Robert Vinet

Curiosity

Humanity has wiped out 60% of animal populations since 1970

2018-11-02 / / 0 Comments

This is a massive loss. Erased in less than 50 years.

Humanity has wiped out 60% of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles since 1970, leading the world’s foremost experts to warn that the annihilation of wildlife is now an emergency that threatens civilisation.

…

“We are sleepwalking towards the edge of a cliff” said Mike Barrett, executive director of science and conservation at WWF. “If there was a 60% decline in the human population, that would be equivalent to emptying North America, South America, Africa, Europe, China and Oceania. That is the scale of what we have done.”

“This is far more than just being about losing the wonders of nature, desperately sad though that is,” he said. “This is actually now jeopardising the future of people. Nature is not a ‘nice to have’ – it is our life-support system.“

Read more at The Guardian

A database of paper airplanes designs

2018-10-23 / / 0 Comments

With easy to follow folding instructions.

More

Apple accused of overpricing, restricting device repairs

2018-10-22 / / 0 Comments

Apple only allows its devices to be repaired by Apple Store technicians or “authorized” service centres in order for them to remain within warranty.

Jason Koebler, who regularly covers Apple as the editor-in-chief of VICE Media’s technology and science news site Motherboard, said this is a common problem.

“I’ve broken my MacBook before and taken it to Apple and they wanted $700 to fix the screen. I ended up doing it myself for $50. This happens all the time,” he said.

“There are many third-party people out there who can fix things that Apple won’t do because it’s not profitable to do it at scale, or Apple would rather replace it altogether. There are a lot of reasons why people wouldn’t want to become authorized and work, essentially, for Apple, when they can work for themselves.”

More at the CBC

Watch: Former Chief of Disguise for the CIA, Jonna Mendez, explains how disguises are used

2018-10-22 / / 0 Comments

Most initial conversations go better than we think

2018-10-22 / / 0 Comments

Have you ever met someone, replayed your conversation in your head and thought of the perfect response to a question or statement after the fact? Something that would have demonstrated how witty or knowledgeable you are or how much you have in common? You’re not alone. We’ve all had these moments of what-if. But a recent study reports that many of us may be underestimating how well the conversation may have gone overall. Why is this important? It’s good news for job-seekers, who may agonize over their interview after-the-fact—and it’s an insight into a general anxiety over face-to-face conversations we have, particularly given our increasing reliance on digitally-mediated methods for communication.

More at Scientific American

Two hundred and fifty things architects should know

2018-10-22 / / 0 Comments
  1. The feel of cool marble under bare feet.
  2. How to live in a small room with five strangers for six months.
  3. With the same strangers in a lifeboat for one week.
  4. The modulus of rupture.
  5. The distance a shout carries in the city.

More

Apple iOS Shortcuts User Guide

2018-10-04 / / 0 Comments

Shortcuts in iOS 12 let you get things done with your apps, with just a tap or by asking Siri. More…

Leonard Cohen would have been 84 years old today

2018-09-21 / / 0 Comments

September 19

2018-09-19 / / 0 Comments

1893: New Zealand becomes the first country to grant all women the right to vote.

2014: The Canadian Museum for Human Rights opens in Winnipeg.

Ticketmaster is recruiting professional scalpers to squeeze more money out of fans

2018-09-19 / / 0 Comments

CBC News and the Toronto Star went undercover this past summer, posing as scalpers at an industry convention called Ticket Summit 2018 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. The reporters found that Ticketmaster encourages scalpers to flout ticket-buying limits and resell tickets on the site at inflated prices that include extra fees for Ticketmaster.

More at CBC

 

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