The leaders of tomorrow will be well versed in dead philosophers, according to a new database of college syllabi.The Open Syllabus Project, a collection of over 1 million curricula from English-language colleges and universities over the past 15 years, released its data on Friday (Jan. 22). Plato, Hobbes, Machiavelli, and Aristotle overwhelmingly dominate lists in the US, particularly at the top schools.
Source: These are the books students at the top US colleges are required to read – Quartz
As Bragi CEO Nikolaj Hviid slides his personal pair of Dash earbuds across the table, he promises they’ve been properly cleaned. I open up the textured black box, and pull two earbuds out of their charging case. One goes in my right ear, the other in my left; there are no wires, there’s no power button. At first, I don’t put them on correctly, so Hviid reaches out and presses the right bud a little more snugly into my ear canal. It dings brightly—it’s connected. I reach out and tap once on my right ear. Adele’s “Hello” starts playing. It sounds fantastic.
Source: Bragi Dash Puts a New Kind of Computer In Your Ears | WIRED
There might be a ninth planet in the solar system after all, and it is not Pluto.Two astronomers reported on Wednesday that they had compelling signs of something bigger and farther away — something that would satisfy the current definition of a planet, where Pluto falls short.
Source: Ninth Planet May Exist Beyond Pluto, Scientists Report – The New York Times
Editor’s note: Don’t miss the comments’ area, fun and interesting.. Why nothing like this has been found, odd, for 21st Century, but a 10,000-20,000 year orbit ? could mean it’s never been near (yet) …
Beauty is big business in the United States, with American women estimated to spend an average of $15,000 on makeup products alone during their lifetimes. But how did that $460 billion industry come to be? Historian Vicki Howard traced part of its roots to Maidenform, the lingerie company that “helped define postwar commercial beauty culture”—and whose working women both embraced and challenged changing conceptions of beauty in the workplace.
Source: This Lingerie Company Transformed Postwar Commercial Beauty Culture | JSTOR Daily
Alan Rickman, the accomplished British stage actor who brought an erudite dignity to film roles like Hans Gruber, the nefarious mastermind of “Die Hard,” and Severus Snape, the dour master of potions in the “Harry Potter” series, died on Thursday in London. He was 69.
Source: Alan Rickman, Actor Known for ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Die Hard,’ Dies at 69 – The New York Times
A few months ago, I caved: I bought myself a coloring book. And maybe you did, too, or perhaps you received one as a gift for the holidays. According to a recent Fortune article, adult coloring books are one of the biggest contributors to this year’s boost in print-book sales. With over 11,000 search results total, five of Amazon’s current top 15 best-selling books are coloring books.
Source: A Neuroscientist Explains Adult Coloring Books — Science of Us
