Open Thread

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Question of the Day

What is your favorite mythological creature?

In addition to literal answers like "unicorn," cheeky retorts like "a genuinely progressive US president" are also welcome.

Dr. Seuss + Ron Swanson = WIN

I fear that what you've heard, my friend
Is that I want a lot.
I shall my plea once more resend:
Give me all you've got.
[Image via BuzzFeed, by way of @scatx.]

Quote of the Day

The lonely emo prince played Rock Paper Scissors with his shadow to determine the next step in the course of his fate—but, alas, it was always a tie.

For awhile, I was posting pictures and silly things about Robert Pattinson, and how he delighted me, but people thought I was making fun of him, so I stopped. But he really does delight me! I like lots and lots of things about him, including and especially that he is a hair wizard, but most of all I love his sort of sanguine diffidence about his extraordinary level of fame by virtue of a cheesy franchise for which he cannot mask his amused contempt.

To wit, the Quote of the Day:

"Doing something like Twilight opens doors and it closes others. You can say, 'Oh if I was still unknown, then no-one would judge me,' but at the same time, nobody would give a shit, either."

This is followed in the article whence it came by "He laughs."

I like him.

Eureka!

Well, this happened in the world: Ten-year-old fifth-grader Clara Lazen discovered a new molecule.

[Lazen's] class assignment was to build a molecule using one of those modeling kits with the colorful balls and plastic connectors. Many kids would probably throw together a little H2O and call it a day — but not Clara. She randomly pieced together a combination of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon atoms to create a molecule her chemistry teacher, Kenneth Boehr, had never seen before.

"I just saw that these go together more," Clara told the Fox News local affiliate in Kansas City. "Like they fit more together. And they look better. And all the holes have to be filled in for it to be stable."

Astonished, Boehr emailed his friend Robert Zoellner, a computational chemist at Humbolt State, to confirm whether it was legit. "Ken sent me a picture of the molecule on my cell phone and usually I can tell right away if it's real," Zoellner says.

This time, he couldn't.

To check whether Lazen had just discovered a new molecule, he ran the molecule's formula through an Chemical Abstracts, an online database of chemistry research dating back to 1904. He found one match: nitrogylcerin

But (and it's a big "but"), Lazen's molecule, dubbed tetranitratoxycarbon, had a different structural arrangement, which meant they could now tell the world they had just discovered a new molecule. Similar in composition to nitroglycerin, an explosive, Zoellner says tetranitratoxycarbon may have the potential to store energy, combust or do a little of both. At the very least, it's a molecule chemists can attempt to synthesize and toy with to see if there are any possible technological applications.

Neat!

[H/T to @pourmecoffee.]

Alcatraz Open Thread

Did you watch Alcatraz last night? What did you think of it? Did you love it? I did! I LOVED IT.

Here are the Top 5 things I loved about it (some minor spoilers):

1. I love Jorge Garcia! I love his character, Dr. Diego Soto, soooooooooo much! I really love how he is shown to be sensitive and empathetic during his every interaction with any other character. And it is not pandering or paternal, but simply considerate, which is, frankly, pretty revolutionary for a male hero on a network show. Jorge Garcia plays him so well; he can break my heart just with a look. Jorge Garcia, you are awesome.

2. I love Sarah Jones! I love her character, Det. Rebecca Madsen, soooooooooo much! I love that there has never been any question about her competency in her professional role because of her womanhood, because the show's writers aren't so goddamn lazy that they think throwing out casual misogyny only so it can be refuted is radical and feminist. Instead, they're doing something genuinely radical and feminist, which is to write a character that sounds and feels and behaves like a real-life woman might, instead of a writing a dude character with a female name. Thank you, writers! Thank you, Elizabeth Sarnoff! Thank you, Jack Bender! Thank you, Sarah Jones!

3. I love Robert Forster! I once read that he doesn't really like playing bad guys, and I don't really know if that's true, but it kind of gave ma a soft spot for him.

4. I love the mystery that's building. I loved the scene in the car with Sam Neill and Guy Hastings, the guard, and Guy's heartbreak when he says, as a statement, with grim resignation, "I'm never going to see her again, am I." I love that this show won't let you enjoy the mystery, won't let you see the violence, won't let you in on the family secrets, without reminding you squarely of the consequences of this THING that happened. I love that the show loves its characters enough to exhort us to care about each of them.

5. Everything else!

Daily Dose of Cute

CAT FACTS!


True Fact: The static electricity in Matilda's fur after a vigorous winter petting session could, if properly harnessed, solve the energy crisis. [cc. Al Gore]


True Fact: Sometimes you can only get peace from a rampaging rambunctious greyhound on top of the water heater in the laundry room.

"That dog's 7 minutes of activity a day is really aggravating."—Olivia.


True Fact: This is a picture of Sophie, thinking about Europe. Where the history comes from!