Diversions Archive
Man turns up alive at his own funeral
SmartBrief on Leadership | Nov 06, 2009
A Brazilian bricklayer stunned friends and family by wandering into his own funeral. The man had been on an all-night drinking spree when relatives mistakenly identified the body of a disfigured car-crash victim as belonging to him. "An aunt and four of his friends identified the body, so what were we to do? We went ahead with the funeral," said the man's niece.
Why Google still feels lucky
SmartBrief on Leadership | Nov 05, 2009
Since Google's "I'm Feeling Lucky" button bypasses the search engine's results page, where users are shown ads, it costs the company $110 million in lost ad revenues every year. The feature persists just because the company's founders worried the site would start to feel to corporate. What else would you expect from a company that built its first computer storage from LEGO, has a "first dog" and uses a tricycle for official business?
It's opera -- but not as you know it
SmartBrief on Leadership | Nov 04, 2009
A new generation of opera directors is using technical wizardry to transform their productions. From Valkyries wielding light sabers to a robotic chorus and musical chandeliers, there's no end to the high-tech hijinks going down at the world's top opera houses.
Kissing gives you cooties -- and that's a good thing
SmartBrief on Leadership | Nov 03, 2009
Scientists say that kissing may have evolved to help women build resistance to a virus found in male saliva. The Cytomegalovirus germ is normally harmless but can kill unborn babies if it's contracted during pregnancy. Research shows that kissing before pregnancy gives women a chance to inoculate themselves against the virus, helping to ensure the health of their baby.
Bad driving could be hardwired
SmartBrief on Leadership | Nov 02, 2009
Researchers believe that a single gene found in a third of Americans could cause sloppy driving. Undergraduates who possessed the gene, which affects the brain's ability to rewire itself and thus its ability to learn new skills, made 20% more mistakes during a driving simulation than their more genetically fortunate peers. "The people who had this genetic variation performed more poorly from the get-go," says neurologist Steven Cramer. "It's up to society to say, how do we deal with that fact?"
PepsiCo to pay $1.26 billion for missing court date
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 30, 2009
Lawyers for PepsiCo failed to put in an appearance at a Wisconsin state court last month to defend the company against claims that it stole the idea for Aquafina bottled water -- so the judge entered a whopping $1.26 billion default judgment against the soft-drink giant. Now Pepsi is scrambling to have the damages dropped, claiming that due to a breakdown in internal communications, their legal department wasn't notified of the court date in time.
The making of the modern mall
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 29, 2009
Ever wondered how the biggest department stores got started? From Rowland Hussey Macy's time on a Nantucket whaling ship to the story of Richard W. Sears' days as a freelance watch salesman, these seven stories offer a new perspective on our shopping heritage.
Researchers claim to have solved Earhart mystery
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 28, 2009
Researchers say they've solved the mystery of aviator Amelia Earhart's disappearance, concluding that she lived out the remainder of her days on the uninhabited island of Nikumaroro, in the southwestern Pacific republic of Kiribat. Members of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery made the determination based on records from a British Colonial Service officer, who found remains and gear on the island.
Vamp up your vacation
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 27, 2009
Bored with beach holidays? Try a vampire vacation. Pilgrimages to Transylvania or Forks, Washington, (home to the Twilight series) are the obvious place to start, but holiday operators are also running fangs-and-cape tours of less likely destinations, including San Francisco and New Orleans.
Whale battle royale caught on film
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 26, 2009
Humpback whales battle for dominance while chasing a potential mate, according to new footage that records the ritual for the first time. The 40-ton animals leap out of the water, delivering blows that could potentially kill other suitors. "It's the closest we're ever going to get to dinosaurs fighting," says one scientist.
10 famous folks who started out working for Mickey Mouse
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 23, 2009
Ronald Reagan, Steve Martin and Pixar's John Lasseter are just some of the celebrities who toiled at The Walt Disney Co. before they caught their big breaks.
Artists trade paintbrushes for scissors
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 22, 2009
New York's Museum of Art and Design is hosting an exhibition of art made simply by snipping away at bits of paper. But forget paper snowflakes: these artworks range from dizzying abstract shapes to conceptual pieces like a book with every single word cut out.
From bedpans to king of the Bakonzo
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 21, 2009
A man who worked for 25 years as a nurse's aide in Pennsylvania and Maryland has been crowned king of the Bakonzo, a 300,000-strong Ugandan ethnic group. Crowds cheered as Charles Wesley Mumbere, who had been a rebel leader before coming to the U.S., accepted the largely ceremonial title; his coronation was the result of years of lobbying for the Bakonzos' recognition by Uganda's national government.
Google Earth's greatest hits
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 20, 2009
From heart-shaped islands to swastika-shaped government buildings, Google Earth has some pretty weird stuff -- if you know where to look. Don't miss the 36-mile-tall Santa Claus or the 10-acre corn-maze homage to Oprah Winfrey.
The ancients have us beat
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 19, 2009
Early man was stronger, faster and more agile than even today's top Olympic athletes, experts say. Research into ancient cultures shows our ancestors could possibly have broken world records in sprinting, high jumping, spear throwing and other athletic pursuits, since they trained under much higher stress levels.
The future of robotics is squishy
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 16, 2009
The world's first soft-bodied robot was unveiled at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems earlier this week. The device uses "jamming skin enabled locomotion," allowing it to move over complex terrain
Fingerprint points to lost da Vinci painting
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 15, 2009
Peter Silverman purchased "Young Girl in Profile in Renaissance Dress," for about $19,000 at auction 1998, when it was billed as "German, early 19th century." But fingerprint analysis and other subtle clues suggest the painting is possibly a forgotten work by Leonardo da Vinci, which could make the painting worth millions.
Tying your nose to your heart
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 14, 2009
A person's sense of smell and their capacity for sympathy may be linked, according to a Rice University study. Researchers found that women who could identify individuals on scent alone were more likely to earn higher scores on series of tests measuring emotional sensitivity. Scientists say this may indicate that the same area of the brain is responsible for both abilities.
NASA's moon bombing may have been illegal
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 13, 2009
Ramming a hunk of debris into the Moon didn't produce the huge dust clouds NASA scientists say they were hoping for -- but it may have violated international law. Some bloggers say firing projectiles at the moon flies in the face of a 1967 United Nations treaty covering space exploration.
A pig you can put in your pocket
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 12, 2009
Micropigs are the latest pet rage among celebrities, this article suggests. Before you hand over $1,000 for your own, keep in mind that they don't fit in a teacup for long. Typical adult size is about 65 pounds.
In Germany, a larger-than-life anniversary
SmartBrief on Leadership | Oct 09, 2009
Germans took to the streets -- in commemoration of the 20th year since the Berlin wall collapsed -- where a French theater company ran "The Berlin Reunion," a show about a deep-sea diver separated from his niece played out by giant marionettes.
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