It takes a lot of work for a bill to become a law. It's a complex process that most of us know nothing about, other than the tidbits that linger in our memory from high school government class. Mike Wirth clarifies the process in his gameboard-like submission to Sunlight Labs' competition, Design for America. Mike's entry won top honors in the "How A Bill Becomes a Law" category.

In the amount of time it takes you to read this, 247 000 people on the internet will read some sort of informational chart, graphic or presentation that is wildly inaccurate and has absolutely no reference to any scientific studies. -source-

An earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Haiti this week, devastating the Carribean island. Thousands are feared dead, including many from the UN's 9,000-strong peacekeeping force stationed there. The United States Geological Survey keeps track of the deadliest earthquakes around the world since 1900. According to their data, the most deadly earthquake to strike over the past 110 years hit Tangshan...

Nasa's budget is under the spotlight. According to a report in the New York Times, its mission to return astronauts to the moon would be grounded as part of a stringent 2011 budget. So, how much does the US spend on Nasa and the space programme? Thanks to the Office of Management and Budget, we have data going back to 1962 on federal spending for each area of government. Figures from 1958 to 1962 are from...

Hacking has been around as long as computers as a way to reconfigure or reprogram a system to give access to someone who otherwise shouldn't have that access. In the media, any electronic manipulation is often referred to as hacking, though “cracking� may often be more appropriate. Thanks to hacking, computer geeks can be “cool and dangerous�. -source-

According to Sydney-based data security firm Impreva, the most popular Internet password is “123456″, followed by “12345″ and then “123456789″. The study, which analyzes 32 million passwords recently exposed in the Rockyou.com breach, paints a grim picture of how vulnerable our online accounts are, especially those which contain simple credentials. It is quite depressing to see many people still...

Their war is an endless one. Don let those few videos and pictures you see of a cat licking a dog clean, or of a dog nestling up next to a cat for sleepy time fool you. Theirs is a battle that shall be wagged for an eternity. So, while we wait for the inevitable Dogpocalypse and Catmageddon, let us better understand these noble creatures that we now call our lovable pets.

The Known Universe takes viewers from the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world's most complete four-dimensional map of the universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History. The new film, created by...

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Yes...the childhood story we all loved is examined (aka: skewered) with a slightly more critical view. If you think the biblical account makes sense...think again.

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PS. Today is fifth presidential election in Croatia. In second round candidates are first-round winner Ivo Josipović and first-round runner-up Milan Bandić. And if you wanna win, in democracy you have to spend money...so they spend it (source): MILAN BANDIĆ spent 9.589.142,60 kn  (~1 883 917 USD) IVO JOSIPOVIĆ spent 3.937.365,20 kn. (~773 549 USD) No matter who winns, you should...

Cnances are good you have a Facebook profile. Chances are even better that, if you do have an account, you check it at least once a day. You might be a professional Farmviller or the President of 100 Facebook groups, but do you really know Facebook and what you've got yourself into? It's time for Facebook re-education.

Wow!!!! Apple video calling flips your own camera so it's like a mirror? Cool!! No? Well ... FAIL! original here

After three versions and much discussion, here’s the latest, corrected version of the answer - by David McCandless & Ben Bartels Get full data here -source-

I prove that being a Christian requires constant thinking, while being an atheist sheep does not. This explains why athiest are the dumbest people God ever created! Please watch video before you start comments! And here's my favorite part from Zeitgest movie:

You shouldn't leave them out where people can see them. You should change them regulary. And you shouldn't loan them out to strangers.

3WA7RGHRBRJ6 As we come to the end of the decade, we turn to one of the more dramatic changes we've heard in music over those 10 years: It seems to have gotten louder. Christopher Clark explores the trend of loudness with this graphic [pdf, almost 10MB]. He selected several songs from each year and summed the maximum RMS levels. Songs are color-code by genre. -source: npr.org-

Since being released in 1977, Star Wars has remained one of the most influential sci-fi films of all time. It has spawned three prequels, two sequels, TV movies, books and countless toys. Despite the vast amount of information available about the famous franchise, there still might be some things about Star Wars that would surprise you. -source-

How do you show what has happened to everyday Iraqi life? This is how guardian.co.uk did it! -source-

Fear, as FDR noted in 1933 paralyzes those who succumb to it. And yet, much of what we worry about today is based on hype rather than reality. Yes, media headlines are partially to blame. But some things (sharks!) are just downright scary. Using the most recent U.S. data available, we hereby present a list of unsettling threats and their far riskier counterparts. -source-

Did you know that in a lifetime you will have 104390 dreams, visit the toilet 174105 times, and lose the TV remote 13228 times?

While the US has its own problems with debt somewhere in the range of $13 trillion, European countries have got some issues too. It seems like everyone owes something these days. - source: www.nytimes.com -

Throw away your textbooks. Here is the latest, atomically correct, version of our old friend, the atom. Watch past episodes of the program, try out interactives, and more on Web site: www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by Pfizer, the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the...

One human cell contains 75MB genetic information. One sperm contains a half of that; that is 37.5MB. One ml of semen contains 100 million sperms. In average, ejaculation lasts for 5 sec and contains 2.25 ml semen. This means that the throughput of a man's member is equal to (37.5MB x 100,000,000 x 2.25)/5 = 1 687 500 000 000 000 byte/second = 1,6875 Тerabyte/sec This means that the female...

Computer audio has come quite a way since 1981 and here is a short video comparing everything major from the PC speaker to Adlib on up to cards from today! At least, from the perspective of the Lucasarts classic, The Secret of Monkey Island. Get your education on, watch and gain respect for your aural ancestors. Monkey Island was chosen due to its having the widest amount of versions of the same song, as compared...

The data refers to the evolution of the top 4 maritime empires of the XIX and XX centuries by extent. The visual emphasis is on their decline. -source-

Basic expressions =================== 2010 = 1+2-(3-4-5)*6*7*8-9 2010 = 1-(2+(3-4-5)*6*7)*8+9 2010 = 1+2+(3+4*(5+6*7+8))*9 2010 = 1+2*(3*4*(5+6)-7)*8+9 2010 = 1*2*3*(4*(5*6+7*8)-9) 2010 = 1+2+(3+4*(5-6+7*8))*9 2010 = (1-2-3+4*(5/6+7*8))*9 2010 = (1+2+3*4)*(5-6+(7+8)*9) 2010 = 1+2+((3*(4+5)+6)*7-8)*9 2010 = (1+2+3)*(4*(5*6+7*8)-9) 2010 = 1+2+3*(4*(5+6)*(7+8)+9) 2010 = (1*2/3)*((4+5)*6*7*8-9) 2010 =...

Mark Roth studies suspended animation: the art of shutting down life processes and then starting them up again. It's wild stuff, but it's not science fiction. Induced by careful use of an otherwise toxic gas, suspended animation can potentially help trauma and heart attack victims survive long enough to be treated. Mark Roth's research has reawakened an unusual notion from the annals of science: reversible...

Millions os websites use Flash. Get used to the blue legos. -source-

This short film illustrates how data protection has changed over the past few years, and where the future trends will emerge. If you've ever wondered why there are so many different options when it comes to disaster recovery & business continuity, this should help answer some of those questions.

Using examples from vacations to colonoscopies, Nobel laureate and founder of behavioral economics Daniel Kahneman reveals how our "experiencing selves" and our "remembering selves" perceive happiness differently. This new insight has profound implications for economics, public policy -- and our own self-awareness.

Mentalist have usec body language for centuries to make it appear they have the power to read minds. Trough analysis of physical cues and using similar techniques from famous mentalist almost anyone can make it seem they know more than you do.

We've heard a lot of talk lately from deniers that cold temperatures are proof that there is no such thing as global waming. It looks like it will be an annual event for me to remind people that winter still follows summer. Since deniers seem to want to believe the warming thing is all a lie, perhaps a little review is in order.

Find out if you can pass the respected Mayo Clinic psychometric test. -source-

PS. Nice choice for background music: John O'Callaghan ft. Jaren: Surreal and Ocean Lab: Satellite

Ok, this is like 90% true on Facebook. On Twitter is like 75% true in my case (don't count false marketing account). So girls, are breasts such an important part of your character that we won't recognize you without them?? -source-

When New York City adopted a new rule in 2008 requiring chain restaurants to prominently post calorie counts for every item on their menus, it was supposed to be the Day of Judgment for the fast-food industry. Knowledge is the key to winning all modern wars, and calorie information is the new weapon in the war on fat. Who could bear to utter the words "super size" while staring at the calorie...

Which jobs are most plentiful and where? And which jobs pay the most? If you are looking for a job or choosing a new career direction, as many Americans currently are, the answers to these questions matter. Today Billshrink gives you an in-depth look at employment and unemployment in America sector by sector. -source-

Atheists often hear the question, "How can you be moral without God?" The real question is, "How can a moral person accept God?" If the scriptures are true, God sets a terrible example for Goodness.

The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are expected to see an economic breakthrough in the next ten years. -source-

Every year,there are millions and millions and millions random facts and statistic gathered by researches, scientist and analyst. These numbers are often times too large to interpret and the shear magnitude of the numbers can be overwhelming. Here are 20 figures scaled down to 60 seconds in order to grasp how wild some of these number are. -source-

In 1926, Fritz Kahn illustrated man as a working factory in his famous poster, Man as Industrial Palace. Tiny guys in each body system perform their own specific job. A camera man controls the eyes, groups of thinkers sit up top, and the guys at the bottom handle the dirty work. Designer Henning Lederer brings the poster to life in animated and interactive form (below). Der Mensch als Industriepalast [Man...

Unemployment in USA Soars to Highest Level in 16 Years. - The New York Times -source-

-source: 9gag.com-

You dropped some food on the ground. Consult this flowchart to decide whether to eat it: -source- Oh yes, you can change the famuos 5-secound rule to 30-second rule if you wannt. ps. For you in the food industry, question is: "DO YOU SERVE IT?". But we all know the answer.

I don't like Chuck Norris jokes, but this is something i just have to post! -source: 9gag.com-

This is the first drawing on Youtube done with Microsoft Excel exclusively (Autoshape can be used to do lineart, colors, shadows, lighting effects and layers, like some drawing softwares). Just for fun. Real length: 12 hours 56 minutes

Wife : "How Am I Looking?" Newton : Tan C/Sin C Wife : Huh??? I will post answer tomorrow in comments....

Nice one, The Oatmel! It's just paiful go trough this so many many times. Can I send this to clients before I start to work with them??

Contrary to Pope Benedict's assertion that the immorality of modern society is to blame for sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests, the church's own historical documents reveal that sexual abuse has been a problem that the Catholic Church has failed to properly deal with since its earliest days. The Church's first official document referring to the problem of sexual abusing children was in the year 60 AD. All...