1. Hulu.com - As if we (meaning me) needed any more internet distractions, this website has high quality full episodes of your favorite tv shows and movies. For free. Check it out.
2. The Global Seed Vault - Located above the Arctic Circle on a remote Norwegian island, this is a Fort Knox for food. Nations from around the world are contributing native seeds in an attempt to store and maintain every known type of seed in existence. With plant species disappearing at an incredible rate due to climate change, war, and deforestation among other things, scientists have developed a plan to collect and protect one of the world's most valuable natural resources.
3. The Invisibility Cloak - Scientists at UC Berkley have engineered two new materials (one using a fishnet of metal layers and the other made of tiny silver wires) that neither absorb nor reflect light. These materials work on the principle of refraction and could make Harry Potter's invisibility cloak a reality.
4. The Seven New Deadly Sins - Yep. That's right. The Vatican is keeping up with the times. In case you're interested - bioethical sins, morally dubious experiments that harm human embryos, drug abuse, polluting, social injustice, accumulating excessive wealth, and creating poverty are all big no-noes now.
5. Sound Enhanced Food - A British chef has been experimenting with how sound affects the taste of food. He found that listening to a recording of breaking ocean waves while you eat an oyster makes it taste 30% saltier than if you listen to a recording of barnyard animals.
Some of my favorite inventions that didn't make the list...
- Heated Automotive Seats
- Coke Zero
- The Magic Eraser
- The Pilot G2 Pen
What are your favorite creature comforts?
