What We Learned This Week
Welcome to "What We Learned This Week," a regular feature where we share all the most interesting nuggets of information we picked up in the past week.
The Secret Life Of Tim Jacobus, Goosebumps Illustrator
A visit with the man who drew your childhood terrors.
What Happens When You Combine The DNA Of Three Different People
A team of scientists in northern England are close to perfecting a method of manipulating early human embryos that could help women with genetic disorders have healthy children. But the practice is controversial: it requires the healthy mitochondrial DNA of a third donor. "It speaks to something very deep and emotional in the human psyche about how human reproduction is supposed to work," says David King, a scientist who runs a genetics research watchdog group. "That's something that can potentially lead to this future of designer babies and consumer eugenics."
Cops Are Getting Trained In How To Rip You Off Best
Civil asset forfeiture allows authorities to seize property suspected of having ties to crime without even filing a criminal charge you. Police departments across the country have been using it to pad their budgets and lately the practice has exploded. Over $4 billion in assets were seized in 2012, up from just $407 million in 2001. It's become so lucrative that police are even taking seminars on how to rob the general public more effectively. Tips include avoiding jewelry (too hard to sell) and concentrating on exotic vehicles, cash and flat screen TVs. If given the chance to raid police departments, we'd probably seize their military surplus vehicles, mustache combs and sense of entitlement.
Why We Like The Smell Of Our Own Farts
Whoever "smelt" it may have dealt it, but that doesn't mean they didn't enjoy it.
Competitive Swimming Has A Massive Sexual Assault Problem
Cases of sexual abuse happen in every sport and in every culture. But swimming is a sport where young female talent excels under the tutelage of predominantly older men and it appears to happen with alarming frequency. USA Swimming has banned 107 coaches for life — 76 of those for sexual misconduct. But many in the community argue that USA Swimming hasn't done enough to stop the abuse and has even actively worked against victims of abuse, orchestrating cover-ups, moving (but not removing) problem coaches, and threatening litigation to silence those who tried to speak up.
DARPA Wants To Build Flying Aircraft Carriers
Someone at DARPA finally got around to watching Avengers. The agency is looking for people to submit design proposals for a "large aircraft that, with minimal modification, could launch and recover multiple small unmanned systems from a standoff distance."
The Math Behind The Hipster Effect
Being called a "hipster" is meaningless. It's an attempt to differentiate someone from the accepted cultural norm. But now "hipsters" are the cultural norm. How'd it happen? In short, this mathematical model proves that when everyone wants to look different, everyone starts looking the same. You can abbreviate it as "Beard + Suspenders + Fedora = Ugh."
Who The Hell Keeps Calling Me?
"On October 25th, while dancing at a wedding, my phone lit up with texts and calls from friends, letting me know I'd been doxxed by Gamergate. Since that initial posting, I've received death threats in the mail and over the phone, had my credit card and several online accounts compromised and, of course, the phone calls."
Previous female orgasm research can be split into two distinct camps: the reproductive success camp — making sex feel good makes us have more of it and therefore reproduce more — and the byproduct camp — women began with the same basic genetic code as men who must orgasm to reproduce, so they can as well. Now a new study has found that orgasms allow women to choose better male partners, bolstering those in the reproductive success camp.
What The Coldest Day Of The Year Will Be In Your City
The weather changes constantly (duh), but if you want to "work from home" or have an emergency "doctor's appointment" during the coldest day of the year in your area, you should probably consult this map.
Russian Women Are Going To Gold Digging Academies
"Never wear jewelry on a first date, the man should think you're poor," a teacher tells a classroom full of blonde women. "Make him want to buy you jewelry. Arrive in a broken-down car: make him want to buy you a smarter one." All over Moscow, women are paying thousands for lessons on how to land a wealthy man. The basic rate for a Russian mistress is an apartment, $4,000 a month, a car and bi-annual holidays. It sounds expensive, but Russia is a buyer's market with hundreds of would-be mistresses for every wealthy man capable of paying for their company.
There Is A Rocket-Powered Bicycle That Goes 207 MPH
Last week, Francois Gissy strapped rockets to a bicycle and reached 207 MPH in under five seconds. What did you do last week?
The Countries Without Militaries
22 nations don't have a standing military — well 23 if you discount the Vatican's largely ceremonial Swiss Guard — and the reasons aren't always about pacifism. Some are simply too small to make an attractive target. Others abolished their military after bad experiences with military coups. And a few were forced to disband their armies by the good ol' U.S. Army.
Mormon Church Finally Admits Its Founder Had Up To 40 Wives
The fact that Joseph Smith took as many as 40 wives was one of the worst-kept secrets in religion. But for the first time, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has openly admitted it. "We need to be truthful, and we need to understand our history," Elder Steven E. Snow, the church historian, said. "I believe our history is full of stories of faith and devotion and sacrifice, but these people weren't perfect."
The Richest 0.1% Is About To Control More Wealth Than The Bottom 90%
160,000 families with assets exceeding $20 million make up the top 0.1% of the American economic pyramid. Now, for the first time in over 50 years, they are about to surpass the wealth of the bottom 90%. Welcome to the new age of inequality, same as the old age of inequality.
Jen Selter is a health icon. Kim Kardashian's derriere broke the Internet. There's a Kickstarter to buy Taylor Swift butt implants. Truly, this is the golden age of the ass.
What The South Park Kids Look Like In Real Life
South Park used Oculus Rift and The Matrix to break reality and bring us a terrifying glimpse behind the paper cutouts.