Even if only a fraction of the outsiders decide to see the eclipse, their travel could have outsized effects. “Only 4 percent of the population of the U.S. has to travel to the path of totality to double the population there,” said Angela Speck, a professor of astronomy at the University of Missouri. That kind of population spike would probably barely be noticeable if eclipse seekers were to spread evenly across the path. But where you are on the path matters — the closer you get to the central strip of that ribbon of land, the longer the sky show will be. It’s the difference between a few seconds of darkness at the edge of the path and a full two minutes at its center. Because visitors get the longest show on the path’s centerline, they’re likely to converge on the towns there.
Category: What I’m reading
This image is why self-driving cars need many types of sensors
You’re looking at what’s known in the autonomous-car industry as an “edge case”—a situation where a vehicle might have behaved unpredictably because its software processed an unusual scenario differently from the way a human would. In this example, image-recognition software applied to data from a regular camera has been fooled …
How a Group of ’70s Radicals Tried (and Failed) to Invade Disneyland
When August 6 arrived, it wasn’t the debilitating scene everyone expected. A few hundred Yippies filtered in throughout the day, but they were barely organized and, for a while, totally harmless. No Black Panthers showed up for shortstacks. Minnie Mouse remained firmly in the patriarchy’s clutches. But at some point, …
So Many Critics of Economics Miss What It Gets Right
Listen to your data – it’s telling you a story with it’s own plot, characters, pacing, and whatnot. Theory that doesn’t start with data ain’t worth jack shit.
Second, economics is becoming a lot more empirical, focusing more on examining the data than on constructing yet more theories. Economist Daniel Hamermesh classified papers in top economics journals in 2013, and discovered that the discipline has shifted strongly away from theory since the mid-1980s.
Source: So Many Critics of Economics Miss What It Gets Right – Bloomberg
Apparently vodka is an effective treatment for ethylene glycol poisoning in pets
Vodka; is there anything it doesn’t do?
The two antidotes for ethylene glycol poisonings are 1) a medication called fomepizole or 2) ethanol, the type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks. Commercially made pharmaceutical antidotes (i.e., fomepizole) are the preferred treatment choice; however, this drug can be expensive and some veterinary hospitals do not carry it. Because of its low cost and ease of availability, alcohol (ethanol) is the antidote of choice for some veterinarians. Both antidotes work the same way by blocking the formation of ethylene glycol’s toxic metabolites that lead to acidosis and kidney damage.
Source: Antifreeze Poisoning… Vodka as an Antidote? | Pet Poison Helpline
The Smallest Town in Every State
A list of the smallest town in every state in the union. Here’s New York’s:
Dering Harbor, N.Y. — Population 11
This tiny, old-money village on the north side of Shelter Island is nestled between the forks ofLong Island‘s east end. Rent a kayak and paddle through the gorgeous Mashomack Wildlife Preserve, keeping an eye out for ospreys and the endangered piping plover. Residents of Dering Harbor can also brag that no one who calls the tiny village home lives below the poverty line, and in fact most live far, far above it, as the median family income is $98,750.
Source: MSN: The Smallest Town in Every State (via Deslidified – because I hate slideshows)
Defense of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop offers case study on how to sell snake oil
In case you’re unfamiliar—or just need an empowering refresher—Goop is a site directed mostly toward affluent women that peddles pricey products and overuses the word “empower” while dabbling in many forms of pseudoscience and quackery—everything from homeopathy to magic crystals and garden-variety dietary-supplement nonsense. Despite all logic and much hope for humankind, Goop has proven successful. With a posh, new-age vibe and Paltrow’s celeb status, it raised $15 to $20 million in venture capital last year alone. This year, the Goop group teamed up with Condé Nast to begin publishing a quarterly print magazine as well as digital content.
Amid the success, journalists, medical professionals, and public health experts have thrown swift, science-powered punches against this brand of high-end hocus pocus. There are blogs, news stories, and even a book titled “Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?,” slamming Goop’s products and advice.
Source: Defense of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop offers case study on how to sell snake oil | Ars Technica
How did the Apollo Lunar Rover get to the moon?
Efficency Gap, The algorithm that convinced SCOTUS to take the Wisconsin gerrymandering case
For more than three decades, the Supreme Court has recognized that severe partisan gerrymandering can violate the Constitution. But until Whitford, not a single federal court had struck down a map on this basis. Early litigants lost because the standard the courts used prior to 2004 was so demanding it could never be met. Since 2004, the courts haven’t even been able to agree on a test, rendering most lawsuits hopeless. However, in a 2006 case, five justices expressed interest in statistical metrics that show how a plan benefits (or handicaps) a given party. The efficiency gap is such a metric.
Source: The research that convinced SCOTUS to take the Wisconsin gerrymandering case, explained – Vox
Robert Recorde = Inventor the equals symbol
Robert Recorde was one of those people so extraordinarily ahead of his time that he seemed destined to come to a tragic end. In the 16th century, he made advances in economics, medicine, theology, and poetry. But his greatest contribution is taught to every elementary school child, and it arguably laid the groundwork for modern computer science. He invented the equals sign.
Source: The strange and righteous history of the equals sign