All posts tagged: ode

Ode to Miller Lite – The Atlantic

Ode to Miller Lite – The Atlantic

Published by José Betancourt

One of the many humiliations that arrive in your 30s is the grudging recognition that a parent was right about something. For some people, their parents were right about a financial decision they recommended, or a romantic relationship they disapproved of. My dad was right about a 96-calorie American lager produced in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “It’s hard to get in trouble drinking Miller Lite,” was my father’s advice, dispensed repeatedly throughout my young adulthood—usually after he’d spied me carefully tipping an over-hopped beer out of a florid can and into a stupidly shaped glass. For years, I wrote off his wisdom as the curmudgeonly philosophy of a man too stubborn to join the Craft Beer Revolution. Why would anyone still drink mass-produced piss water when you could stock your fridge with $21 four-packs made with love and genius by regional artisans? It was like watching a black-and-white boob tube in the age of 4K flatscreens. In my 20s, I turned enjoying craft beer—and booze in general—into a minor hobby. I stood in long lines to buy …

Two excellent new sci-fi novels, Luminous by Silvia Park and Ode to the Half-Broken by Suzanne Parker, tackle robots in very different ways

Two excellent new sci-fi novels, Luminous by Silvia Park and Ode to the Half-Broken by Suzanne Parker, tackle robots in very different ways

Published by skeptic

Do we relate better to stories about robots with faces and bodies? Carlos Castilla/Alamy Ode to the Half-BrokenSuzanne Palmer, Daw Books LuminousSylvia Park, Magpie Robots and whether they will one day deserve to be treated like people – or destroy humanity, or both – have interested writers for well over a century now. In the real world, the robot threat appears to involve the uses of artificial intelligence in misinformation and more direct forms of warfare such as drone attacks. In the world of literature, however, many writers focus on individual robots. Maybe giving the AI a body and a face simply helps tell your story better to creatures with bodies and faces. Fictional robots have a lot going for them. They can be funny, cool or sexy. They can be nerdy and a bit depressed. Some represent “the other”, a test of how humane we are. They can also help us think about concepts of ownership that may apply to our treatment of pets or farm animals. And they can be terrifying killing machines. …

An ode to NYC in orchids, from the mysterious Mr. Flower Fantastic : NPR

An ode to NYC in orchids, from the mysterious Mr. Flower Fantastic : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

The floral designer known as Mr. Flower Fantastic wears a gas mask and gloves because he’s allergic to flowers. New York Botanical Garden hide caption toggle caption New York Botanical Garden Mr. Flower Fantastic has worked with some big names and brands: Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, Spike Lee, Nike, Louis Vuitton, Netflix. Recently, when the Chicago Bulls retired point guard Derrick Rose’s jersey number, Mr. Flower Fantastic covered an outdoor basketball court in a portrait made of roses and carnations. “It took thousands of flowers to pull this off — in the middle of winter. In Chicago,” the artist said, laughing. “It was really special.” Hundreds of people lined up in the cold to see it. The floral artist — who says he often goes by “MFF” or “Flower” — stays anonymous because he wants the focus to be on his work. Usually when he’s out in public, he wears a gas mask and gloves, which both hide his identity and protect his health (ironically, he’s allergic to flowers). But today, showing a reporter around …

An ode to slugs, the mascots of post-holiday laziness

An ode to slugs, the mascots of post-holiday laziness

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. The winter months and post-holiday slump are notorious for their ability to turn even the most prepared person into a lethargic lump until the spring thaw. But if it makes you feel any better, you aren’t alone in the sluggish lifestyle. The staff at the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, Maryland, recently extended a sympathetic hand to the slimy mollusks with a few bits of trivia on their neighborhood slug population, who they describe as the “ultimate slow movers.” For one thing, slugs will absolutely retreat into their homes if the conditions aren’t to their liking. In fact, the gastropods will often hide underground to ensure they avoid some of the coldest ambient temperatures. But it’s not always a death sentence when they can’t escape the frost. Studies have also shown that some species can endure extra-cellular ice formations in their tissues for at least some period of time. Meanwhile, their eggs have likely evolved to withstand …