Why We Get Dizzy (…and Astronauts Don’t)

From BrainCraft:



More at Popular Mechanics:

When an astronaut first gets onboard the ISS, they feel constantly dizzy because the fluid in their inner ear is floating around in zero-g instead of staying put like on Earth. After the first couple of days, their brain adapts by essentially ignoring signals from the inner ear in favor of inputs from the eyes. Once that happens, it becomes very difficult to force the brain to start paying attention to the inner ear again.

Thursday links

April 25 is ANZAC Day, the anniversary of the 1915 Battle of Gallipoli: here's some history, restored footage, a documentary, and a Lego re-enactment.

The history and invention of Jell-O.

Without the Great Calculator Race of the 1970s, there would be no iPhone.

It's Oliver Cromwell's birthday - his excellent speech throwing out the corrupt Parliament is evergreen, plus the posthumous travels of his head, and bonus Monty Python.

The Dark Origins of the Tale of Snow White. 

Sick of exercising? Plastic Surgeons Can Now Sculpt Belly Fat Into a Weird Chiseled Six-Pack.

ICYMI, most recent links are here, and include coverage of the annual Sasquatch Calling Festival, the McDonalds Monopoly Fraud (from 1995 to 2001, there was only one real winner - Uncle Jerry), photos of the live-action models for Disney's 1959 "Sleeping Beauty", and film of the 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed that 80% of San Francisco.