Grist List
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Tulsa authorities bulldoze edible garden for being too tall
Denise Morrison had read the city code and knew her plants were legal. So why did the city come to her yard and bulldoze her garden?
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This dude bought a private island in New York City for less than a studio apartment
Alex Schibli, 72, owns an island, right smack off the coast of Manhattan. (Delightfully, it’s called “Rat Island.” Great name for a NYC island, or BEST name?) When you hear “owns an island” you figure “Romney rich,” but Schibli only paid $176,000 for the 2.6 acres. That might seem like a lot, but when a […]
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The coolest tiny home we’ve seen recently has a giant hole in the roof
The key to small-space living is not feeling cramped, which makes this Barcelona apartment the pinnacle of the genre. The home uses sliding doors to open the 430-square-foot apartment up for a sense of space, or close it for privacy. But the centerpiece of the house is the hole in the ceiling — a plant-filled […]
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North Carolina elephant might be getting contact lenses
C’sar, a 38-year-old bull elephant living in North Carolina, could become the first pachyderm to wear contact lenses. Because nothing looks nerdier than an elephant in glasses. “An elephant has never been fitted with corrective lenses,” the Associated Press reports. (One elephant once had a contact put in his eye, but it was just to […]
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Bears can count
North American black bears have the largest relative brain size of all carnivores, and apparently they are capable of using that brain power to count. Scientists tested three bears on their ability to look at groups of dots and identify whether one group had fewer or more dots than another. (Two bears were looking for […]
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Burrito robot problematizes fast food and nutrition, makes you a disgusting burrito
For his thesis project, Marko Manriquez, “a maker, interactive designer and foodie of all things delicious,” has created a robot that prints “a 3D edible extrusion combining a blend of digital fabrication and gastronomy.” That is the least appetizing possible way of saying “it makes a burrito.” Ladies and gents, we present, the Burritob0t: Why […]
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Help name these weird species
Giving children names is exciting and all, but it is important to consider how they will feel when their name is shouted on the playground. But not so with species! You can name those suckers whatever you want and they will be none the wiser. The Guardian is holding a contest that lets readers indulge […]
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The best, fastest, CRAZIEST urban cyclists in the world
We cannot say this enough: DO NOT ATTEMPT ANYTHING IN THIS VIDEO.