Things I Think Are Kinda Cool

* Forgetting your past is virtually impossible because of the cringeworthy digital trails we leave on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks. Those embarrassing mistakes you made in college are often the first things that strangers know about you. Uh oh. – NY Times

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* Go behind-the-scenes at the Library of Congress as the pros preserve and digitize ancient texts…it’s an insanely delicate (and unbelievably important) job. – Boing Boing

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* Humans spend the majority of time (even more than having sex) in imaginary worlds through books, films, video games, etc – Why is it that even when we know something is fictional, there’s a biological part of us that truly believes it’s real? – Chronicle

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* Take an in-depth look at Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video, and how the production revealed cracks in the seemingly unstoppable Jackson Machine. – Vanity Fair

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* The age-old mystery has finally been solved – why do some countries drive on the left versus the right? Great info for your next cocktail party (or a dive bar, or wherever you get drunk). – Today I Found Out

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* A Russian dude turned down the $1 Million he won for solving one of the world’s most difficult math problems, the Poincare Conjecture, because he got in a little tiff with the ‘math community’ (bitchy mathematicians). Here’s what the Poincare Conjecture is all about. – Slate

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* Did you hear how Chinese corporations are hiring white dudes to act like the president of the company in the hopes of attracting more investments? So crazy. Check out these interviews with guys that have actually taken part in the bizarre stunts. – VBS & The Atlantic

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* I’ve wanted cities to install moving sidewalks for as long as I can remember…it’s been a slight obsession of mine. (Yes, I need a hobby.) But is it really a good idea? – Slate

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* The potential successor to the Dalai Lama isn’t an old sage sitting silently in a forest cave waiting for his turn. His name is Karmapa Lama. He’s 24 years old, loves video games, listens to rap music, and is WAY cooler than you and me – Global Post

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* Have you noticed the new subculture called ‘Steampunk’ gaining steam lately? (Sorry, bad pun). It’s based on an intense love with Victorian-era machines and the world of Jules Verne (think “Back to the Future 3″). Learn more about this crazy world. – More Intelligent Life

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(Did you see I used a photo from my Awkward Stock Photos post? Apparently they ARE useful!)

YOU: We’ve got a lot of reading to do this time, so no dilly-dallying.

BRAIN: Don’t you want to talk?

YOU: About what?

BRAIN: Um, Alex vs. Jill? Lindsay vs. Avril? Andrews vs. Hasselbeck?

YOU: … … …

BRAIN: OK…your silence is deafening. I get it. (But seriously, as much as I’ve stopped liking Jill, Alex was completely out of line…sure, Linsday is a mess, but Avril has always been a little twit… and I still can’t believe 95% of the things that come out of that Hasselbeck’s mouth…)

YOU: SHUT UP!

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* We always root for the underdog…in sports, crappy reality shows, and life in general. Learn about the hard-wired psychological reasons why we just can’t help loving losers. – Slate

* “Mommy…I want THAT one”, little Johnny screamed as he pointed his fat finger towards Double Choco Crispy Fruity Flaky Pebble Chunks. Marketing junk food to kids is complicated, conflicted, and wildly controversial. Get the real story. – Alternet

* Imagine spending 10pm to 7am every single night cleaning gum and spit off lamp posts at Disneyland. The overnight shift is an incredibly busy and hectic time for workers…go behind-the-pristine-scenes of the Disneyland overnight cleanup crew. – LA Times

* The rest of the world doesn’t look down on plastic wine corks like us snobby Americans do…the battle between cork and plastic has been raging for about 30 years, and it’s getting nastier and more intense by the minute. – Wall Street Journal (via @patkiernan)

* The next time you let out a sigh, think about this – sighs are actually part of an intricate system that regulates our breathing patterns. Learn what these little puffs of air really mean to our bodies and minds. – Discovery

* Each year, people who’ve had their genomes mapped gather at an exclusive meeting. The club’s membership grows exponentially each year as technology becomes more accessible. Be a fly-on-the-wall at this unusual and compelling meeting. – Discover Magazine

* If you really want to learn about how the TV business makes money, check out this clear and concise article explaining the golden ticket of revenue…affiliate fees. – Above The Crowd

* Please cover your ears if you work in the pharmaceutical industry: it’s hard to ignore the fact that some placebos actually work well in clinical trials. Is it time to proactively use placebos to help cure what ails us? – Boston Globe

YOU: I can’t believe that 2010 is almost here…the start of a new decade.

BRAIN: I know – what will happen next year…so many questions. Will Iran get any closer to a nuclear weapon? Will our health care system improve? Will Apple finally release a tablet computer?

YOU: Yeah, sure, whatever. Will Brangelina finally self-destruct? How many more babies will Michelle Duggar pop out? What’s next for Snooki!?!

BRAIN: Who?

YOU: Never mind. I guess you’re gonna make me read a bunch of ‘interesting’ articles now, right?

BRAIN: Wait…seriously.  Who’s Snooki?

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* If you’ve been paying attention over the past few years, you might think our government has been an abysmal failure – the economic crisis, failed levees, broken Congress, terrorists slipping through the cracks. So the real question is, why do these people still have jobs? – Salon

* Kidnapping and hostage-taking has become an extremely lucrative business in Nigeria. Explore the intricate ins and outs of this thriving industry, and find out why negotiating a ransom can be considered an art form. – NY Times

* When a good actor becomes a fully developed character on stage or screen, what physiological changes are going on in his brain? For the first time ever, scientists observe the brain activity of British thespian Fiona Shaw while she’s acting, and the results are very interesting. – BBC

* Elizabeth Warren, the Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel, is one of the few trustworthy voices talking about the economic crisis. She talks about the potential of an America without a middle class – it’s not as unbelievable as you might think. – Huff Po

* Fregoli Delusion is the name of an odd mental condition where a patient thinks that different people are actually the same person wearing a variety of disguises. Presque vu is the sensation that you’re about to have an amazing epiphany, although it never actually happens. Find out more about these and other strange conditions of the human mind. – Mind Cafe

* The Soviets failed miserably in Afghanistan 30 years ago…if we want a more successful outcome, what can the US learn from their mistakes? – Daily Beast

BRAIN: Uggghh…Oooohhh…Aaaggghh…

YOU: What’s wrong?  Are you sick?

BRAIN: I’m so full…yet so empty…I can’t believe you forced me to do it.

YOU: What?

BRAIN: You made me watch the entire “America’s Next Top Model” marathon – yesterday and today.  Cycle 6 and Cycle 7.  I can’t believe Danielle won.  And, ugh, that Melrose was so obnoxious.  And remember Jade?  Thailand…Barcelona…HELP.

YOU: OK…this isn’t good.  I’m so sorry.  Here…let’s read these articles:

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* A revealing yet light-hearted look at how public radio stations convince readers to donate cash through guilt-trips, begging, flattery and more.  Those annoying fundraising drives are psychologically deeper than you might think. – Slate

* In what will hopefully be the final Balloon Boy analysis, Frank Rich paints a vivid picture of the current American landscape of fame, opportunity, and desperation by drawing parallels to fame-hungry Americans in the Great Depression. - NY Times

* You’ve heard “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” your whole life.  But maybe it’s not true.  Is it possible to determine if a person is dangerous just by looking at his/her face?  Psychologists weigh in and give their professional opinion based on some startling research. – Slate

* Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich shines a light on what’s been happening on Wall Street over the past few months since the public has shifted attention to Health Care, Letterman, and Balloon Boy.  In a nutshell, the much-needed regulation never happened and the situation is looking extremely precarious…again. - Salon

* People with Asberger’s syndrome have a hard time dealing with social situations and usually lack empathy towards others.  Some lawyers for criminals with Asbergers claim that locking them up in prison would be cruel and unusual punishment because of the stressful social situations they would face.  Should they be treated differently? – Slate