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01/09/13
by mathowie

Is a heat pump worth it?

Heat Pump Field InstallationHeat Pump Field Installation by Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M (cc by)

MeFite larkery explains some of the data you have to assess when considering whether a heat pump is worth the expense.

In conclusion: it's really hard to work out whether heat pumps are a good idea or not - you need a lot of different data to get a good result, and some of those data are hard to come by.

12/09/12
by jessamyn

MetaFilter Holiday meta-gift guide

MeFi Mall!

It's that time of year, so I thought I'd help everyone's holiday shopping out by compiling a list of gift-related resources from MetaFilter.

Helping finding specific gifts is a popular request at Ask MetaFilter and here is a recent list:

If you're into giving books as gifts, the wiki also has one of the most exhaustive categorized lists of previous questions about books. Take a gander, pick a subject, and check out all the amazing old threads about the best books in any category.

Lastly, the fine folks of Ask MetaFilter also have compiled a list of all the best gift guides found online. And as always, we set aside a "mall" of all the MetaFilter members selling gifts online, sorted by category.

12/07/12
by mathowie

1 Lid 2 Cups

Which animal has the hardest eyes?

chitonchiton by Dan Hershman (cc by)

Chitons have eyes that are made of minerals, and other fascinating eyeball factoids.

07/20/12
by jessamyn

Pride, Prejudice, and lunch period

Woman sleeping with Jane AustenWoman sleeping with Jane Austen by WarmSleepy (cc by)

High school is the World of Jane Austen

07/19/12
by mathowie

"I might not be able to afford to come to the states yet, but perhaps this way I'll at least be able to get a taste of its four corners."

Built-Rite Wild Animal Map PuzzleBuilt-Rite Wild Animal Map Puzzle by MeFite Marxchivist (cc by)

What are the best films which have been made about your state or city?

07/15/12
by jessamyn

Car fires: reality vs. the movies

FirefightersFirefighters by AMagill (cc by)

In a question about whether or not cars on fire blow up like they do in movies, member sanka happens to be an accident investigator and clues us all in on what a car fire is really like:

What generally happens when a car is allowed to burn to completion is the tank itself will melt through (almost all are plastic tanks now), allowing the gas to escape, then ignite. It will look like a large grease fire flare up, not a boom or blow up.

07/01/12
by mathowie

(fake) House Hunting

house-interior02house-interior02 by martiniko (cc by)

Slate Magazine published a short piece today questioning how realistic the popular HGTV show House Hunters actually is. The story goes nicely with a comment from last summer on Ask MetaFilter describing just how faked and staged the show was for a member's friend that was on the show.
[via MetaTalk]

06/14/12
by mathowie

Why Los Angeles is different, its history, and what makes it great

Los Angeles at Night from the Griffith ObservatoryLos Angeles at Night from the Griffith Observatory by @andrewghayes (cc by)

MeFi member nickrussell breaks down the history of Los Angeles (including San Francisco, and the West) in detail, going back over a century:

It's very easy to forget that London has had 1,000 years to develop. New York has had 300. San Francisco has had 175 or so. Yet Los Angeles is barely even 100 years in. And it grew so quickly, like a metropolitan puppy with big paws. It stumbled and fell all over them, before finally finding it's stride and grade.

06/12/12
by mathowie

"The use of the word hot to refer to something sexually arousing also dates back to the 1500s"

ManuscriptManuscript by Muffet (cc by)

An amazing thread on Ask MetaFilter has a simple premise: What are some current-sounding phrases that go back further than you would think--used the way we use them today? The thread is filled with gems like this jawdropper:

"Newfangled" appears in Chaucer's works, circa 1390

05/17/12
by mathowie

A Cigar Seller's Guide to Stogies

Cuban dreamingCuban dreaming by gilbrit (cc by)

When a question came up about drinking liquor and pairing it with cigars, MeFi member Scientist mentioned selling cigars and drops knowledge on what kinds of cigars go with various types of booze, what the sizes mean, what brands are good, and how best to enjoy them.

05/15/12
by mathowie

Only you can help improve nerd TV

asavageAdam working with his model by mathowie (cc by-nc-sa)

A certain someone on a certain awesome TV science show is looking for examples of movies showing cars flipping in interesting ways. The "test-able" part sounds a lot like the best answers may very well end up re-created on a TV show soon.

05/10/12
by mathowie

Everything you wanted to know about the Facebook IPO

DSCN1753DSCN1753 by Perpetualtourist2000 (cc by)

In an Ask MetaFilter question about short term buying of Facebook stock around the IPO, member jeb lays out the crazy world of stock market IPOs, how they function, and why you'll probably pay more than the opening price.

The way the IPO business works is…sort of corrupt, to varying degrees. It's definitely not a good place for the individual investor. Basically what happens is this...

05/08/12
by mathowie

Help for old school Blogger users

Blogger Logo

Are you an old school Blogger user from back in the day? I bet you got a few "update your old account" emails this week (I got 7 of them) and wondered why. MeFi member feelinglistless wondered if they were fake emails and how to save those old blogs associated with them and lucky for him, a Google engineer that works on Blogger showed up to explain why they emailed everyone and helped out a few users along the way.

04/28/12
by mathowie

Highlighting the best bits from the MetaFilter universe

MetaFilter started as a community weblog in 1999, later added question and answers, then music by members, jobs, projects by members, a podcast, and finally an area dedicated to meetups.

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