Link About It: This Week’s Picks

The history of the leap-second, DIY skateparks, wasabi-making caterpillars and more in this week's look at the web

1. The History of The Leap Second If Tuesday felt like it went by slower than usual, that’s because it did. A leap second was added to Tuesday’s time in order to keep the Earth’s rotation in sync with the atomic clock. As NASA explains it, scientists once analyzed radio waves sent from far off quasars to determine that our planet’s rotation is gradually slowing …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

History-making changes to US law, music's healing powers and internet cats in this week's look around the web

1. Important Quotes From the Supreme Court’s Decision on Gay Marriage In a narrow five-to-four decision, the US Supreme Court voted to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states, marking a momentous decision in American equality. Justice Anthony Kennedy held the power of the swing vote and, on his way to securing a landmark majority vote, penned a 100+ page document detailing the importance of …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Sentient sex robots, a plant-covered ghost town and more in our weekly look at the web

1. How Valentina Tereshkova Became the First Woman in Space Yesterday, 16 June, marked the 52nd anniversary of the day Russian astronaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. At the time, many wondered how the Russians were able to beat the US when NASA already had an impressive roster of highly qualified female astronauts. In a Life Magazine issue headlined “She Orbits Over …