Imitation Physical Woman Understanding Mirror Dung
The Imitation Economy by Drake Bennett (Boston Globe): Successfully imitating something is harder than it looks, and the modern culture of innovation being especially prized is unusual in human history.
Woman On The Verge by Camilla Nichols (The Guardian): Nichols describes her nervous breakdown, how she got from being a successful media executive to being unable to leave the house, and what got her back to sanity. Her story isn’t out of the ordinary, but it does emphasise that feeling depression isn’t always related to how you should be feeling.
They Just Want To Look In The Mirror by William T. Vollmann (Vice): Author visits a discreet Japanese salon, where Japanese businessmen go to be made up to look like a woman for a few hours, and then go home to their wives and family who are none the wiser. [via]
Understanding The Split Personality Of Iceland’s Volcanoes by John Timmer (Ars Technica): Eyjafjallajökull is a bitch to pronounce, has cost John Cleese at least $5000, and may yet erupt again. Timmer goes through the geology of Iceland’s volcanoes, and why they’re unique in the world of volcanoes, and what that might mean for international travel.
From Dung To Coffee Brew With No Aftertaste by Norimitsu Onishi (New York Times): How much do you think a coffee bean eaten and excreted by a civet would be worth? Mostly because the actions of the digestive juices of the civet mean that the coffee is the smoothest and chocolatey out there, you’re looking at $100 per kg, which has resulted in a growth industry for Indonesia and the Phillipines.
Staircase Signs: Easiest Physical Intervention Ever by Peter Janiszewski (Obesity Panacea): People are more likely to use staircases if they’re in plain view, and more likely to use staircases if there’s a sign next to the elevator saying how many calories you burn taking the stairs.
