If ever there is a story that can illustrate the importance of mathematics in everyday life, this is it. One day, math grad student Chris McKinlay decided to stop using OKCupid like everyone else and worked out a way to use math to find himself the best matches. This is how he went about it — and how such an approach becomes a little limited once the mathematician is forced to go out in the field!
The intent to make the subset of men interested in the revamped My Little Pony franchise acceptable to the mainstream has ignored a very real — and often vilified — aspect of “brony” culture: sex. The outlet for self-expression created by this fandom is vast and, as with other fandoms, this will necessarily include the natural biological aspect of sex. The reaction to this, however, has been overwhelmingly negative. A whole new word has been created for them to set them apart from brony culture: they’re cloppers.
Last September, Michigan’s Grand Valley State University removed a pendulum sculpture after several students used it to emulate the music video “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus, in which the pop singer rides the steel ball used in demolitions. But the students at Grand Valley State aren’t the only ones parodying the music video. From evolution to Chatroulette, here’s a rundown of some of the best ones yet.
Google has developed a word list to keep devices running the new Android KitKat operating system from auto-completing or auto-correcting “inappropriate” words. Some of them are so predictable (sex), you’ll roll your eyes. But some others are curious. Why are they banning “geek”? Or “preggers”? Why “uterus” but not “marijuana”?
In August, Russian officials issued an edict against anything that struck, in their opinion, as a “nontraditional” relationship, citing concern for the easily corruptible minds of Russian children. This gay ban was met with a great deal of protest from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual allies and activists and now, the group FCKH8, best known for manufacturing gay marriage equality t-shirts, has stepped up with a coloring book for children depicting the story of little Misha, a little boy with two moms. It’s the most heart-breaking thing you’ll ever see.
Apple came under fire last week when a Massachusetts teen discovered that their dictionary app gave the definition “foolish, stupid” for the word “gay.” The 15-year-old Becca Gorman, who had looked up the word while doing research for a paper on gay rights, was surprised that this definition was listed as “informal,” but that the dictionary seemed to provide no indication that the usage of the word in this context was derogatory. An Apple representative called her right away to let her know they were looking into it. What happened there?
I don’t really remember losing my virginity, which suits me very well, as I tend to think that attaching any weight to my first sexual fumblings does nothing for me and everything to uphold the forces that oppress women. That said, I do find the uses that people are finding for this construct very interesting. For instance, an 18-year-old in Siberia made almost $28,000 by selling off her virginity on an auction site at the end of October. Meanwhile, in London, a 19-year-old art student is planning to lose his virginity before an audience this January.
Nyeland Newel was renovating his 1930s bungalow when he discovered a life-sized Monopoly board painted on the floor. Striking on its own, the most fascinating aspects were the modifications. Instead of Community Chests — the places on the board that call for a player to draw a Community Chest card and execute its directives — Newel found stylized silhouettes of women not unlike the sort we might see at a strip joint. Could this have been the setting for sexy house party games? Newel thinks so.
A little video from Fine Brothers Productions, which owns a corner of the reaction space on YouTube, has been making the rounds online featuring reactions of 13 California kids between the ages of five and 13 to two different gay marriage proposals. “The opinions of children about these issues can give incredibly valuable insight into where our society currently stands and where we are headed as people,” write the creators. “It’s important to discuss these topics openly in the hopes of a better tomorrow through dialogue and conversation.”
Many Filipino sailors make small incisions in their penises and slide tiny plastic or stone balls — the size of M&M’s — underneath the skin in order to enhance sexual pleasure for prostitutes and other women they encounter in port cities. Raw materials for the bolitas can range from tiles to plastic chopsticks or toothbrushes. A designated crew member boils them in hot water to sterilize them, and then performs the procedure. There are also different preferred locations for insertion. Some have one on top or bottom, and others have both. Some have more.
