Archive for April, 2010

Planets – gone wild

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Girls, animals and musicians have gone wild. Now some planets have joined them. Scientists have known for decades that some planets have rotated on their axes (that’s plural, ak’seez) the wrong way. What they didn’t know until earlier this month is that some planets orbit their suns the wrong way. Which orbit is the wrong [...]

I am E, as you are E, as you are WE and WE are all together

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

(With all due respect to the Beatles’s I am the Walrus.) For the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the organizers of Earth Day New York launched the “Be the E” campaign. The campaign was designed to give the eco-awareness day a “fresh face, draw new people into the environmental movement, and inspire everyone to take [...]

It takes a Shellac-in’

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

Watch this video: I love the intensity. And imagine, they’re talking about nail products! Five years in R&D: the perfect mani. Just what we’ve all been waiting for. “Soak-off gels look like polish but last much longer, in part because they are cured onto the nail with an ultraviolet lamp. The gel must be applied [...]

Mount Everest is how high?

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

Anyone reading the curious g since its beginning knows that I’m fascinated by mountaineering and Mount Everest (The holy grail of mountaineering and High-altitude sickness). The height of Mount Everest has long been disputed by its neighboring countries, Nepal and China. China believes that the mountain should be measured by rock height, while Nepal believes [...]

For some, Scrabble gets its props

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

There are three givens in life: Death, taxes, and no proper nouns in Scrabble. Listen up – there’s a change a comin’ for some. “Proper nouns.” If you’re a Scrabble lover – hardcore or casual, you’re probably screaming blasphemy or shaking your head respectively. Relax, it’s not all bad. An option has been presented, not [...]

Will the Grand Mosque of Copenhagen bridge the cultural and religious divide?

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Even though there’s still something rotten in the state of Denmark between Danes and the Muslim community (remember the cartoons), the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) takes on the challenge of creating the country’s first purpose-built mosque – Danish style. The Grand Mosque of Copenhagen has been in discussion and development for years. It’s underlying purpose: [...]

What fools these mortals be

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Where did the concept of April Fools’ Day come from? I’ve never known, but this year I decided to find out. It appears that April Fools’ Day history is a bit murky, but there are a lot of theories out there. Here are just a handful. The most common theory During the Middle Ages in [...]