Apologies for the long drought between blogs. Has the world produced less news of interest, or have I been delayed by my crippling donut addiction? Let’s pretend it’s the former. But for now, I offer some shiny information baubles that have caught my eye. The Green Fairy Lives I’ve always had a fascination with absinthe, the only alcoholic drink (that I know of) to come with its own supernatural mythology. And what a deliciously creepy mythology it is! The drink itself is supposed to be infused with "la fée verte,” or the green fairy, a tormentor of the mind and soul—one happily … [Read more...]
Lovesick Snails and Explosive-Detecting Spinach
I’m back with another roundup of my favorite fun-sized developments in science and tech. Call it future-lite; my bi-weekly opportunity to gush about goofy science instead of soul-crushing altered humanity. Eagles vs. Drones The Dutch have opened a new front in the war against drones. Not to be outdone by the Russians, who use medieval warriors to spear them out of the sky, the Dutch national police are now training bald eagles attack hostile drones. We’ve seen videos of untrained birds of prey knocking drones out of the sky; the next logical step is to recruit them for your security … [Read more...]