I realize you probably won’t have time to read these now that the new season of House of Cards is available, but on the off chance you do, here’s some interesting things we’ve read this week. Who is Arthur Chu? One man recently turned the world of Jeopardy on its head, hunting for Daily Doubles and using game theory in placing if final wagers. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s got some fans of the show so upset, they’re demanding an apology. Legendary Jeopardy…
Read MoreCongratulations for surviving a frigid January, but before you run off to find a rodent’s shadow, Bill Murray would want you to check out these links. The final frontier Even if you don’t find yourself adrift in space like Sandra Bullock’s character in Gravity, being in space is not kind to your body. High score How, exactly, did Nintendo’s Duck Hunt gun work? Vegas baby! Grantland takes a look at the making of the movie Swingers and it’s so money. LMSTFY Link-shortening service Bitly has…
Read MoreEach week we bring you a round-up of stories we’ve read and discussed around the office this week. Today we’ve got a bunch of stories about how we act online. Your passwords are terrible The annual list of the most popular passwords is out, and “123456” has usurped “password” to top the list. If your favorite password is on this list, change it right now. OK, computer How to date like a mathematician. Facebook deathwatch, part 47 From almost the moment it was founded, people…
Read MoreThis week’s edition brings you stories of new ventures and odd diplomacy, of our changing language and how our reading habits affect us, and of how we see the world. Because language It’s widely accepted that the English language is constantly changing (much to the chagrin of sticklers everywhere), but implicit in that statement is that English is only one language. Really it’s more like a family of languages, all growing and changing at their own pace. Bookish According to a new study, reading a…
Read MoreWelcome back to the HodgePodge, our weekly round-up of interesting stories we’ve read, shared and discussed around the THP offices. Let’s get right to it. Behind the turntable If there’s one thing you’ve been dying to know, it’s the story behind Sir Mix-a-Lot’s hit Baby Got Back. The only failure would be a failure to fail… or something How should you fail? Early and often. Sorry about the weather The polar vortex might put a damper on post-New Year’s gym sign-ups, which could be back…
Read MoreYesterday we sent out our final Press Box newsletter of the year and it was topped with the animated GIF above. For those who missed it (or whose email clients don’t support animated GIFs), we thought we’d share it here as well. If you didn’t get the newsletter, and you want to, you can sign up here.
Read MoreIn this final edition of HodgePodge for 2013, we’ve got Quartz’s favorite charts of 2013, Apple and Facebook’s impressive headquarters, a bit of naysaying about Instagram’s newest feature, a story about what happens to flooded cars and a closer looks at some high-end gift guides. Chart of charts If you love a good chart, check out Quartz’s favorite charts of 2013. Rooftop gardens are big this year When it comes to headquarters buildings, the latest trend in Silicon Valley is to eschew the non-descript office…
Read MoreThis could be a story about how Jack Kerouac contributed to the economy by using Willie Nelson’s guitar to imitate Vermeer sending a rude text message. Survey says Anyone who has ever taken a high school English literature class has surely wondered whether all the purported symbolism was legit. In 1963, 16-year-old Bruce McAllister decided to actually find out, so he mailed a questionnaire to 150 authors. What about arts tourism? According to new government research, arts and culture makes up a larger portion of…
Read MoreToday’s edition of HodgePodge brings you stories on the dismal science of Star Trek, a really old ocean, breaking the seal, Jony and Marc’s red objects, and America’s Sherlock. Where no invisible hand has gone before What’s geekier than talking about economics? Talking about Star Trek. What’s geekier than talking about Star Trek? Talking about the economics of Star Trek. The ocean at the end of the… other ocean Seawater believed to be 100 to 150 million years old has been discovered under the Chesapeake…
Read MoreHere’s your weekly look at some of the interesting stories we’ve read (and heard) this week. Coffee hacks You can keep your official NFL McDonald’s happy meal and official Hunger Games: Catching Fire Subway sandwich, I’ll take a fan-improvised Starbucks Butterbeer, please. American football The BBC wonders if MLS can survive and thrive. I’d love to see the league move to a more-traditional system of promotion and relegation, but that seems pretty unlikely. This Kai My commute home is really not complete without hearing the…
Read MoreHere’s your weekly look at the most interesting articles we’ve read around the office. TWI-P-O Twitter launched its long-awaited initial public offering this week. Here’s a helpful flow chart to help you decide whether to buy Twitter stock. Poynter takes a look at some media outlets’ first tweets. Time has a helpful tool for you to calculate your share of Twitter’s value. Can’t buy me love But, when it comes to wine, at least, money can buy happiness, says Reuters’ Felix Salmon. Shouldn’t it be…
Read MoreStep away from the Halloween candy and take a few moments to check out these stories about the FAA, unplugging, Mike Tyson, the perfect food and the most-quoted man. Angry Birds in flight The big news of the week is the new FAA ruling to allow electronic devices “gate-to-gate” on airplanes. If you don’t want to use up one of your free Times articles, here’s CNN’s take. No app for that Wired’s Mat Honan says it’s not the fault of technology that you can’t get…
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