wildcat2030:

1913: When Hitler, Trotsky, Tito, Freud and Stalin all lived in the same place

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In January 1913, a man whose passport bore the name Stavros Papadopoulos disembarked from the Krakow train at Vienna’s North Terminal station.

Of dark complexion, he sported a large peasant’s moustache and carried a very basic wooden suitcase.

“I was sitting at the table,” wrote the man he had come to meet, years later, “when the door opened with a knock and an unknown man entered.

“He was short… thin… his greyish-brown skin covered in pockmarks… I saw nothing in his eyes that resembled friendliness.”

The writer of these lines was a dissident Russian intellectual, the editor of a radical newspaper called Pravda (Truth). His name was Leon Trotsky.

The man he described was not, in fact, Papadopoulos.

He had been born Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, was known to his friends as Koba and is now remembered as Joseph Stalin.

a fascinating little piece.. go read for a bit of history..

(via BBC News - 1913: When Hitler, Trotsky, Tito, Freud and Stalin all lived in the same place)

sagansense:

5 Health Benefits Of … Beards | MNN [Mother Nature Network]

Charles Darwin first noted an evolutionary explanation of beards in The Descent of Man, where he hypothesized that the process of sexual selection may have led to beards. Yes, sexual selection; females find hirsute suitors sexy. And although detractors may deny it, modern biologists have reaffirmed Darwin’s theory with evidence that the ladies find mates with beards more attractive than their clean-shaven brethren.

(And to you beard-weary women out there who disagree, we apologize if you receive a link to this article courtesy of your beard-defending partners.)

But beyond the magical magnetic allure that beards are said to proffer, experts suggest that men with beards and mustaches enjoy additional benefits; specifically, those that provide positive health outcomes.

1. They protect against the sun
A study from the University of Southern Queensland, published in the Radiation Protection Dosimetry journal, found that beards block 90 to 95 percent of UV rays, thereby slowing the aging process and reducing the risk of skin cancer.

Generally hair offers good protection against the sun, says Dr Nick Lowe, a leading London-based dermatologist. ‘It’s similar to an SPF factor,” he adds. “The higher the hair density and thickness, the higher the SPF.

2. They reduce asthma and allergy symptoms
For men whose allergies or asthma are set off by pollen or dust, facial hair near the nose may act as a filter of sorts and stop the allergens before they settle in, suggests several experts.

3. They lessen signs of aging
Along with signs of aging from sun exposure, facial hair also lessens signs of aging to the face by keeping it moisturized. Beards protect the face from the wind and cold air that dries the skin.

Also, moisturizer applied to the face will be more effective than on exposed skin where it can be more easily rubbed off.

4. They stave off illness
Thick beards that have grown under the chin and neck will raise the temperature of the neck and may help battle colds, says Carol Walker, hair medical expert and owner of Birmingham Trichology Centre.

“Hair is an insulator that keeps you warm. Long, full beards that trap the cold air and raise the temperature of the neck are going to be an added bonus when you’re under the weather,” says Walker. Facial hair can act as a physical barrier to cold temperature, adds Dr Felix Chua, a consultant respiratory physician at the London Clinic, Harley Street. “Hair around the chin and neck adds another layer of protection.”

5. They reduce infections
Beards and mustaches mean no shaving, which is the main cause of bacterial infections in the beard area, says Dr Martin Wade, consultant dermatologist at the London Skin and Hair Clinic. Shaving leads “to razor rash, ingrown hairs and conditions such as folliculitis (infection of the hair follicles that causes spots), so men would benefit from growing a beard,” he says.

Watch: Beard Time-Lapse (and Amazing Visual Adventure Through China)

schismlion:

I want this. So. FREAKIN. BAD.

I remember buying this for my ex. I wish I could get it back. ._.

Pre-tumblr escape-isode

I miss some of the stuff my old tumblr had prior to my deleting it the first time. Oh well.

EDIT: note, that second line in the quote is not me 

the-harmony-of-the-spheres:

Heres a derivation of Euler’s formula, I know the resulting identity is all over tumblr but not many people realize the derivation is relatively simple. All that is required is a knowledge of Taylor Series Expansions and it’s basic algebra from there.

I also through in the fact that i^i is a real and gave its decimal approximation because its one of those things that twists the mind a little.