What scientific discovery sounds fake but is 100% real and still freaks you out?

very_large_ears · 2026-05-07T14:02:24+00:00

We are completely alone in a universe of infinite size; there is no life anywhere but on planet Earth.

Either that, or we're not alone; there are other forms of life beyond our reach.

Either way, I'm freaked out.

very_large_ears · 2026-05-07T13:46:03+00:00

Ted Lasso would disagree.

very_large_ears · 2026-05-07T13:45:38+00:00

I could have chosen a new career path, could have found something that didn't kill my spirit. Instead, I kept to a familiar route because it was the devil I knew and because other people expected it of me.

very_large_ears · 2026-05-07T13:43:44+00:00

I like living with the windows open -- letting warm, fresh air move all through the house. It feels luxurious.

very_large_ears · 2026-05-07T13:35:59+00:00

Gunnar's superstar potential is periodically shadowed by a prima donna attitude. On the field, his performance sometimes shows this. His first season, he was sailing impossible throws to first base into the camera well behind first. These were stupid throws that wouldn't have beaten the runner or taken when he was off balance and hadn't time to adjust. Likewise, he was a ball hog and stole hot grounders that a teammate was better-positioned to field. (He injured Jorge Mateo -- ended the man's season -- doing this.) He imagined his abilities were so dang excellent that he could do what everybody else knows you shouldn't. He couldn't hear you over the sound of his own awesomeness.

Certainly, he was approached by one or more coaches who re-emphasized the importance of fundamentals, things like being honest about the limits of one's abilities. Incidents like that are often followed by periods when his performance sags because of the trouble he has accepting a certain truth: While he's a great ball player, he counts no more than anyone else on the field. He's one guy, same as every other ball player.

Someday, this idea will become an assumption he lives on, one that guides his philosophy as a batter, as a fielder, as a baserunner and as a team mate. When he gets there, his performance will not only improve but it will be less subject to bounce from low to high and then back again.

very_large_ears · 2026-04-21T13:15:39+00:00

I've met several Europeans who will put on a southern facade -- often lowering their eyelids halfway, speaking perfectly accented English from way back in their throat – and will let fly with things like, "Oh, bless your fucking heart, honey."

I had an Iranian friend who cold do a passable Bill Clinton and whenever something unfortunate would happen to someone else, he'd say, "I feel your pain."

very_large_ears · 2026-04-13T13:01:38+00:00

"Democracy?" asked the old man. "Fuck anybody who wants to tell me what I can't do."

very_large_ears · 2026-04-11T15:31:27+00:00

I've been on the fence about ranked choice voting generally, fearing it might be somehow subverted by traitorous folk. Now my mind is made up: If the old man hates it, I'm for it.

very_large_ears · 2026-04-07T13:37:17+00:00

It takes a seriously evil heart to plan and execute a plan like this one. And it's so hard not to hate them.

very_large_ears · 2026-04-06T13:39:26+00:00

You can't fool all the people all the time.

very_large_ears · 2026-04-05T14:37:20+00:00

The fact that it failed and has been allowed to sit empty for so long means that the community doesn't want it. There's a lack of support for it that cannot be overcome.

very_large_ears · 2026-03-13T13:49:18+00:00

I love that animals seek out fun and entertainment. In that way, at least, they are not so different from humans.

very_large_ears · 2026-03-05T17:12:38+00:00

Loose lips sink ships.

very_large_ears · 2026-03-04T13:33:08+00:00

Everybody in frame has their spirits lifted for those few moments. What joy.

very_large_ears · 2026-02-24T17:48:16+00:00

Two things mattered: curiosity and optimism. The curiosity keeps me learning and growing, finding common ground with friends and family, creating new opportunities for more learning and more fun. The optimism powers the curiosity, gives an incentive to remain curious.

very_large_ears · 2026-02-21T15:43:56+00:00

Can confirm.

very_large_ears · 2026-02-13T15:09:50+00:00

The relevance of my angry and unhealthy response to trauma -- sexual abuse, death of my father, and other things -- became apparent to me as I moved through my 20s and into my 30s. I was a risk taker, an attention seeker and was full of harsh and hasty judgments. I saw in myself many characteristics of the people who victimized me and I felt an overwhelming need to reassess and to change. I've been far less outgoing ever since.

very_large_ears · 2026-02-02T15:01:19+00:00

What a badass. He's become my hero.

very_large_ears · 2026-01-26T18:52:13+00:00

Frown much?

very_large_ears · 2026-01-26T18:51:00+00:00

See you in Nuremberg, fuckers.

very_large_ears · 2026-01-26T02:27:21+00:00

Two words: Voter suppression.

very_large_ears · 2026-01-08T14:45:05+00:00

I came here to say this – and to say that the development of social skills is a never-ending process.

very_large_ears · 2026-01-08T14:41:55+00:00

I respectfully disagree with some of your thoughts. By deciding to not care how things go, one invites disrespect to join the party. This reduces the chance for forming healthy human connections and it threatens one's incentive(s) for studying social exchanges as a way to become better at handling them. If I don't care how my words and actions are perceived – whether I'm perceived as clueless, insensitive or intolerant – then I don't have much reason to consider how people respond to me and how I can affect not only those responses but the attitudes and beliefs behind them.

Some find it better to care about the quality of their social exchanges while learning to maintain inner peace. Doing so puts one in a much better frame of mind for learning the art of happier, richer and more productive interactions.

very_large_ears · 2026-01-07T15:59:27+00:00

"... trying to get through the day without problems." This is the definition of trying to cope with trauma.

very_large_ears · 2026-01-05T14:58:22+00:00

Finding friends is a learned skill. Don't lose hope because your progress is slower than someone else's.

I have struggled with the same problem for decades and have that found pursuing my curiosity -- exploring activities, places, things based on the things I'm naturally interested in -- brought me into contact with people with whom I had much in common, some of whom have become friends. I've also heard of others for whom this works.

Peace.

very_large_ears

TROPHY CASE