tricks

December 2, 2013

How to: Deactivate a cat

via io9

I just found out that most cats suddenly become nearly immobile when you pinch the backs of their necks.

I knew you could pick them up that way, but I haven’t done it because it seemed like a mean thing to do. But it turns out that the back of a cat’s neck is kind of like your elbow: Try pinching your elbow and see if it hurts. Unless you pinch and twist really hard, it won’t. Even then it hurts much less than any other area of skin. Cats are like that on part of the back of the neck.

It doesn’t hurt the cat; if it did, it would loudly let you know.

Some scientists think the reason why the Vulcan Nerve Pinch works for cats might have something to do with the fact that that’s the way their mothers carry them.

The effect is amazing. This might make it easier to give a cat a bath or some medicine. An important consideration is that you have to be sure to hit the right spot on the back of the neck, and it may not work on all cats.

Is it cruel? Would you try this with your cat?

November 26, 2013

Magic from the cupboard: How to summon a horrifying tiny tentacle monster (with cornstarch)

You probably already know about the stuff you can do with cornstarch. You can mix it with water to make a weird fluid that will flow like syrup, but if you slam a hammer into it, it will suddenly transform from a liquid to a solid and crack. You can punch your fist into a bowl of it and instead of splashing everywhere, it just stiffens up and takes it like a man.

(The proportions are 1.5 cups of water for every 1 cup of cornstarch.)

Here’s two uses for it I’d never seen before:

1. Pour it on a cookie sheet. Put the sheet on top of a subwoofer or other big speaker with strong bass. Play music and hold the sheet down with your fingernails.

This is the secret ritual to summon a terrifying tiny tentacle monster.

2. Fill up a swimming pool with it and dance merrily on top.

Have you ever used cornstarch for fun? Tell us about it in the comments.