a big gay week

finally, for the united states at least, gay marriage is now simply "marriage". well done!
here are some great reactions.

racism:

jon stewart on the south carolina shooting
obama on the topic

is canada's race problem worse than america's?

how our brain works:

apparently we count logarithmically. this is fascinating stuff.

what makes human brains special? fire, it would seem.

environment:

bio-engineered duckweed could provide a sustainable solution
are we on the path to another mass extinction?
we're running out of water
even the pope thinks something has to change

"I found out that one quarter-pound hamburger requires over 660 gallons of water to produce. Here I've been taking these short showers trying to save water, and to find out just eating one hamburger is the equivalent of showering two entire months."
-Kip Andersen, Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret

so the reduction in meat consumption is working, then.

parenting:

penny arcade on fighting kids' monsters