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![]() OCTOBER 1, 2007 |
HOW TO DESTROY THE EARTH
Contemporary scientific theories tell us
that what we may see as vacuum is only vacuum on average, and actually
thriving with vast amounts of particles and antiparticles constantly
appearing and then annihilating each other. It also suggests that the
volume of space enclosed by a light bulb contains enough vacuum energy
to boil every ocean in the world. Therefore, vacuum energy could prove
to be the most abundant energy source of any kind. Which is where you
come in. All you need to do is figure out how to extract this energy
and harness it in some kind of power plant - this can easily be done
without arousing too much suspicion - then surreptitiously allow the
reaction to run out of control. The resulting release of energy would
easily be enough to annihilate all of planet Earth and probably the
Sun too.
An
electrical engineer, a chemical engineer and a Microsoft software
engineer are driving together. Suddenly, the car just stops by the
side of the road.
OYSTER SHUCKING
A Swede won the world
oyster-opening championship in September after he
shucked a shellfish every five seconds with a
minimum of blood and grit.
Restaurateur Hasse Johannesson opened 30 oysters in 2 minutes 41 seconds to scoop the coveted award, ahead of Canada's Eamon Clarke by 13 seconds. "Now I need a cigarette," said Johannesson as he celebrated his first world title after competing for the fourth time. "The secret is not just good timing but in the clean presentation as if you would serve it in a restaurant," he told Reuters. Damage to the oyster's flesh, failure to detach it from the shell, grit or traces of human blood mean penalties for the knife-wielding competitors who have come from 16 other countries including Thailand, the United States and Estonia. |
RECIPE
Gather a bunch of nettle
plants early in the spring
APPENDIX In plant-eating vertebrates, the appendix is much larger and its main function is to help digest a largely herbivorous diet. The human appendix is a small pouch attached to the large intestine where it joins the small intestine and does not directly assist digestion. Biologists believe it is a vestigial organ left behind from a plant-eating ancestor. Interestingly, it has been noted by paleontologist Alfred Sherwood Romer in his text The Vertebrate Body (1949) that the major importance of the appendix "would appear to be financial support of the surgical profession," referring to, of course, the large number of appendectomies performed annually. In 2000, in fact, there were nearly 300,000 appendectomies performed in the United States, and 371 deaths from appendicitis. Any secondary function that the appendix might perform certainly is not missed in those who had it removed before it might have ruptured. |
Copyright 2000 Claude Dern, All
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