Derren Brown's Blog, page 74

Bang Goes The Theory – Richard Dawkins on Eye Evolution

For those of you who may have been living in a cave and don't know Bang Goes The Theory – it's a rather nifty science magazine series. Presented by Dallas Campbell, Liz Bonnin, a biochemist with a Masters in wild animal conservation; Jem Stansfield, an aeronautical engineer, inventor and designer of museum exhibits, and Dr. Yan Wong, (co-author of Richard Dawkins The Ancestor's Tale) an Oxford-educated evolutionary biologist.

It's really easy going so it's ideal for younger viewers and those who didn't listen very ofter at school [image error]

Via Atheist Media

Wang's two legged pig becomes local celebrity

The 10-month-old porker is known by villagers as "Zhu Jianqiang" (Strong-willed Pig) after it was born with only two front legs and learned to balance on them well enough to walk.

He said: "My wife asked me to dump it but I refused as it's a life. I thought I should give it a chance to survive and unexpectedly it survived healthy." Several days after its birth Wang decided to train the two-legged piglet to walk by lifting it up by its tail.

Telegraph

This is England 86 now on 4oD

There's no reason for this snippet to be on this site other than perhaps the best PA in the world, Coops and his very average PA, Phillis (the author of this post) are both from the staging ground of this truly fantastic four part series. It's Nottingham – a great town we all love (and it was on Ch4 too so we have to say they're great).

So we're representin'.

Writer and Director Shane Meadows has always represented the area he grew up by staging nearly all his work exclusively there. TIE '86 is one of the most moving, funny and yet disturbing looks at how we all lived here in Blighty during the mid 80′s.

If you're new to the series check out the incredible film This is England first. If you've not seen the series yet then head to 4oD now, if you have then check out his equally fantastic Small Time – available 18th October on DVD.

One day I'd like to meet Shane and shake his hand.

This is England 86 - Now available on 4oD

160 Escaped Cobras Incite Terror in China

160 cobras have escaped from an illegal breeding factory in Shijiao Township in the municipality of Chongqing in southwest China, terrorizing residents who have spotted them in outdoor toilets on the streets and in kitchens. Another villager, Cai Yong, admitted to the illegal breeding of some 1,900 cobras in an abandoned schoolhouse, but no charges were filed against him.

While the rising demand for cobra meat and traditional medicines made from the venom has decimated the snake population, in China illegal breeding of these deadly serpents is a lucrative source of income, tempting many to carry on illicit operations. Large does of anti-venom have been sent to the township, but that does little to allay the fear of the villagers, which is not likely to abate until the very last cobra is either captured or killed.

Eek! New book arrived! But where to casually place it?

[image error]

Indian Man Immune to Electrocution

"Do you hate getting electrically shocked during the winter? Too bad you're not Rajmohan Nair, an Indian man who is literally immune to electrocution.

Dubbed the 'Electro Man' on the History Channel's premier reality series, "Stan Lee's Superhumans," Rajmohan has the superhuman ability to conduct large currents of electricity without suffering any bodily harm whatsoever.

Just watch below as exposed wires are wrapped around him and then powered. The electricity flows from the plug, through Rajmohan, and to a lightbulb and, later on, a hotplate.

Note that when he's in the process of conducting, he for some odd reason cannot see—as his eyes become glazed over.

Please do not try any of this at home. Rajmohan is a rarity, as most humans cannot safely conduct such high levels of electricity. If you were to do this at home, you would most likely die. In fact, according to host Daniel Smith, Rajmohan is approximately 10-times more resistant to electricity than the average human."

Read more at Weird Asia News

Sailor crashes boat for 13th time

"A hapless sailor named 'Captain Calamity' has destroyed his catamaran after flipping it for the 13th time while attempting to ride Britain's biggest wave. Glenn Crawley, 55, has repeatedly flipped his catamaran 'Mischief' and cost the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) £30,000 in a string of rescues. The retired electrician and engineer began sailing the boat in 2003 and was forced to dial 999 three times in the first year alone. Since then RNLI crews have been called out on a further nine occasions after Mr Crawley's catamaran turned over, at a cost of at least £2,500 per rescue. Officials have pleaded with him to give up sailing, with local coastguards calling him 'Captain Calamity'.

Mr Crawley's seafaring antics now look over after he crashed his boat for the 13th time in seven years. The 18ft boat has been left in pieces after he attempted to ride Britain's biggest wave, known as the Cribbar, at Fistral Beach in Newquay. Mr Crawley tried to sail along the wave, dubbed 'The Widow Maker', but his vessel was hit by a giant wall of water and flipped over. Despite admitting that Mischief is gone, Mr Crawley warned he could soon be back at sea, he still insists he is a "man of the water" and says his "extreme sailing" is pushing the boundaries of maritime adventure.

Mr Crawley said: "People race cars or climb mountains but no one gets on their case. "I'm the first one to admit I make the occasional mistake but you have to put it in context. People are so keen to criticise, they need to look at the big picture. I'm out there taking risks. I'm pushing the limits and seeing what can be done. "I do what no one else is doing. So I'd appreciate it if people would get off my case and give me some support. "If you don't capsize, you're not trying hard enough. Go hard or go home, that's my motto. I'm always going hard. The sea by its very nature is unpredictable. I'm going through a never-ending learning curve. "Anyway I'll have a new boat after Christmas. They're not that expensive. We're not talking about the Titanic here.""

Read more at The Telegraph

Do Physicists believe in God and other such questions

Nottingham isn't just a great town – it's university is excellent and has a rather fantastic site about the symbols of physics and astronomy called Sixty Symbols. In this episode they ask questions about God and astronomical features, but they have a huge array of others covering short videos showing polarisation to explanations about Schrodinger's cat (from a scientist with a truly awe inspiring haircut).

Be sure to check out more of the videos on you tube and their excellent little website here. Highly recommended.

Biological immortality

There is a Jellyfish whose biology allows it to go from a fully mature Medusa, to its polyp stage and back again indefinitely. The Turritopsis nutricula is a small jellyfish with an ability so far unique in the animal kingdom. It is the only known jellyfish to have developed the ability to return to a polyp state. Or basically, reverse its life cycle, then grow up again. This process allows the jellyfish to bypass death. In fact, there may be no natural limit to its life span. The process is called transdifferentiation.

Read more at The Daily Leopard

Intelligent design: In conversation with Derren Brown

Here's all three parts of the interview we posted the other day.

Psychological illusionist Derren Brown talks to the OU's Nigel Warburton about how personal experiences can be misleading and how people attribute design to objects in the natural world

Part 3:

Part 2

Part 1