Today's Daily Brain Teaser (Oct 18, 2013)

Bronze Ball Contest



In Mrs. Farstaff's Science class, they are holding a contest. She has a glass bottle, and a little bronze ball, the size of which is the exact same as the hole in the bottle. Mrs. Farstaff is giving the student who can put the ball in the bottle, without breaking the glass or destroying the ball somehow, an iPOD.



In her room there is a microwave, petroleum jelly, a stove, and a freezer.



Six of her seven students attempted this feat, but with no luck.



After the sixth student, the seventh, Geoff, comes up to the bottle and the ball. He thinks of using one of the tools in Mrs. Farstaff's room at his disposal, and uses one (not the jelly as it was already proven to not work) and five hours later, gets the ball in the bottle and his free iPOD.



How did he do it?





Check Braingle.com for the answer.

Today's Daily Trivia Quiz (Oct 18, 2013)

Spock

Spock is one of the main characters of "Star Trek." How much do you know about this pointy-eared man?



Take the Quiz at Braingle.com

Creativity : Emotional Blocks

Emotional blocks can affect our ability to communicate our creative ideas to others. One of these emotional blocks is a fear of taking risks and making a mistake. Another block is the predilection to judge ideas prematurely. This is why deferring judgment is a strategy used by creative people.



Another emotional block is the inability to tolerate chaos or ambiguity. New ideas are by nature not perfect. They are going to be rough around the edges and may have conflicting points. Through an iterative refinement process, you will be able to resolve these ambiguities.



The lack of a challenge can also be an emotional block. If you are not challenged, then you are not going to be interested in the outcome and it is unlikely that you will be able to put a lot of creative energy into new and interesting ideas. Picking problems that interest you, or finding ways to add excitement to uninteresting problems will help.

Memory : Remembering Names

The most common complaint that people have about their memories is that they forget people's names, even a few minutes after meeting them. You may be able to recognize their face, but you just can't dig up their name. There are two reasons why recognizing faces is much easier than recalling names.



The first reason is simply that recognition is much easier than recall. This is because with recognition, you are presented with something and you only have to determine if it is familiar or not. With recall, you actually need to retrieve a piece of information from your memory. If you were given the person's name in a multiple-choice quiz, it would become a recognition task, and you would probably pick it correctly.



The other reason is that pictures are much easier to remember than words. Since faces are things that you see and names are things that you hear, you already have an advantage towards remembering the face and not the name. This is why nametags are a helpful aid when meeting people. It lets you hear and see the names, which gives you two different ways to remember it later.

Vocabulary : Word of the Day : Encomium

en-co-mi-um



noun :: Glowing and warmly enthusiastic praise.



"This part of the existing hymn ends with an encomium of the Delian festival of Apollo and of the Delian choirs." --Homer

Weird Science! The Friday News Quiz (Oct. 18, 2013)

In this edition: friendly chimps, habitable exoplanets and some disturbing news about Oreos.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/weird-science-the-friday-news-quiz-131018.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Exercise May Work Out Well for Your Nose

Regular exercise may lower the risk that a person's sense of smell will fade, which tends to happen as people age.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/health/exercise-may-work-out-well-for-your-nose-131017.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Dovetail tallow holder alla Roy

Hello friends. Just recently I was lucky enough to do some wood working with a small branch of Walnut. I love the color of the grains as it ages, making those great chocolate colored shavings that somehow seem to fit best with the incoming autumn season. With the small pieces of wood that I split out from my branch, I thought this was a good opportunity to get into the wood shop and have a go at my version of Roy Underhill’s Dovetailed Grease Pot!

I realize this project is not a Roy original, but it is who and where I saw it first and I used his guidance to try my hand at it.

Now many of you may be thinking…..what in the heck is a Dovetailed Grease Pot? It is a little tricked out double lidded wooden box held by a unique slip and click action dovetail key that reveals a holding area for tallow grease. The tallow grease is one of the best ways for any traditional woodworker to keep his saws, hand planes, or chisels working and flowing smooth as silk when cutting wood on any project. Just add a little of the tallow grease to the edge of your preferred instrument and you will have a much easier wood working session.

I found many new things to practice on this project. I had to mortice out dovetail shapes on the end grain, plane down small tablets of wood for creating the box, and somehow…cut out that Maple dovetail key…lol. The process almost felt as if I was a musical instrument maker with the small and fragile pieces. All of the parts needed to be planed and worked with hand tools to set up the box and lids. I enjoyed the required patience and light handed work, knowing every step this wood was teaching me lessons on the touch and instincts of how to handle each component. This was all new to me and so I knew I had to ditch any over expectations in trade for the joy of learning how to put the entire puzzle together. With that said I am very pleased with this first effort.

It felt really good to work with this project, as each evening my wood shop sessions seemed relaxed and in focus. Of course sharp tools help too..lol.

Now the only thing I need to get is….the tallow. I will wait for Christmas time as I know I have a few jars of that on my list!

Thank you all for looking and supporting traditional hand tool woodworking. Take care and keep creating!

Joe

http://lumberjocks.com/assets/pictures/projects/430382-196x130.jpg

One Long Night in Puzzle City - New York Times

One Long Night in Puzzle City New York Times The game takes its name from a 1980 Disney movie that took in less at the box office than Goldman's hunt did in a single night. Nevertheless, it helped start a subculture of elaborate puzzle hunts like the Game in San Francisco, where competitors ...

http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png

DNews: Why Your Brain Needs Sleep

Scientists have just discovered a new, very important reason for you to get a good night's sleep. For the first time, they've been able to see the brain physically cleaning itself while its owner is asleep! Anthony explains how this cleaning works.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/videos/why-your-brain-needs-sleep-video.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Hubble Confirms Comet ISON Is Holding It Together

Despite speculation to the contrary, Comet ISON is holding its own against the sun's heat, with its cometary nucleus apparently remaining as a solid mass.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/hubble-confirms-comet-ison-is-holding-it-together-131017.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Does Sleep Literally Clear the Mind?

Brain cells get smaller during sleep, and the brain clears away toxins, reports a new study. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/life/does-sleep-literally-clear-the-mind-131017.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Out-of-Africa Skull May Trim Human Family Tree

The earliest known population of humans outside of Africa has been found, with huge implications that could erase species from the human family tree.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/evolution/out-of-africa-skull-may-trim-human-family-tree-131017.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Weird Out Of Whack Exoplanetary System Discovered

The Kepler Space Telescope has detected the first multi-planet system that is tilted out of alignment with the host star -- what caused this chaotic mess?



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/space/alien-life-exoplanets/weird-out-of-whack-exoplanetary-system-discovered-131017.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Is Being a Good Samaritan a Matter of Genes?

What motivates people to help others? Could altruistic behavior be influenced by genes?



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/is-being-a-good-samaritan-a-matter-of-genes-131017.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Russian Meteor: How Many Tiny Asteroids Buzz Earth?

The meteor that slammed into the skies over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, Russia, in February shocked the world -- how many other tiny asteroid threats are out there? Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/russian-meteor-how-many-tiny-asteroids-buzz-earth-131017.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Yeti Might Be Descendant of Ancient Polar Bear

Yeti, the hairy, ape-like stuff of legend for centuries, may have its mythical status undone thanks to a genetic match with a less fanciful creature.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/animals/yeti-might-be-descendant-of-ancient-polar-bear-131017.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

DNews: How Popcorn Shields You from Advertising

Eating popcorn is part of going to the movies. And these days, so is being forced to watch a ton of commercials before the film starts. But according to researchers, that popcorn gives you special ad-blocking superpowers! And we're not joking.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/human/videos/how-popcorn-shields-you-from-advertising-video.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Stonehenge Treasures Reveal Worshippers' Sophistication

Among the treasures on display in a new exhibit are a magnificent bronze dagger, a ceremonial axe, gold beads, necklaces, earrings, pendants and other gold jewellery. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/stonehenge-treasures-reveal-worshippers-sophistication-131017.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Sea Level Rise Swamping Florida's Everglades

Rising sea levels are transforming the Florida Everglades.



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/earth/oceans/sea-level-rise-swamping-floridas-everglades-131017.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Ocean Gets Raw Sewage Overload from Cruise Ships

Some cruise companies are cleaning up their acts, but campaigners say more needs to be done. Continue reading →



via Discovery News http://news.discovery.com/earth/oceans/ocean-gets-raw-sewage-overload-from-cruise-ships-131017.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1