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How to survive a black hole. If you’re in a rocket ship about to fall into a black hole, you might live a bit longer if you turn on your engines. “But in general a person falling past the horizon won’t have zero velocity to begin with. Then the situation is different — in fact it’s worse. So firing the rocket for a short time can push the astronaut back on to the best-case scenario: the trajectory followed by free fall from rest.”
How not to write a science book. “6. Avoid mentioning scientists or experiments. You’re a journalist, so it’s your job to explain things to people in ways they can understand. You always found science class difficult, and that class was taught by a scientist and involved experiments. Therefore no one can understand scientists and experiments.”
Edible origami cranes made out of wonton wrappers and deep-fried. Includes how-to instructions.
As this video demonstrates, an 8.5x11 piece of paper can be folded into a beer bottle opener. (via clusterflock)
For next time around, how to photograph a lunar eclipse. Here’s a list of upcoming eclipses. (via inmyallstars)
4-hour BBC documentary on how to be a gardener. I only watched the first few minutes, but it seems promising. (thx, avi)
How to build a really fantastic snow fort. “Your secret weapon would be a garden hose with a misting attachment at the end, so long as it provides an extremely gentle mist. Work from a distance, letting the water have some time to cool in the air before it hits the fort. And you’ll want to work in layers, giving the ice time to build up.”
Sorry this is late, but clip and save for next year: how to win your Oscar pool. Short answer: follow the wisdom of the crowds.
How to crap properly. (No, really! It’s safe for work and everything.)
A thoughtful article on how to make it as an actor by Jenna Fischer, the actress who plays Pam on The Office. “I have a great acting coach who says that success in Hollywood is based on one thing: opportunity meets readiness. You cannot always control the opportunities, but you can control the readiness. So study your craft, take it seriously. Do every play, every showcase, every short film, every student film you can get. Swallow your pride. Be willing to work for nothing in things you think are stupid. Make work for yourself. Make your own luck. Don’t complain. Hopefully, the work will find you if you are ready.” Worth reading even if you’re not an actor. (thx, dunstan)
How to extract stem cells from a placenta and store them for possible future use, all from the comfort of your own home. The cost runs in the thousands of dollars but it’s totally doable at home.
How to use Photoshop to make your car look like one of the characters in Pixar’s Cars.
Tremble funnyman Todd Levin dons the Non-Expert’s hat over at The Morning News to explain how to buy wine. “FANCY SERIF FONT + PARCHMENT LABEL + SOMETHING YOU KIND OF REMEMBERED FROM THE MOVIE SIDEWAYS + $12-$16 PRICE TAG = SUCCESS”
Classic Slate piece: how to buy a mattress. “The mattress biz is 99-percent marketing. So just buy the cheapest thing you can stand and be done with it, because they’re pretty much all the same.” (via torrez)
How to choose a good book to read, a tip from Marshall McLuhan: turn to page 69, read it, and if it’s good, you’ve got a winner. (via snarkmarket)
Update: A kottke.org reader writes, “It’s known (although perhaps not well) that he often only read the left-hand pages of books. It’s one way that someone could get through as much as he did and apparently he thought there was usually too much redundancy, anyway.” (thx, steve)
Two interviewers for The Onion AV Club talk about how they prepare for doing interviews. “First, I think about what I might ask subjects if I were at a party with them, just making conversation. Then I read as many interviews as I can find with the subject, so I can avoid asking questions that have been asked a thousand times, and steer around the pat answers.”
How to be interesting. “The way to be interesting is to be interested” and “interesting people are good at sharing”. (via spurgeonblog)
Grist Magazine: How to talk to a climate skeptic. Looks pretty comprehensive.
Let’s say, like Steve Wynn, you’ve punched a hole in your Picasso. Here’s how to fix it.
Photoshop tutorial: how to add 20 years to someone in a photograph. (via photojojo)
Wally Wallington demonstrates how to move anything by yourself, including a barn and a Stonehenge-sized rock. More information available at Wally’s site.
15 ways to improve your newspaper business. “1. Go out in street, see news, write it up.”
If you asked me today to choose a medium in which to focus my future artistic energies, I’d have to go with the photo can. After finding this great Photojojo tutorial yesterday on using tin cans and glass jars as photo frames, I selected three recent pictures I’d taken and made this can triptych:
So cool! And simple too. I didn’t follow Photojojo’s directions exactly and I have a few observations to offer for those looking to play around with this:
Good luck!
Nobel Prize winning physicist Gerard ‘t Hooft on how to become a good theoretical physicist. He lists the subjects you need to learn (from languages to quantum field theory) and resources (both online and off) for learning them. A note on the ‘t in his name.
Tutorial on adding surprisingly realistic beards to people with Photoshop. (via photojojo, who’s having a contest for the best bearded woman)
Great video explaining how to turn a Britney Spears song into a Bach-style fugue. (via waxy)
Street hacks: how to survive a freestyle rap battle. “Have your first real battle against someone you at least somewhat dislike. If you can find someone who just gets you emotional or who angers you, it makes it easier to flow about them.” (thx, steve)
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