How (not) to do interactive experiences

I surprised myself by watching the full 4 hours of a “review” of a Disney Star Wars Hotel by an obsessive fan on YouTube. I didn’t think I cared about a theme hotel, but Jenny Nicholson’s four-hour video critique was compelling, astoundingly astute, endless insightful, and highly entertaining, as she does in-depth business analysis in cosplay costumes. After the first hour of her deep review, I understood why the review has 10 million views (!!!!); it’s a great overview of an interactive experience. After staying for the second hour, I subscribed to her channel because it was also a fantastic introduction to any kind of immersive experience. After continuing to watch the third hour, I thought Disney ought to pay her thousands of dollars as a consultant instead of trying to get YouTube to takedown her video; this was the best course in interactive media I’d ever seen. After finishing all four hours, I thought she should be running Disney herself as their new CEO because she understood virtual reality and immersive experiences better than anyone. This is why I love YouTube: with no one’s permission, a passionate person can make a dent in the universe. Be prepared for the ultimate nerdy obsession in The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel. — KK

Independent bookstore map

Stumbling upon iheartbookstores.com reminded me of the value of purchasing books in person rather than simply clicking “buy now” online. The map on the site currently lists more than 6,000 independent bookstores across the U.S. Recently, I was about to buy a used book on eBay when I noticed that the seller was Recycle Bookstore in San Jose, CA, just a couple of miles from me. I decided to drive there and buy it in person instead. Of course, I ended up finding more books to buy and remembered how much I love the serendipity and magic of physical bookstores. — CD

Computer, enhance

A web-based photo enhancer called Mejorar Imagen is the best I've come across for quickly improving the quality of blurry, pixelated photos. Just select an enlargement multiple, drag your photo into the window, and wait for a minute or two. The results aren't always perfect, but they are often excellent. I used it on a purposely downscaled photo from the Library of Congress to show you the results. — MF

Common misconceptions

We all believe things that aren’t true. To help me weed out falsehoods in my own life, I like to go through this amazing List of Common Misconceptions posted on Wikipedia. A lot of these are inconsequential, but still good to not repeat. — KK

Ultimate Stress Relief Cheat Sheets

Meredith Arthur, who has spent the past nine years investigating the source of her anxiety and physical pain, has recently put out a three-part newsletter series called Ultimate Stress Relief Cheat Sheets. She hopes that by sharing what is tried and true for her, she can help readers skip some of the steps she had to labor through. Reading about her personal journey was very helpful to me. It gives me hope that I can make my nervous system my best friend rather than my enemy. I love her practice of in-the-moment mantras and her current examples for escaping the freeze response.

• “I know that future me has [insert issue] covered, so I am going to let this go until it’s time to take action.”

• “I am allowed to have a short vacation from [insert issue].”

• “If I keep thinking this way, I will only get sicker. Instead, I am going to imagine a future in which I’ve solved [insert issue] in detail. I’ll allow that feeling of peace to wash over me.”

— CD

1,001 of the Greatest Science Fiction Quotes

Here are four quotes from science fiction books, stories, and movies:

• “There are few better ways to get to know how a species thinks than to learn their art.” — Becky Chambers, A Closed and Common Orbit, 2016 novel

• “Hope clouds observation.” — Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965 novel

• “We’re only different from the bacteria because we are able to ask what the hell this is all about. Not answer, just ask.”  — Carolyn Ives, “Umbernight,” 2018 short story

• The mind is a strange and wonderful thing. I'm not sure it'll ever be able to figure itself out. Everything else maybe, from the atom to the universe, everything except itself. — Daniel Mainwaring, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1956 film

If you find these worthwhile, you can read 997 more in Guy P. Harrison's new book, Damn You, Entropy!: 1,001 of the Greatest Science Fiction Quotes. — MF 

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