How A Supernova Will Kill Us All And Other Facts
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.
A Nearby Supernova Would Definitely Kill Us All
On the scale of the cosmos, stars explode all the time — one about every 50 years. And if one were to go off within 50 light years of our humble planet, all life would slowly, painfully die out. It would all play out very movie-like. First, researchers deep within the mountains of Japan would detect a massive influx of neutrinos. Then, hours later, a powerful wave of radiation would slam into the planet frying anything — or anyone — in low Earth orbit. Our atmosphere would turn into a giant smog cloud — which if the high rates of cancer and birth defects don't do us in first — will eventually strangle life on Earth into nothingness.1
Quickly Descending Downhill On A Bicycle Is Hard
As anyone who has ridden a bicycle can attest: The most demanding part is riding up any sort of incline. You need to push on the pedals harder to maintain a frustratingly, exhaustingly slow speed. The same phenomenon applies to professional riders as well. They too must contend with grades and gravity. But while we get to leisurely coast on the downhill2 the professionals must tuck in, bomb corners and nail apexes in order to preserve whatever time they might have gained on the climb.3 It sounds like fun! Until you crash at 50 mph.
Bulk Shopping Is Bad
The moment we all stepped inside the Costco, we should have staggered back out in complete revulsion. How could anyone need a 2-gallon tub of ranch dressing, a 64-pack of chicken thighs or a barrel-sized barrel of pretzel rods? But the deals, the deals were too good. "We are saving so much money," we told ourselves. "We will find a way to consume the 5-pound block of Cracker Barrel cheddar." But we did not. We failed at one of America's few talents, consuming, to excel at another, finding a good deal. We may be saving money, but we are wasting food.
Watching The Night Sky Is The Best Use Of YouTube's 360 Feature
How could the ability to look around in 360-degrees enhance the viewing of Internet videos? We were not sure, until astronomer and YouTube personality Scott Manley recorded a 360-degree video of the night sky, illuminated with all of the known asteroids. Who would have thought that clicking on navigation arrows could so closely recreate that specific sense of childlike wonder found only in a planetarium? We certainly didn't.
Your Friends On Facebook Are Not More Popular Than You
Social networks are strange. Small amounts of people have large amounts of friends, while large amounts of people have small amounts of friends. This dynamic causes funny things to happen when it comes to trends. When popular people are seen doing something — say, three or four men just decided that earrings are cool again — their thousands of followers or friends become convinced that everyone is doing it, even though, in reality, only a handful of men are actually getting their ear pierced.4
The Best Hamburger Buns Are Made In Southern Pennsylvania
If you have eaten a Shackburger, you have eaten a Martin's potato roll. Baked in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania their combination of most softness, resiliency amidst a flood of burger juice, and subtle sweetness make them an ideal pairing for meats in patty and tube form. They are, and this is no hyperbole, The One True Hamburger Bun.
Have a great Fourth of July weekend!
The most exciting part being when you spin the pedals a few times to make absolutely sure that further pedal strokes have zero impact on your speed.
Or in some cases to catch back up with the group after falling behind on the climb.
In the marketing world, this is known as
