‘I Don’t Know’ Is One Of The Smartest Things You Can Say

When it comes to our brains, black is white and up is down. Any time we try to achieve a desired result, we end up doing the opposite. Such is the case with trying to be smart. We like to come off as intelligent, and so we often act like we know more than we do to achieve that effect. In reality, however, saying “I don’t know” can be a whole lot smarter.
‘I Don’t Know’ Is One Of The Smartest Things You Can Say

Facebook for Beginners

Against all odds, you likely know someone who still hasn’t succumbed to the lure of Facebook. Maybe you’re a beginner yourself. Or perhaps you just haven’t had the gosh darn time to explore every last corner of the world’s most expansive social network.
Facebook for Beginners

Apollo 10 space-a-versary: Space Meal, 1969

To commemorate the May 18, 1969 launch of Apollo 10, our friends at the Smithsonian are celebrating the launch by sharing this photo of a meal package from the Apollo 10 mission.
Apollo 10 space-a-versary: Space Meal, 1969

The Ten Habits of Passionate People

Habits are what differentiate successful people from others.
The habits that you’ve developed in the LOST phase – where you used to wander aimlessly without a clear passion or purpose – won’t help you build a life of passion.
That’s why you need to develop a new set of habits to serve you in your newly passionate pursuit.
These are 10 habits of passionate people that you can start cultivating today.
The Ten Habits of Passionate People

Footy Stats

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in partnership with the Australian Football League (AFL) have developed a program that uses football to improve the statistical literacy of young Australians. The ABS Footy Stats program provides a fun and interactive introduction to the world of statistics. The program involves kids participating in a range of footy activities and learning how to collect, analyse, interpret and communicate basic statistical concepts with the guidance of a facilitator.
Footy Stats

Cascade of 60,000 dominoes

FlippyCat assembled 60 walls, each consisting of 990 dominoes, and an additional field of 600 dominoes. The project took 65 hours over 8 days and some painful failures along the way. But when he finally pushed it over at 0:55, he made a beautiful cascade of color and sound.
Cascade of 60,000 dominoes

10 Things You Should Do Immediately After Losing Your Wallet

We all know that sense of panic when we realize that our wallet or purse is missing. If you’re like me, half of your life is in your wallet. Credit cards, debit cards, ID, insurance cards, money — you name it, it’s in there. And if it falls into the wrong hands, it could be devastating. The least that can happen is you lose a little money. But you could be the victim of identity theft and fraud that could have repercussions for years.
10 Things You Should Do Immediately After Losing Your Wallet

Learn To Quickly Memorise Lists

The key to remembering things is to make them memorable. Turn names, numbers, and abstract words into images that are gross, funny, or absurd. In this video, Nelson Dellis, USA Memory Champion, demonstrates how to do this — using an example list of random words. Memory champions use this technique of creating pictures out of words and weaving them into a story.
Learn To Quickly Memorise Lists

If you put all the water on Earth in one place

Put all the water on this planet into a single sphere and it would have a diameter of about 860 miles, says the United States Geological Survey.
If you put all the water on Earth in one place

How to Find the Location where a Picture was taken?

Say you are exploring interesting places on the Internet and come across a gorgeous destination that you would like to visit sometime in future. The only problem is that the web photograph carries no text caption and you therefore have no clue of the location where that picture was possible taken.
How to Find the Location where a Picture was taken?

10 Biggest Computer Security Myths Busted

Keeping your computer secure can be confusing, so it’s not surprising that mistaken beliefs often end up taking root. Here are the ten biggest myths about computer security, busted once and for all.
10 Biggest Computer Security Myths Busted

Excellent vintage film about the first accurate atomic clock

This short film was produced by the film unit of the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the 1950s, and explains the principles behind the first accurate atomic clock, which was designed by Louis Essen and built at the National Physical Laboratory in 1955. The NPL's YouTube channel has other videos of interest to science geeks.
Excellent vintage film about the first accurate atomic clock

13 Spectacular 'Supermoon' Photos From Mashable Readers

Over the weekend, the moon was not just full, it also got the closest to Earth than it’ll get all year. The result was what some are calling a “supermoon,” a yearly phenomenon that draws out night sky watchers and photographers.
13 Spectacular 'Supermoon' Photos From Mashable Readers

CIA thwarts new al-Qaida underwear bomb plot

The CIA thwarted an ambitious plot by al-Qaida's affiliate in Yemen to destroy a U.S.-bound airliner using a bomb with a sophisticated new design around the one-year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden.
CIA thwarts new al-Qaida underwear bomb plot

Shocking new photos from BP disaster unearthed by Greenpeace

Kate Sheppard at Mother Jones writes about a trove of new photographs documenting the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which released nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico two years ago.
Shocking new photos from BP disaster unearthed by Greenpeace

Space Mountain with the lights on

The Disney Blog's John Frost captures one of my favorite sights: the interior of the Walt Disney World Space Mountain with the lights on, as seen from the silently retrofuturistic maglev safety of the Wedway Peoplecrusher.
Space Mountain with the lights on

This week in TSA awfulness: a recap of recent American airport atrocities

In case you missed it, there have been a number of Boing Boing posts of late documenting outrageous TSA incidents:
This week in TSA awfulness: a recap of recent American airport atrocities

‘Force Quit’ Yourself To Get Your Sleep Schedule Back On Track

It’s easy enough to decide to go to bed strictly at a certain time, but actually doing it is another story. We often get carried away in the late hours of the night, trying to knock off just a few more things we wanted to do, whether it’s for work or fun. The next day, we’re tired and filled with regret, yet we don’t stop. If this sounds like you, it’s time to start “force quitting” yourself at the end of the day. Here’s how.
‘Force Quit’ Yourself To Get Your Sleep Schedule Back On Track

Apple Is Australia’s Most Reputable Brand, But How Did Australia Post Come Second?

It’s no surprise that Apple has topped an index of Australia’s most reputable brands — it’s a highly-regarded company with massive market share. But how on earth did Australia Post come second?
Apple Is Australia’s Most Reputable Brand, But How Did Australia Post Come Second?

Medicare To Dump Cash Payments This Year

Medicare is going to eliminate cash payments in its offices from this year, offering instant direct deposits into your bank account using your EFTPOS card instead.
Medicare To Dump Cash Payments This Year

Rare and unseen 1945 photos of Hitler's bunker and Berlin, destroyed

LIFE has posted a powerful series of rare and unpublished photographs shot by William Vandivert, 33, the first Western photographer inside Adolph Hilter's Führerbunker. Vandivert was on the scene shortly after Berlin fell in April of 1945.
Rare and unseen 1945 photos of Hitler's bunker and Berlin, destroyed

Liar - Thief - Cheat - Selfish - Unsharing - Unloving - Unkind - Disloyal - Dishonorable - Unfaithful

Addendum to grave stone.
Liar - Thief - Cheat - Selfish - Unsharing - Unloving - Unkind - Disloyal - Dishonorable - Unfaithful

DIY astrophotographers track spy satellites

Amateur astrophotographers are hacking together sophisticated telescopes enabling them to track and document orbiting satellites, including spy satellites.
DIY astrophotographers track spy satellites

"What Cancer Has Taught Me About Writing And Living"

Two weeks after historical fiction writer Anne Clinard Barnhill's debut novel was released, she was diagnosed with stage 3 endometrial cancer. She writes about how the diagnosis changed her, and about what the experience has taught her about writing and living.
"What Cancer Has Taught Me About Writing And Living"

Your Facebook Account has Three Passwords

This is interesting. You can log into your Facebook account using three passwords – one is the main password that you created and the other passwords can be constructed by toggling the case of characters that form your original password.
Your Facebook Account has Three Passwords

Foil ATM Card Skimmers By Covering Your Hand When Entering Your PIN

We’ve shown you how to spot an ATM skimmer, but now that debit card thieves are dealing with a savvy bunch they’ve decided to step up their game. The latest technology is much harder to detect, but you can foil it pretty easily by just covering your hand when you enter your PIN.
Foil ATM Card Skimmers By Covering Your Hand When Entering Your PIN

View 4 Million Digits of Pi in a Single Image

We came across a visualization of Pi you won’t believe. Pi represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, and is an irrational number, which means the places after its decimal point extend into infinity. And this image, created by design studio TWO-N, approaches just that.
View 4 Million Digits of Pi in a Single Image

Girl swallowed by pavement

In Northern China a schoolgirl plunges through a weak section of pavement into a deep hole.
Girl swallowed by pavement

xkcd: Approximations

A Table of Slightly Wrong Equations and Identities Useful for Approximations and/or Trolling Teachers.
xkcd: Approximations

What To Eat Before And After Your Workout To Stay In Top Training Shape

The foods you eat before and after a good workout, and the fluids you drink during your workout go a long way towards making sure your exercise has the best impact on your health as possible. Whether you’re staying hydrated with a bottle of water while you’re out on a run, or debating what to munch on for a little post-workout energy, Eating Well magazine has some tips to help maximise your workout and keep you satisfied in the process.
What To Eat Before And After Your Workout To Stay In Top Training Shape

The Most Detailed Images Of Polar Ice Cap Thickness Yet

In 2010, the European Space Agency launched Cryosat, a spacecraft designed to monitor changes in the shape and thickness of polar ice on Earth. It’s taken the scientists behind the project some time to crunch through all the data — but they’ve managed it, and the new images offer an unprecedented view of the state of our ice caps.
The Most Detailed Images Of Polar Ice Cap Thickness Yet

Google Drive is real: here’s what it means

Do you want to put about 16 terabytes of data online? If you do, you might want to give Google a call. Mind you, it isn’t going to be cheap — that amount of storage will cost about $800 a month. On Tuesday, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company is taking the covers off its much hyped and long awaited online storage service, and it will be called Google Drive. It is available at drive.google.com. The Drive, which starts with 5 GB of free storage, is available to anyone with a Google account, including Google Apps for business accounts.
Google Drive is real: here’s what it means

Watch Destruction, Explosions, and Experimental Mayhem in Slow Motion

Have you ever wondered what it would actually look like if you could try crazy experiments using items such as firecrackers, lawn mowers, chain saws, and more? This compilation video from Danish TV show “Dumt & Farligt” (Stupid & Dangerous) lets you have a close-up view of the action in slow motion without the risk.
Watch Destruction, Explosions, and Experimental Mayhem in Slow Motion

We Finally Know What Really Causes Brain Freezes

Everyone has experienced that sharp, shooting headache as a result of stuffing their face with ice cream. Previously, scientists have suggested it’s just a result of the rapid cooling and rewarming of blood vessels in the sinuses, but a new study shows that the cause is actually buried much deeper.
We Finally Know What Really Causes Brain Freezes

SkyDrive For Windows Is Like Dropbox From Microsoft

The offer of 25GB of free space has always been one of the most attractive features of Microsoft’s SkyDrive, but surprisingly it’s never been particularly easy to integrate that space with a Windows machine. While Windows 8 promises a much tighter level of SkyDrive integration, a newly-released tool from Microsoft makes files in your SkyDrive easily accessible from any Windows 7 or Vista machine. The one catch? If you haven’t already used SkyDrive, you now only get 7GB, not 25GB.
SkyDrive For Windows Is Like Dropbox From Microsoft

10 Uses of Google Earth That Have Made Positive Impacts on the World

When Google acquired Keyhole — the tool that would become Google Earth — in 2004, the company believed it would become the ultimate video game. Google thought travelers could peruse potential vacation destinations and movie makers could use the detailed satellite imagery as a backdrop in films.
10 Uses of Google Earth That Have Made Positive Impacts on the World:

Airliner's Close Call Blamed on Pilot's Texting [VIDEO]

A pilot’s preoccupation with his cellphone caused his crew to forget to lower the landing gear just 500 feet above ground, according to a report issued Thursday by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
Airliner's Close Call Blamed on Pilot's Texting [VIDEO]

10 Google Bombs That Will Live in Infamy

What does it mean to “Google bomb” something — or someone? For starters, a Google bomb isn’t as sudden and life-threatening as it sounds. Some of these bombs can actually take months to execute.
10 Google Bombs That Will Live in Infamy

Imploding iceberg in Antarctica

There are two kinds of icebergs, tabular and non-tabular. The tabular ones are what they sound like, big flat sheets of ice. Non-tabular are different—irregular shapes that become even more irregular as bits and pieces of them melt. Judging by the arched shape this iceberg had taken on, it probably falls into the non-tabular category. Implosion happens when melting weakens key structural support within that shape and bits of the iceberg begin to crash in on itself, accelerating the breakup.
Imploding iceberg in Antarctica

Garbage Men Take Amazing Photos With Giant Dumpster Cameras

The Trashcam Project is a group of garbage collectors from Hamburg, Germany, who take stunning photographs using 110-litre dumpsters that have been transformed into pinhole cameras.
Garbage Men Take Amazing Photos With Giant Dumpster Cameras

9 Tips for Overcoming Jet Lag

Jet lag is inevitable when you are traveling long distances by plane, and it can leave you feeling completely wrecked for several days to a week after you arrive at your destination. For people who simply cannot afford the few days to completely recover from the physical and mental exhaustion of jet lag, there are a number of simple preparatory steps you can do before, during and after your long flight to minimize your jet lag fatigue.
9 Tips for Overcoming Jet Lag

Which Australian States Have The Cheapest Electricity?

There’s a lot of posturing regarding how much we pay for power, but how much is it on a state by state basis?
Which Australian States Have The Cheapest Electricity?

How Does Australia’s Takeaway Food Compare When It Comes To Salt Levels?

We frequently think of big takeaway chains as offering identical food throughout the world, but that’s often not the case. A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal compares the salt levels for fast food in six countries around the world (including Australia), and found substantial variation. The good news? Other countries have worse salt problems in their food. The bad news? The chicken is still pretty loaded.
How Does Australia’s Takeaway Food Compare When It Comes To Salt Levels?

14 Tech-Forward Concepts Reshaping Our Future

Whether you’re thinking easier ways to park your car or ideas for the home of the future, studying how we’ll live in the next 10, 50 or 100 years can reshape the habits and challenges we face today. Take a look at a roundup of 14 of these revolutionary ideas below.
14 Tech-Forward Concepts Reshaping Our Future

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 7/2012

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 7/2012

Facebook Contest Finds 10 Best Shots of New York City

The City of New York asked city dwellers to submit their best snapshots of the Big Apple in its first Facebook photo contest, #lovenyc. Now the city has released its top 10 photo choices — and wants you to vote for your favorite photo by April 15.
Facebook Contest Finds 10 Best Shots of New York City

Encryption 101: Understanding The Basics

A simple password stops criminal types gaining access to your machine, but doesn’t protect your data if the hard drive gets removed, or stop attempts to intercept your internet connection. To achieve that goal, you need encryption, but it can be a confusing topic. Here are the basics everyone needs to know.
Encryption 101: Understanding The Basics

How To Remove Screws With Stripped Heads

You don’t have to be a professional carpenter to come across stripped screws. In fact, if you’re stripping screws, you’re probably not a carpenter. Also, you should throw a little back into your screw twists. And if that fails, try these friendly stripped screw removing tips from the DIY experts at Stack Exchange.
How To Remove Screws With Stripped Heads

How to Backup iPhone Data [Guide]

Although there are some apps that can make a fairly decent backup of your iPhone (unlike the many for Android that do a great job), I would prefer, and I think that so would you, to do this backup using Apple’s systems. These are developed by Apple’s own developers and they tend to work best.
How to Backup iPhone Data [Guide]

An in-depth Firefox Security Guide

Firefox is awesome! No, seriously, it is. Why? Countless add-ons, its open source, has many tweaks and most of all: the browser respects your privacy and dedicates a lot of effort to keeping the browser secure. In this post, we will be talking about both the security and privacy side of the Firefox browser.
An in-depth Firefox Security Guide

Australian University IT Courses Compared

If you’re studying IT at university, chances are you’re thinking of it as a career path. Which university courses in Australia see their graduates get the most jobs, and which courses have the highest satisfaction rating? Data from the newly-launched My University site gives us some indications.
Australian University IT Courses Compared

Happy 404 Day! Here Are the Web's Funniest Error Messages [PICS]

Is your Wednesday full of fail? If so, it could be because today is April 4 — otherwise known as 4/04, the calendar’s answer to the infamous 404 error message.
Happy 404 Day! Here Are the Web's Funniest Error Messages [PICS]

How to Find the Location of the Email Sender in Gmail

Both Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail include IP addresses in outgoing message headers but if John is sending an email address using Gmail, or Gmail for Google Apps, his IP address won’t be included in the message.
How to Find the Location of the Email Sender in Gmail

Your 2012 April Fools’ Day Prank Spoiler

April Fools’ Day is officially over in Australia, but we’re still seeing fake news stories and new product announcements trickling in from the US. Here’s a catch-up on the main tech-related pranks that did the rounds.
Your 2012 April Fools’ Day Prank Spoiler

April Fools' Day Classics: Top 10 Viral Pranks on YouTube

People love a good trolling, whether it’s online or not, and there’s nothing like a company having a bit of harmless fun at the expense of a few thousand customers.
April Fools' Day Classics: Top 10 Viral Pranks on YouTube

International Space Station Should Be Visible From Melbourne This Weekend

Stargazers are in for a small, bright treat over the next few days as the International Space Station should be visible to eagle-eyed Melbourne residents.
International Space Station Should Be Visible From Melbourne This Weekend

How to Reduce Eye Strain

How to reduce eye strain: What is the best reading posture for comfortable reading?
How to Reduce Eye Strain

Watch The History Of April Fools Day

This Sunday is April’s Fools Day. Here’s a very interesting video showing the history of this silly day, which may have started in 1582.
Watch The History Of April Fools Day

The Black Stump - blackstump.com.au on Facebook

Don't forget we not only exist on Blogger and au naturel on the Web, we also have a Facebook page....The Black Stump - blackstump.com.au

Handprints may give away your height, gender

Prints left by the hand, or even parts of it, can be used to estimate the height of an unknown intruder and possibly tell whether they were male or female, say researchers.
Handprints may give away your height, gender

How To Speed Up, Clean Up And Revive Your iPhone

Your iPhone is a powerful computer, and powerful computers benefit from cleaning and maintenance. Here are some simple, easy–to-follow tips to give your trusted iPhone a new spring in its step.
How To Speed Up, Clean Up And Revive Your iPhone

How To Speed Up, Clean Up And Revive Your Android Phone

Kick back on the couch, pull up your Android phone, and act like you’re still being productive by giving it some spring cleaning of its own.
How To Speed Up, Clean Up And Revive Your Android Phone

8 Easy PC Pranks to Trick Your Friends

With April Fools’ Day on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to play some epic pranks on your PC-using co-workers, friends, family and frenemies.
8 Easy PC Pranks to Trick Your Friends

7 Tools to Generate Your Random Mega Millions Numbers

Here’s a hypothetical situation: You’re offered a lot of money — say, $640 million, give or take — and you can do anything with it. Buy a mansion. Invest in Apple. Donate to charity (that’s first on your list, right?). Everything’s at your fingertips. There’s just one catch — you have to pick the five perfect numbers first.
7 Tools to Generate Your Random Mega Millions Numbers

Vibrating Car Seats Ensure Your Butt’s The First To Know About Dangers

The latest version of the Cadillac XTS will include General Motor’s new Safety Alert Seat technology that can subtly alert the driver with unique vibrating pulse patterns on either side of their seat. It works in tandem with the vehicles’ autonomous safety systems and sensors, and can warn a driver in situations where they’re accidentally drifting between lanes, or backing up too close to another car when parking.
Vibrating Car Seats Ensure Your Butt’s The First To Know About Dangers

A Passenger's-Eye View of the JetBlue Pilot's Bizarre Incident [VIDEO]

What happens in the sky no longer stays in the sky. Tuesday’s bizarre incident, in which a Las Vegas-bound JetBlue flight made an unexpected landing in the Texas Panhandle after a pilot suffered a “medical situation,” is now saved for posterity.
A Passenger's-Eye View of the JetBlue Pilot's Bizarre Incident [VIDEO]

Everest climbing tech then and now

It's been 59 years since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made the first confirmed ascent to the summit of Mount Everest. While the reason people climb Everest hasn't changed, the technology they use certainly has. National Geographic compares Hillary and Norgay's gear with that of Hilaree O'Neill who is part of a team attempting the summit in the coming weeks.
Everest climbing tech then and now

10 Great Clothing Tricks In 60 Seconds

One chore you can’t escape is the need to take care of your clothes. Whether it’s mending things that are falling apart or simply learning how to fold, store and keep them, this video will show you the easiest, quickest ways to perform a whole slew of clothing-related activities.
10 Great Clothing Tricks In 60 Seconds

Common Cooking Mistakes You Should Stop Making

A while back we checked out at a great list of common cooking mistakes that many people — myself included — are guilty of committing from time to time. This list from the folks at EatingWell hits on a few other common errors that many of us make, including heating oil until it starts to smoke.
Common Cooking Mistakes You Should Stop Making

Bullet Time in Real Life: Impacts Slowed Down with High Speed Cameras

Combine a little shooting range fun with a camera capable of shooting a million frames per second and you’ve got yourself the basis of pretty hypnotizing video.
Bullet Time in Real Life: Impacts Slowed Down with High Speed Cameras

10 Amazing Slow Motion Videos of Everyday Things

We live in a fast-paced world. Maybe that’s why slow motion videos are so appealing to us. Using cameras with ultra-high frame rates reveals details that are usually invisible to the naked eye. In 1878, a camera that could capture images at a higher frame rate even settled a bet between then California Governor, Leland Stanford and some of his friends. The bet rose out of a debate on whether or not all four of a horse’s hooves left the ground while running. Landscape photographer Edward Muybridge put the debate to rest when he produced the pictures to prove that they do in fact leave the ground.
10 Amazing Slow Motion Videos of Everyday Things

Print Multiple Tabs or Bookmarks As One PDF Document In Firefox

The majority of web page to pdf extensions let you convert a single web page into a pdf document. This may often be all that’s needed, but it is not very practicable if you want to create a pdf document from multiple web pages. While you could now do some copying and pasting into Microsoft Office or Open Office, and use the programs to create the pdf document for you in the end, you’d probably be interested in a more straightforward option.
Print Multiple Tabs or Bookmarks As One PDF Document In Firefox

Researchers Say Memories Can Be Relived, Not Just Recalled

Have you ever wanted to relive one of your most treasured memories? Not just think about the memory, but actually relive it? According to new research coming out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, you can.
Researchers Say Memories Can Be Relived, Not Just Recalled

"Unseen Titanic" in NatGeo magazine: first ever complete views of wreck

Sonar mosaic developed by Remus Operations Group (WHOI) and Waitt Institute. Visible for the first time through sonar imaging, the remains of the ship and its contents sprawl across a thousand acres of gently sloping seafloor. Combined with optical mosaics of individual artifacts, this map of the main wreck area will help experts explore, manage and protect the Titanic as a long-term archaeological site.
"Unseen Titanic" in NatGeo magazine: first ever complete views of wreck

How To Properly Scan a Photograph (And Get An Even Better Image)

Somewhere in your home, there’s a box of old analog photographs you probably want digital copies of. Unless you know how to use your scanner correctly, the image quality can turn out poor. Here’s how to get the best results.
How To Properly Scan a Photograph (And Get An Even Better Image)

Scientists Work Out How To Stop You Going Bald

Going bald is the one big vanity concern among most men. But relax, it doesn’t need to be that way; scientists have just worked out exactly why men go bald, and already have a way to stop it happening.
Scientists Work Out How To Stop You Going Bald

10 Stubborn Exercise Myths That Won’t Die, Debunked By Science

“No pain, no gain!” “You’ll never bulk up without supplements.” “Crunches are the key to six-pack abs!” It seems there are more questions and half-truths in the market about healthy exercise than there are clear, definitive facts — but the exercise industry is a multi-billion dollar business, built partially on selling gadgets and DVDs with incredible claims to people desperate to lose weight or look attractive. Meanwhile, good workout plans and simple truths lurk in the background waiting for their time to shine. All of this results in lots of misinformation about exercise. We’re taking some of those commonly-held exercise myths to task, and we have science to back us up. Let’s get started.
10 Stubborn Exercise Myths That Won’t Die, Debunked By Science

English Teacher Rethinks Grammar Lessons -- With an App

In the last eight years, high school English teacher Jeff Scheur has graded 15,000 papers. He estimates that each time he collects a new round of essays from his 150 students, it takes him about 40 hours to read them, fill out grading rubrics and write personalized feedback. Meanwhile, he questions the impact of his efforts.
English Teacher Rethinks Grammar Lessons -- With an App

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 6/2012

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 6/2012

Australia’s Biggest Scams (And How To Avoid Them)

The unpleasant reality: many people are dishonest and will try and scam you or your loved ones. Awareness is your biggest defence. Here are the most prevalent scams in Australia, and how you can avoid them.
Australia’s Biggest Scams (And How To Avoid Them)

Copyright Math: the best TED Talk you'll watch all year

This may just be the best TED Talk video I've seen: listen.com/Rhapsody founder and extremely funny person (and soon-to-be debut science fiction author) Rob Reid examines the math behind the claims made by the copyright lobby and explains the mindbending awesomeness of the sums used to justify SOPA, PIPA, ACTA and the like.
Copyright Math: the best TED Talk you'll watch all year

10 Futuristic Products in Development Now

Everyone jokes about the flying cars and robot maids we’ve seen in movies and television, but it turns out the “future” we’ve dreamed of is well on its way.
10 Futuristic Products in Development Now

New iPad Teardown: 'It's Really Just a Giant Battery'

You may be busy preparing your line-waiting strategy for a new iPad on Friday morning, or plotting the fastest route to your local Wal-Mart to pick up a new iPad at midnight.

But the guys at iFixIt have trumped us all — by flying to Australia, where the tablet is already on sale, and proceeding to tear one apart.
New iPad Teardown: 'It's Really Just a Giant Battery'

See All of the 2012 Moon Phases Before They Happen

What do you get when you combine a year’s worth of NASA lunar projects into continuous render? You get this awesome video that shows you ever house of every moon phase in all of 2012.
See All of the 2012 Moon Phases Before They Happen

The Internet Remembers the Japan Quake and Tsunami Anniversary

March 11 was the anniversary of Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, and citizens worldwide commemorated the event. Not only did news outlets release countless stories assessing Japan’s situation one year later, but people all over the world also shared their thoughts and photos online — including politicians, journalists, celebrities and ordinary citizens.
The Internet Remembers the Japan Quake and Tsunami Anniversary

Japan Quake and Tsunami Anniversary: How to Follow Its Events on Social Media

This Sunday, March 11, marks the one-year anniversary of northern Japan’s threefold devastating disaster — a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, a tsunami that engulfed entire towns and cities, and a nuclear disaster that has since shut down 52 out of 55 commercial reactors in Japan and stirred an international debate about nuclear energy.
Japan Quake and Tsunami Anniversary: How to Follow Its Events on Social Media

Add Encrypt And Other Useful Features To Windows’ Right-Click Menu

Free app Right Click Tweaker adds up to 14 useful features with just a few clicks of your mouse.
Add Encrypt And Other Useful Features To Windows’ Right-Click Menu

Internet Users Flock To Google Search To Learn About 'Pink Slime'

Pink slime, a beef filler sprayed with ammonia, isn’t in a McDonald’s hamburger patty, but it is likely in pre-package ground beef at the grocery store and will soon be on school lunch trays.
Internet Users Flock To Google Search To Learn About 'Pink Slime'

Cutest video you'll see all day of penguins flying on a plane

On a recent Delta Flight, there were 300 or so human passengers and two foot-and-a-half tall penguins, Pete and Penny, who are 6 and 12 years old respectively.
Cutest video you'll see all day of penguins flying on a plane

Largest Solar Storm In Years About to Hit Earth

The most powerful solar storm in half a decade is about to hit our planet Earth, putting electrical systems, satellite navigation and other technology at a slight risk of failure.
Largest Solar Storm In Years About to Hit Earth

What Happens To My Gmail Account When I Die?

You use a handful of web services every day, but perhaps none holds more of your personal information than your Gmail account. So what happens to your Gmail account should you end up in that big archive folder in the sky? The folks from cloud backup service Backupify set out to find out. Here’s what they learned.
What Happens To My Gmail Account When I Die?

20+ Programs That You Should Run Regularly On Your PC

Many PC users do not think about maintenance as long as their system is running as intended. The issue here is that they might be able to resolve future issues, or mitigate them at least, if they would run a set of tools regularly on their PC. The following guide looks at some of the recommended programs – my recommendations – that should be run regularly on a PC. Not all are maintenance related though, you also find security and privacy programs in the list for instance.
20+ Programs That You Should Run Regularly On Your PC

Get Real-Time Search Results from Google with a URL Tweak

Google offers a few preset search filters for time—past hour, day, week, etc.—but if you want much fresher information, you can tweak the URL. This will limit results so see what's happening in more of a near real-time flow of information.
Get Real-Time Search Results from Google with a URL Tweak

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 5/2012

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 5/2012

Man Sues Google Over Street View Photo of Him Peeing

A man in France has sued Google because a Street View photo shows him in his front yard taking a leak. The middle-aged man lives in a small village and says the photo has made him a laughingstock in the community.
Man Sues Google Over Street View Photo of Him Peeing

Windows 8 Consumer Preview arrives

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview was expected in February, and it just scraped in. Good job 2012 is a leap year...
Windows 8 Consumer Preview arrives

The Hidden Meaning Behind Phrases In Job Ads

Help wanted ads and job postings tend to use the same jargon: everyone seems to be looking for “detail-oriented” “team players” who can work in a “fast-paced work environment.” Fortune Magazine suggests these buzzwords can clue you in to secrets about the potential employer.
The Hidden Meaning Behind Phrases In Job Ads

Track Who’s Tracking You With Mozilla Collusion

Mozilla CEO Gary Kovacs took the TED stage Tuesday morning to introduce Collusion, a Firefox browser add-on that lets you track who’s tracking you across the web for behavioral targeting purposes.
Track Who’s Tracking You With Mozilla Collusion

Haunting photos from Fukushima, one year later: "Invisible You," by Satoru Niwa

Japanese photographer Satoru Niwa, whose work I blogged in a previous Boing Boing post, has a new series from Fukushima marking the one-year anniversary of the March 11 disaster: Invisible You. Again, beautiful, evocative work. Above: a shot from the town of Namie, which is some 40 miles from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Haunting photos from Fukushima, one year later: "Invisible You," by Satoru Niwa

The problem with body mass index

The Body Mass Index is a popular way to measure and assess whether someone is overweight or underweight. Basically, it's just your weight divided by your height. BMI is a simple system, but it does have some flaws. Over at the Obesity Panacea blog, Peter Janiszewski (who has a Ph.D. in exercise physiology) has a nice post explaining why BMI is sometimes useful, and also why it's not a great measurement of individual health.
The problem with body mass index