Nerds! You're all nerds!

npr:

Unlike many celebrity chefs, who treat cooking like some mystical and convoluted ritual, Ina Garten (The Barefoot Countessa) approaches each dish with the nonchalance of someone who could be doing something else. That’s because she could be. Between 1974 and 1978, Garten worked in the Office of Management and Budget at the White House; starting in 1976, she was responsible for the budget of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and for part of the Department of Energy’s. How Garten went from analyzing nuclear policy to overseeing her own cooking empire is one of the unlikelier stories of American reinvention.

— How Ina Garten went from nuclear policy analyst to beloved chef. Mark Joseph Stern - Second Acts - Slate Hive

Photo: Therealbs2002/Wikipedia

I *knew* I liked Ina Garten for a reason!

npr:

buzzfeed:

You may have seen The Great Gatsby over the weekend, but wait until you see The Great Catsby. 

Of course. — tanya b.

Fancy feet Friday. I am so pale I am practically translucent.

If Morris ever retired, Tesla could easily take over as #9lives cat model. #crazycatlady

Murder cat is ready to murder you #crazycatlady #tesla

lookhigh:

To Make Mice Smarter, Add A Few Human Brain Cells

Scientists have injected some human glial cells into the brains of newborn mice. When the mice grew up, they were faster learners. A study, published Thursday in Cell Stem Cell, not only introduces a new tool to study the mechanisms of the human brain, it supports the hypothesis that glial cells — and not just neurons — play an important role in learning. 

The researchers say these mice are measurably smarter. In classic maze tests, they learn faster. “They make many fewer errors, and it takes them less time to come to the appropriate answer,” says Steve Goldman, a neuroscientist at the University of Rochester who has studied brain cells for decades.

It might take a normal mouse four or five attempts to learn the correct route, for example. But a mouse with human brain cells could get it on the second try. Glial cells — those boring glial cells — somehow enhance learning. (NPR)

Glia aren’t boring!!! I’m offended by the last sentence!

(via npr)

nprfreshair:

Michael Moss tells Dave Davies about Coke’s marketing strategy:

Within Coke they referred to their best customers not as you might think, ‘consumers’ or ‘loyal fans’ or something like that. They became known as ‘heavy users.’ And Coke had a formula … that basically said, ‘20 percent of the people will use 80 percent of the product’ and, as Coke saw it, it was worth their while more to focus on those 20 percent using 80 percent of the product than to try to generate more consumption by the other 80 percent. So the heavy users of soda became those people who were drinking as many as 1000 cans of soda a year sometimes even more.

Image via kpishdadi/Flickr

1000 cans of soda a year?! Damn.

figmentdotcom:

New picture from Ender’s Game movie, and the logos of the Battle School teams. In theaters November 1, 2013; summary below:

In the near future, a hostile alien race (called the Formics) have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young children to find the future Mazer. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy, but strategically brilliant boy is pulled out of his school to join the elite. 

Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult war games, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the military’s next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he’s trained by Mazer Rackham, himself, to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.

Based on the best-selling, award winning novel, ENDER’S GAME is an epic adventure which stars Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, with Abigail Breslin and Harrison Ford.

I really hope they don’t screw this up. I’m going to see it (of course, how could I not?), and I would hate it if they ruined it forever.

I knitted a shawl! …Tesla took a nap on it.

Yeah…I’m not counting that. #orchestra

nprfreshair:

Have a good night. Have a good weekend. Take a load off. Have a drink or two with some friends who may or may not all be named Bill Murray.

wilsongilson:

Met an artist last night who does chalk murals at a local bar every few months. Can you believe this got rubbed out? Its the best thing I’ve ever seen.

Artists name is Justin Cozens.

Via The Huffington Post

This is just lovely. I’m not sure how I feel about Caddyshack Murray being the server though. I might’ve picked the one from STRIPES.

susannawolff:

collegehumor:

Downton Abbey Character Name Guide

Just jumping in to Downton Abbey? Or just bad at remembering people? Here’s the fastest, simplest character primer.

I hope this helps.

Poor Edith.

(via ilovecharts)