FTA: "That legal assessment of the defeat device scandal seems to have held up as the researchers analyzed the cars’...

FTA: "That legal assessment of the defeat device scandal seems to have held up as the researchers analyzed the cars’ code. The VWs and Audis in question checked for a number of parameters at startup, and if a lab test was a possibility, the car would start with that assumption, enabling full emissions controls. The code permitted the car “to operate... as if two distinct personalities took turns controlling the vehicle,” the paper’s authors wrote."
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2017/05/volkswagen-bosch-fiat-diesel-emissions-cheats-cracked-open-in-new-research/

I saw Star Wars (I will die calling it that while all the younger nerds run around tut-tutting and calling it "A New...

I saw Star Wars (I will die calling it that while all the younger nerds run around tut-tutting and calling it "A New Hope") in the theater in July, 1977 at the ripe old age of 8. It was a magical moment.

I remember my mind being absolutely blown away at the spectacles and concepts the original film included. Holograms. Laser swords. Credible space ships that were made to kick ass, not just weaponized for self-defense (sorry, Enterprise). Bad guys that I actually feared. Good guys that I really liked. Aliens that weren't clearly people in blue make-up (sorry, Star Trek) and places that felt dirty and dangerous...that felt like they could be real.

In 1977, the state of the art in movie special effects wasn't very compelling at all, so a science-fiction blockbuster that was extraordinary in nearly every way had just that much more impact on young, impressionable minds like mine.

I was instantly obsessed. I conned my grandparents into taking me to see it a second time a few weeks later (seeing a movie twice in the theater was something you really almost never did in those days, at least if you weren't filthy rich). They didn't understand it, so I spent the evening after we went trying to explain it to them. (Aside: They seemed much older to me that day than they ever had before.)

While I'm certainly not the world's biggest uber-fan of Star Wars, I do sincerely look forward to every movie. Sometimes I'm thrilled beyond measure (The Empire Strikes Back) and sometimes I'm disappointed beyond words (The Phantom Menace). I've done my fair share of cursing George Lucas' directing while at the same time marvelling at the man's imagination and his insistence that the films' special effects break paradigms left and right.

I am sincerely glad for the "franchise" that is Star Wars. While I am delighted by one-off films that thrill and inspire and endure, I'm equally delighted by the series that give us both something to cherish and something to look forward to. I hope it continues to delight us for generations to come.

Originally shared by StarTalk

A long time ago… (40 years, to be exact!)
Happy Geek Pride Day!
May the Force be with you. Always.
Image: © 1977 Twentieth Century-Fox

Title

Ohh shots fired

Originally shared by Colin Fish

Ohh shots fired

My older kids watched it a lot, but I don't remember this episode of Barney.

My older kids watched it a lot, but I don't remember this episode of Barney.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5ZqYc1CZiw

::crying::

::crying::
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvT_gqs5ETk&feature=share

I love this so much. Go Toby!!

I love this so much. Go Toby!!
https://laughingsquid.com/guinness-world-record-fastest-time-dog-pop-100-balloons/

Now that is quite good.

Now that is quite good. Yummy, actually, and I'm not being the slightest bit sarcastic (I know!). The regular Soylent 2.0 makes an acceptable, adequate lunch. It's not something I look forward to, but not something I dread, either. But this Cacao flavor...well...it tastes like thick chocolate milk made with semi-sweet cocoa. I may have to only bring in one bottle at a time to work because I might just drink it because it's enjoyable.

A $900 million investment in sustainability is impressive no matter how you slice it.

A $900 million investment in sustainability is impressive no matter how you slice it.

Originally shared by Kam-Yung Soh

Nice milestone by LEGO. "After four years and a DKK 6 billion investment in two offshore wind farms, the LEGO Group has achieved its ambition to balance 100% of its energy use with energy from renewable sources. To celebrate, the LEGO Group has built the largest ever LEGO® brick wind turbine, a Guinness World Records™ title, and challenged children around the world to create their own renewable energy solutions.

Since 2012, the LEGO Group has supported the development of more than 160 megawatts of renewable energy. The latest investment is a 25% stake in the Burbo Bank Extension wind farm off the coast of Liverpool, UK. The wind farm, which was officially opened today, will generate clean power for more than 230,000 British households.
[...]
The total ouput from the investments by the LEGO Group in renewables now exceeds the energy consumed at all LEGO factories, stores and offices globally. In 2016, more than 360 gigawatt hours of energy were used by the LEGO Group to produce the more than 75 billion LEGO bricks sold around the world during the year.

Reaching the 100% renewable milestone was a target inspired by the LEGO Group’s partnership with the WWF Climate Savers programme. The LEGO Group works with other partners to advocate for investment in renewable energy and has joined the RE100, a global initiative of companies committed to using 100% renewable energy."
https://www.lego.com/en-gb/aboutus/news-room/2017/may/100-percent-renewable-milestone/

One of Cincinnati's most talented bands, still going strong after 30+ years.

One of Cincinnati's most talented bands, still going strong after 30+ years. If you were listening to alternative rock radio back in the early 80s, you might've heard this song (The Raisins' original 1983 version is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsFTi1DuZ8U )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFT3ZIoxI_A&feature=share

Watch this short video...you'll enjoy it and learn something.

Watch this short video...you'll enjoy it and learn something.
https://laughingsquid.com/dissecting-louis-c-k-joke/

#adorable

#adorable
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKMBgsPkWcM&feature=share

"Kids who attend public preschool programs are better prepared for kindergarten than kids who don't."

"Kids who attend public preschool programs are better prepared for kindergarten than kids who don't."

"That while all kids benefit from preschool, poor and disadvantaged kids often make the most gains."
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/05/03/524907739/pre-k-decades-worth-of-studies-one-strong-message?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=plus.google.com&utm_medium=social

OK, I'll admit it...I want McDonald's to succeed.

OK, I'll admit it...I want McDonald's to succeed. I want McDonald's to not suck, to offer good service, to make yummy, good-quality food, and to be a great company. If this totally off-the-wall ad campaign is a sign of things to come, I'm heartened, because it's McDonald's not taking itself so seriously that it can't poke a little fun at itself. And if fast food needs to be anything (besides compliant with health regulations, that is), it's fun. Otherwise, it really doesn't offer anything other than speed, and fast casual has covered that base pretty squarely now. Go, McD's...go for the slightly absurd...it can only help.
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/01/mcdonalds-invents-the-frork-to-pitch-its-new-burgers.html