by Christopher Paul on April 28, 2013 Using Moore’s Law, you can calcualte when transistors were invented. Under a similar logic, scitentists believe life could have began almost ten billion years ago — much older than the Earth itself.
There are quite a few variables to consider, though. Have they factored the correct rate of evolution? Does the notion of the Sun being born out of an earlier star support the idea that life could have formed well before the earth did?
Of course, this may help explain why we haven’t discovered life on other planets:
However, if life takes 10 billion years to evolve to the level of complexity associated with humans, then we may be among the first, if not the first, intelligent civilisation in our galaxy. And this is the reason why when we gaze into space, we do not yet see signs of other intelligent species.
via Kottke
by Christopher Paul on April 23, 2013 
If everyday you get your coffee fix from a place that uses paper cups, you’re contributing a significant amount of waste to the environment. Yes, paper degrades but those plastic lids don’t — plus, they can contain chemicals some believe are harmful.
Since I often brew my regular coffee at home, I use a stainless steel travel mug if I need to take it with me. But it’s not really good for the fancier drinks that a barista would make. For that, I’m really thinking of getting a JOCO Cup.
It’s glass so it’s reusable and dishwasher safe. It has a thermal sleeve and what they say is a no splash lid. It’s 12oz which is the right size for most espresso-based drinks. Besides the obvious environmental and health benefits, I like that it doesn’t have a huge green mermaid slapped on the side. Though it has a logo, it’s the kind that says I support good design, the environment, and my local barista. At $25 it might be a little pricey but, if you’re spending $5 on coffee a day, it’s not much to ask for.
via
by Christopher Paul on April 22, 2013 Aaron Mahnke rounds up some beer apps for the iPhone. I’m a Untappd user myself but I’m not in love with it. I’ll give BeerBuddy a try if not just because it has a more granular rating system. Still, if you don’t have a recommendation app, giving BeerBuddy or Untappd a try can’t hurt if you’re looking to discover, rate, and share the microbrews that are out there.
by Christopher Paul on April 22, 2013 Paula Borowska looks into how size, contrast, and spacing affect the readability of mobile UX and highlights some great examples of fantastic typography.
via The Loop
by Christopher Paul on April 22, 2013 From the people who brought you Dark Sky and Forcast.io, of the most useful weather apps for iOS, comes Lines — a great way to visualize the weather over the upcoming week.
As much as I love the openness of these websites, I’d love to see this incorporated into their app.
via MacStories