random
ReligionforBreakfast: Why Humans Evolved to Play Music
Apparently, doing things synchronistically to a beat makes you bond with strangers quickly, like singing, drumming, or marching. Music could have evolved earlier than language as a way to promote social cohesion.
Vox: Who made these circles in the Sahara?
I find this whole video extremely charming. A worldwide network of nerds (even a guy who collects vintage sardine cans!) put together clues that solved a mystery that a reddit user found while looking at satellite images in the middle of the Sahara.
Insider: How Disney’s Animated Hair Became So Realistic, From Tangled to Encanto
This explains the hair modeling behind the animations of 3D Disney characters, which got a lot more complex in Encanto with more different hair types represented…fascinating!
Game: Alter Ego
Interesting game. Like Choose Your Own Adventure, but of an ordinary human life, starting at infancy. It gets tedious after awhile, but it does make you reflect on how many different interactions you had as an infant where you concluded things about the world that you don’t remember.
WIRED: Accent Expert Gives a Tour of U.S. Accents
Three part series going over all kinds of US accents from various regions, including different ethnic groups and historical reasons. Linguistics is fascinating!
Nacho Doritos are Addictive Because They Fail to Satisfy Your Taste Buds
Apparently, Nacho Cheese Doritos are designed to have such a well-balanced set of flavors that you don’t reach “sensory specific satiety” and therefore want to keep eating them. You can only eat so much of a strong flavor, but an exciting-but-ambiguous flavor keeps you wanting more.