Comments on: Superstronomer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:44:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Ash http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/#comment-62374 Ash Sun, 01 Jun 2008 09:57:55 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/#comment-62374 i have an uncanny ability to be able to overpower 17 yr old guys. It is quite funny actually. im only 5 foot 3, 17 yrs old, slim build, and yet whenever i play fight with the guy mates, [who are significantly taller, musclier and cockier than me] i always seem to win. i have more stamina, and the upper hand that they think im weak. lets just say there were tears. and they weren't mine! i can also move my eyes from left to right really really fast so they look like theyr vibrating. it creeps people out! also, i can move my lower eyelids inwards, so i look like a posessed zombie child. that creeps people out too! i love these 'powers' XD i have an uncanny ability to be able to overpower 17 yr old guys. It is quite funny actually. im only 5 foot 3, 17 yrs old, slim build, and yet whenever i play fight with the guy mates, [who are significantly taller, musclier and cockier than me] i always seem to win. i have more stamina, and the upper hand that they think im weak. lets just say there were tears. and they weren’t mine!

i can also move my eyes from left to right really really fast so they look like theyr vibrating. it creeps people out!

also, i can move my lower eyelids inwards, so i look like a posessed zombie child. that creeps people out too!

i love these ‘powers’ XD

]]>
By: Davebegood http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/#comment-62373 Davebegood Sat, 05 Jan 2008 17:04:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/#comment-62373 When I hit middle age I mysteriously obtained Super Napping powers, that let me slip into tiny cat naps after just a few seconds. Also, just looking at pictures of beans will cause me to become flatulent. When I hit middle age I mysteriously obtained Super Napping powers, that let me slip into tiny cat naps after just a few seconds. Also, just looking at pictures of beans will cause me to become flatulent.

]]>
By: tussock http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/#comment-62372 tussock Sat, 05 Jan 2008 06:44:13 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/#comment-62372 BTW, Phil. Re transnosmia Your bodily "stink" smells much worse to people who share components of your immune system, an evolutionary trick to get folk to pick partners who don't share any, and thus be more likely to have some of your kids survive the next plague. Your children should be less likely than average to die of the same immune-related cause as each other. The stink in your clothes is mostly unrelated bacterial compounds (which don't reproduce at all well on our skin, but thrive in various clothing materials), and smells much the same to everyone. Multiple sweating/drying/reheating sessions (such as before and after lunch, or on multiple days) amplifies the number of bacteria considerably. People who smell worse than the clothes they're in share a lot of the chromosomes that are active in your immune system. Either that or they have an infection, and should see a doctor. Still, much of taste and smell is attitude. It's quite possible to consciously ignore smells, and it's normal for people to unconsciously do so in various "safe" smelly situations (like defecating or changing nappies). It's similarly possible to elevate your awareness of these things, which you may have taken to doing by habit. BTW, Phil. Re transnosmia

Your bodily “stink” smells much worse to people who share components of your immune system, an evolutionary trick to get folk to pick partners who don’t share any, and thus be more likely to have some of your kids survive the next plague. Your children should be less likely than average to die of the same immune-related cause as each other.
The stink in your clothes is mostly unrelated bacterial compounds (which don’t reproduce at all well on our skin, but thrive in various clothing materials), and smells much the same to everyone. Multiple sweating/drying/reheating sessions (such as before and after lunch, or on multiple days) amplifies the number of bacteria considerably.

People who smell worse than the clothes they’re in share a lot of the chromosomes that are active in your immune system. Either that or they have an infection, and should see a doctor.

Still, much of taste and smell is attitude. It’s quite possible to consciously ignore smells, and it’s normal for people to unconsciously do so in various “safe” smelly situations (like defecating or changing nappies). It’s similarly possible to elevate your awareness of these things, which you may have taken to doing by habit.

]]>
By: tussock http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/#comment-62371 tussock Sat, 05 Jan 2008 06:23:48 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/#comment-62371 My highly unusual superpower is apparently to believe I'm relatively normal; or at least to pretend that in order to better fit in with the skeptics crowd. Hmm. Though I basically understand the value of the scientific method in testing theories of causation. Seriously people, do some experiments, be a little less credulous. My highly unusual superpower is apparently to believe I’m relatively normal; or at least to pretend that in order to better fit in with the skeptics crowd.

Hmm. Though I basically understand the value of the scientific method in testing theories of causation. Seriously people, do some experiments, be a little less credulous.

]]>
By: Bolo http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/#comment-62370 Bolo Sat, 05 Jan 2008 05:05:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/#comment-62370 Hmm... well, the only power I have that I can think of right now is "The Human Flyswatter." If there's a fly in the house and it buzzes by me, 9 times out of 10 I can snatch it out of the air with my hand and crush it. Actually, I do have very fast reflexes--so maybe that's why. Some strawberries (1 out of 4 on average) taste like soap to me. Celery has a very strong taste to me, while my fiancee says its as tasteless as iceberg lettuce. I can also usually hear if electronics are on but idle, though I think that power is slowly leaving me as I get older. My body also generates lots of heat, so I can wear light clothes out when other people are bundled up. My future mother-in-law has an impressive superpower. She's not very big (5'0") but can drink an entire bottle of tequila without getting drunk. Other alcohol effects her normally, but for some reason she's completely immune to tequila. She learned this while doing shots with friends and relatives in a drinking contest--she drank them all under the table and felt absolutely fine at the end. Hmm… well, the only power I have that I can think of right now is “The Human Flyswatter.” If there’s a fly in the house and it buzzes by me, 9 times out of 10 I can snatch it out of the air with my hand and crush it. Actually, I do have very fast reflexes–so maybe that’s why.

Some strawberries (1 out of 4 on average) taste like soap to me. Celery has a very strong taste to me, while my fiancee says its as tasteless as iceberg lettuce. I can also usually hear if electronics are on but idle, though I think that power is slowly leaving me as I get older. My body also generates lots of heat, so I can wear light clothes out when other people are bundled up.

My future mother-in-law has an impressive superpower. She’s not very big (5′0″) but can drink an entire bottle of tequila without getting drunk. Other alcohol effects her normally, but for some reason she’s completely immune to tequila. She learned this while doing shots with friends and relatives in a drinking contest–she drank them all under the table and felt absolutely fine at the end.

]]>
By: Ansgar http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/#comment-62369 Ansgar Sat, 05 Jan 2008 02:03:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/#comment-62369 quote: Ubi Dubiumon > And, although the Tuvans may claim that this is > not possible for women, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > I can sing two notes simultaneously (overtone singing) What makes you think that?? I know only a few Mongolians, not Tuvans, but usually they don't discourage women to practise overtones... ...although I don't know if it would be better to start as a /very/ young girl, like the 11year-old (!!) I saw in a documentary, demonstrating a mind blowing "kargyraa" ("undertone"-singing [see wikipedia for details]). If you never had an impression of some supernatural ability, this is a very convincing one... :-) Ansgar quote: Ubi Dubiumon

> And, although the Tuvans may claim that this is
> not possible for women,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> I can sing two notes simultaneously (overtone singing)

What makes you think that??
I know only a few Mongolians, not Tuvans, but usually they don’t discourage women to practise overtones…
…although I don’t know if it would be better to start as a /very/ young girl, like the 11year-old (!!) I saw in a documentary, demonstrating a mind blowing “kargyraa” (”undertone”-singing [see wikipedia for details]). If you never had an impression of some supernatural ability, this is a very convincing one… :-)
Ansgar

]]>
By: suso http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/#comment-62368 suso Sat, 05 Jan 2008 00:46:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/03/superstronomer/#comment-62368 None your puny superpowers matches mine: I can stop peeing and resume later! None your puny superpowers matches mine: I can stop peeing and resume later!

]]>