My podcast randomization sometimes causes some interesting juxtapositions. Today’s example:

Talk of the Nation interviews a writer about flocking and swarming behavior, where a group of creatures can exhibit complex and intelligent behaviors that the individuals do not have.

Planet Money interviews the inventor of computerized high-speed trading, which now makes up 50% of all stock trades. Includes an interesting anecdotes about using robots in 1987 to work around NASDAQ rules.

I strongly suspect that sociologists later this century will apply the insights of the first story to figure out how we’re screwing up the second.

This apparently has been around for a while, and damned if I know how I missed it, because it’s the best thing ever.

It has been said by some that the thoughts and tweets of Deepak Chopra are indistinguishable from a set of profound sounding words put together in a random order, particularly the tweets tagged with “#cosmisconciousness”. This site aims to test that claim! Each “quote” is generated from a list of words that can be found in Deepak Chopra’s Twitter stream randomly stuck together in a sentence.

Selected examples:

• Interdependence influences universal chaos.
• Quantum physics nurtures unparalleled energy.
• The web of life grows through the barrier of belonging.
• Your consciousness projects onto existential opportunities.
• The future is an ingredient of infinite destiny.

Holy crap. Believe it or not, this is an Excel spreadsheet. Hat tip: Pat Matthews.

He uses a Kryptonian mirror and his heat vision, you stupid, stupid fucks.

Fun NPR interview on Talk of the Nation. Direct MP3 download link.

When writer Stacy Horn was 26 years old, she was divorced and miserable. So she decided to audition for the Choral Society of Grace Church in New York. Horn made the cut and joined the community choir as a soprano.

She chronicles her 30 years with the group in a new memoir, Imperfect Harmony: Finding Happiness in Singing With Others. She talks with NPR’s Ari Shapiro about how singing made her life more bearable.

Daniel Levitin, psychology professor at McGill University, and author of This Is Your Brain on Music, joins the conversation to explain the science of group singing.

Reminds me of the official CIA coloring book that’s on sale at Langley.

http://pbump.net/r3v

Human Centipede Where’s Waldo is way easier than regular Where’s Waldo

This article is what it says on the tin. No, I’m not crossposting the image.

In Texas, it’s now legal to kill a hooker. Because, you know, $150 is big money.

Kinda makes me wonder how much devaluation of prostitutes is driven by making their job illegal. I can’t imagine Texas saying it’s okay to shoot the UPS guy because he won’t hand over a Kindle.

Mind. Blown.

Rich men, who would benefit least from redistribution, were more likely to be opposed to it — but only when they also had large biceps. There was a negative correlation between the two, so that rich men with less muscle strength were more open to redistribution. In men of lower socioeconomic status, the correlation was reversed: stronger men were more in favor of redistribution, while men with smaller muscles were less likely to support it.

This model of Earth is actually a cake inside a cake inside a cake

Ricky Gervais reminds me on Twitter that today is the 23rd anniversary of Jim Henson’s death, so passing along the photo he tweeted in memoriam:

Tipped off by Daring Fireball: I’m amused by the feature list of Party Monster, a DJ app for iOS:

Trying to figure out why this is in a mostly residential Philly neighborhood. (Wahrter: pronunciation of that stuff that comes out of the tap.)

1) Install Tinder.

2) Launch Tinder.

3) There is no step 3.

I have to get some e-money from my virtual bank so I can play cyberpoker. That sounds so 1997. How long before gay marriage sounds equally quaint?

Even Dictionaries Grapple With Getting ‘Marriage’ Right

I’m generally in favor of the results that come from crowdsourcing, but Internet mob mentality is one place it falls down hard. This Rebecca Watson quote is about a discussion on Reddit, but it’s generally applicable to most unmoderated online spaces:

To recap, men’s stories are valued and their struggles are supported. Women’s stories are worthless and are derided. Men overcome. Women are fucked.

Fire your graphic designer.

We used to make fun of the nurses, but at least they know that you don’t need a print to take home a smartphone picture.

HTC One running Jelly Bean. Slightly “upgraded”. Yes, these buttons work.