Awesome Learning

All you can eat restaurants seem like a losing proposition. Business Insider spoke with an analyst to find out what tricks establishments use to squeeze profits out of buffet-style menus, and how other restaurants fought back.

(SPOILERS) Wisecrack takes on two of the main themes explored across the Deus Ex games. One is how paranoia can and is used to manipulate society. The other is the danger of developing technology before understanding its moral implications.

Kurzgesagt explains an economic idea called egoistic altriusm. It argues that it’s in an individual’s best interest for those around him to be well off. You’ll have more people capable of solving your problems, and more people able to afford the solutions you offer.

Mental Floss explores a bunch of tidbits and trivia about language, including some of the many quirks of English, how dictionaries work, and a serious polyglot – a man who claims to speak over fifty languages. That “whether” or “if” thing always trips us up.

Wired enlisted the help of a general surgery student to look at emergency room and operating room scenes in movies and TV shows. She points out what’s generally portrayed accurately, what would never work in real life, and which terms actually mean something.

(PG-13: Language) The Awesomer’s writing team has long since said farewell to their twenties, but we definitely could have used some of the words from exurb1a’s reference guide, which includes terms which could come in handy to describe the trauma of that youthful decade.

Real Engineering usually teaches about how things work. But here, they explain some of the bad things that can cause complex systems like airplanes to fail and plunge from the sky. Despite the gloomy premise, the truth is that flying is safer than it’s ever been.

We know quite a few people who are serious caffeine addicts. But when push comes to shove, could you subsist entirely on coffee? Of course not. Life Noggin ponders what sort of nasty things might happen to us if that was all we ever consumed.

For his latest challenge, Mike Boyd took tips – and materials – from fellow serial learner 52 Skillz. The secret to ripping a phone book in half is to rest it against your hips while you hold the book in a certain way. He also shares how you can do the same to small books.

While we love the idea of therapeutic museums, The Art Assignment makes a compelling argument to visit these art houses as they are today. They hope that we can look not just for beauty or novelty, but also the artifacts’ ever changing context to society and to ourselves.

(PG-13: Language) After schooling us on Goth, Pitchfork is back with another entertaining, yet educational animated history short. This time you’ll learn about the foundations of heavy metal music, and how the genre has evolved over the decades. KISS WAS NEVER METAL!

While you may no longer be able to eat bacon or dance a jig after you’re six feet under, you may still have an impact on things long after you’re gone. Life Death And The Universe offers some deep thoughts on the subject from both philosophical and scientific angles.

Kurzgesagt explores string theory, and how it attempts to explain the nature of the universe. It’s supposed to solve the incompatibilities between quantum and gravitational physics by describing particles as “strings” rather than points. Yeah, we’re still confused.

(Gore) Life-as-e-sports specialist TierZoo explains how mammals and dinosaurs came to be. In the wake of a near-server shutdown known as the Great Dying, two groups of land animals dominated. But one of them eventually came up with a great idea: standing up.

“Faith can move mountains, but sugar water can’t cure cancer.” Kurzgesagt explains the basics and origins of homeopathy. It’s often touted as an alternative to expensive treatments, even though it often does nothing except make you think it’s doing something.

Birds can make some crazy noises, from mimicking sounds of their environment to singing repetitive patterns unique to their species. TED-Ed looks at the ways in which our fine feathered friends pick up their songs, and carry them on generation after generation.

Neon lights are incredibly hard to make and require specialized equipment. Thankfully, arts and crafts master Shmoxd came up with a way to effectively imitate that neon glow using polycarbonate tubing and electroluminescent wire.

The guys over at iFixit are the leading experts on tearing down new gadgets, splaying their guts open for all to see. They pay their bills by providing tools and docs for those who want to repair their own gear. Motherboard went behind the scenes to learn about their business.

Mark Brown talks about systemic video games. These are games where other characters or factors affect and interact with the game’s world, such as weather, animals or police. They encourage players to be creative and can lead to surprising and memorable moments.

The short answer? Secondhand airplanes. Hundreds of secondhand airplanes. Wendover Productions gives us an overview of the huge networks of airports that FedEx, UPS and DHL operate to make overnight shipping possible and affordable.

(PG-13) Wisecrack looks at how Monty Python influenced some of today’s most popular comedy shows and films by breaking down the three main elements of the group’s style: relentless postmodernism, absurdity and political satire.

(PG-13: Language) When racism, sexism and classism are gone, these two boxes will still remain. Casually Explained tackles two of this generation’s favorite buzzwords. He reminds us that spending time alone and with other people are equally important. Or so he’s been told.

Real Engineering ponders a question that you’d think would have an obvious answer: Which is faster: the world’s fastest production car or the world’s fastest helicopter? The answer might surprise you, and the physics at play are pretty fascinating.