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The Lasting Gifts of the Civilian Conservation Corps

In 1933, America was in the depths of the Great Depression. Unemployment stood at around 25%. As soon as he took office, President Franklin Roosevelt pushed for an employment program called the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). He ran a similar program as governor of New York, and hoped a national program would get young men out of the city slums, give them something productive to do, and improve conservation and access to the country's natural resources all at the same time. Six weeks later, the first... READ ON

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7 Fabulously Named Fossils

When I researched the post 14 Great Names for Bugs, I found other wonderful species names, including some creatures that no longer exist. Still, extinct species are part of our history, and they get names, too. Sometimes really inventive names! 1. Bambiraptor... READ ON

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Niche Blogs for the Dog Days of August

Are you tired of the Olympics already? Are you tired of U.S. presidential election news? Are you bogged down with back-to-school preparations? Then maybe you need some lighthearted distraction! Of course, you'll always find interesting and informative posts at mental_floss, but in addition, here are some wacky and oddly specific blogs that might bring you a smile or two during the hot month of... READ ON

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15 My Little Pony Mashups

If you want to create something that will appeal to internet surfers, keep this in mind: the essence of comedy is the juxtaposition of opposites, or at least somewhat unrelated things. When you combine the pleasantness of something cute with the excitement of something popular but not cute, you get a surefire hit -that is, if you have the talent to pull it off. Several years ago I posted Cute Little Cthulhu on this same theme. Those mashups came from juxtaposing the horror of Cthulhu with something cute... READ ON

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Ten 2012 Olympians to Keep Your Eyes On

Thousands of athletes from all over the world are in London for the 2012 Olympics. Many of them are already stars, having trained their entire lives for this chance at gold. For some, getting there has been a struggle against poverty, politics, prejudice, and other disadvantages. Here are a few that you'll want to know before you see them compete. 1. South Sudan: Guor... READ ON

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10 More Odd and Unusual Boating Events

Just a couple of days ago, we had 10 Strange and Wonderful Boat Races. Readers suggested other boat races, hinting that a list of ten was not enough. So here are ten more events in which you can enjoy some awesome and unusual boating, floating, and racing. 1. Aquatennial Milk Carton Boat... READ ON

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10 Strange and Wonderful Boat Races

The races are strange, but the title refers to the boats. With a little ingenuity, you can build a boat, loosely defined as a "flotation device," out of anything! 1. Beer Can... READ ON

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Olympic Uniforms for the 2012 Opening Ceremonies

When the London Olympics open on July 27th, the Parade of Nations will be our introduction to the 2012 athletes. What each team wears to the Opening Ceremonies is the stuff of much conjecture, drama, pride, gossip, and criticism. Let's see what some of the teams will be... READ ON

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Ice Cream or Not Ice Cream?

As we plod through the heat wave of the summer, few things are more refreshing than an ice cream treat. The biggest problem is getting it from the store to the house before it melts! But if you look in the supermarket aisle full of frozen treats, the products range from popsicles to ice cream to generic "artificially-flavored frozen non-dairy dessert," whatever that means. Ice cream by any other name would taste as sweet, right? Actually, what you get in most frozen treats is standardized by how they are... READ ON

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7 Robot Animals and Creepy-Crawlies

The field of robotics, while taking over factories and a lot of other manual labor, is still experimental in many areas. In a branch of biorobotics, researchers are working on machines that imitate the movements of animals in order to both improve the way machines move and to understand the way animals do it. Although we may never need a robot jellyfish, the development of one is more than just a cool project. 1. Robot Octopus... READ ON