An impossible challenge, a spectacular drone, and a goose.
27th February 2023
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Heads up! This newsletter is more than a year old. Links may be out of date or lead to unexpected places, or the context may have changed. Please handle with care.
Hello!
This week, I'm headed to Wellington, because this is "impossible", but New Zealand is trying anyway. I really don't like YouTube curiosity-gap titles, but I've got to admit they work: there's nothing else that'd get people to click on a video about killing rats. (Even just adding those final two words probably decreased the number of people who'll click that link.)
This week, I'm headed to Wellington, because this is "impossible", but New Zealand is trying anyway. I really don't like YouTube curiosity-gap titles, but I've got to admit they work: there's nothing else that'd get people to click on a video about killing rats. (Even just adding those final two words probably decreased the number of people who'll click that link.)
And of course, Lateral continues! This week, William Osman, Dani Siller and Bill Sunderland face questions about statesmanly statues, parking perks and bountiful birthdays.
What else has been going on in the world of video? Well:
- It's rare for me to link to a channel rather than a specific video, but Beryl Shereshewsky's videos are an absolute delight, and you will probably find different ones interesting than me. Exploring the world through food — and, crucially, inviting her viewers to send in their suggestions. This isn't someone just digging up a cookbook from other countries: this is someone asking for advice, and it's joyful to watch.
- And now, two videos I don't have to make any more: I've had "Project HARP" on my research list for a long time, but Real Engineering has made the definitive video on it. It's a gun that was meant to fire all the way to space.
- And a video that I decided was too large and sensitive a project for my current one-a-week schedule: the "potential environmental nuclear bomb" of the disappearing Great Salt Lake in Utah.
- If you'd have told me that this footage of an FPV drone climbing the Matterhorn in seconds was a CG render, I'd have believed you: it looks unreal, almost hyper-real, apart from maybe the dusting of snow in the air right at the top.
Other interesting links I've found this week:
- In 2013, it was revealed that certain models of Xerox photocopier would alter numbers in scanned documents, seemingly at random. (Thanks to
Joris for reminding me about this!)
- Inside the catfishing factory (While journalistic, has themes not suitable for children): the details of how
text-chat services exploit their users and their operators.
- The songwriting industry is suffering (Occasional strong language): now that albums are barely being bought,
streaming isn't paying what retail purchases used to.
- Ever see an abstract of a paper and think "that can't be true"? I don't have access to see if the methodology holds up, but apparently very low frequency sound makes people more likely to dance at a club.
And finally: advances in goose bath technology. (There are details in the replies.)
All the best,
— Tom
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