Explaining the Monty Hall problem
The Monty Hall Problem is a famous conundrum that shows exactly how people will behave irrationally, even when presented with a situation that is fairly easy to understand mathematically. The video above, by Numberphile, describes the problem and its real-world solution pretty well, but for a good read on the topic, it’s worth checking out Priceonomics’ essay “The Time When Everyone Corrected” The World’s Smartest Woman . “ She correctly answered Monty Hall’s problem in a Parade Magazine column, and asked everyone from hobbyists to PhDs to come out of the wood workshop to explain how “wrong” she was. The problem was, she was right and she knew it.
Likewise, Kottke – where I got this video – also has an instructive explanation of the problem and how deceptively simple it really is. Watch the video and then watch the entire snippet. [ via Numberphile , thanks Kottke ! ]
Live stream of kittens. Kittens all day.
You look like you could have kittens on your day. Click Play. Watch the kittens play, sleep, clumsy, you know, everything the kittens (and their mom, of course) do during the day. Expand it full screen and place it on a second monitor while you work. Manage your stress levels. Have a nice week. [via Kitten Academy ]
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! Email me , leave it as a comment below, or send it in any way convenient for you.