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Here's What LA's Mass Transit System Could Look Like In 40 Years

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The Los Angeles public transportation system is easily derided as useless and underused, an afterthought in a city dominated by cars. But the county's long range transportation plan includes ways to expand those mass transit lines, with new subway and light rail lines.

Reddit user Nick Andert took those plans and put them on a single map, explaining: "The idea is that most of these projects are planned long-term by metro, and how quickly they are built depends on politics in the next 30 years." He has since added that 2050 is the more likely completion date for all this work.

Whatever the year, for those who support public transit over driving and everyone who hates traffic, it's a wonderful vision.

Andert gave us permission to publish his map. Click to enlarge:

la metro map improved

Here's the gif of how the new lines would be built:

And what the current network looks like:

los angeles subway map

SEE ALSO: A Boston Company Wants To Build A Supersonic Private Jet With No Windows

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Composite Photos Show How Much London Has Transformed Over Two Centuries

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A Reddit user called shystone combined Google Street Views of London with famous 18th and 19th century paintings to create highly unique then-and-now images (via My Modern Met and/r/London).

Shystone layered the paintings on top of the Google Street View images, at times allowing modern cars, statues, and architecture to poke through the painting.

Take a look at how much London has changed below.

"Northumberland House" by Italian painter Canaletto (1752)

london then and now paintings"On the South end of Trafalgar Square this huge townhouse stood from 1605 right up to 1874 when it was demolished after compulsorily purchase by Government to make way for a new road," shystone said. "There's a Waterstones on the corner now under an old hotel building."

"Blackman Street London" by British artist John Atkinson Grimshaw (1885)

london then and now paintings"The church is St. George The Martyr," shystone said. "Today The Shard is the biggest spire you'll see looking North East up Borough Highstreet."

"The 9th of November, 1888" by English painter William Logsdail (1890)

london then and now paintings"[The] Lord Mayor's Procession passing through Bank Junction," according to shystone. "To the left The Old Bank of England — somewhat underwhelmingly, the worlds eighth oldest bank — less than 50 years away from demolition. The Greatest Architectural Crime of the 20th Century in the City of London."

"View of The Grand Walk" by Italian painter Canaletto (1751)

london then and now paintings"The Pleasure Gardens in Vauxhall were a big deal in the 1600s," shystone said. "There was music and live entertainment and hot air balloons! Picking up hookers and working boys too by the time this was painted. Better for gay clubbing these days if that's your bag."

"A View of Greenwich from the River" by Italian painter Canaletto (1750-2)

london then and now paintings"Greenwich unchanged as ever, minus a few of the sail boats," according to shystone.

"Covent Garden Market" by English painter Balthazar Nebot (1737)

london then and now paintings"When this square was originally built in the 1660s it was the first open piazza of its type in London," shystone said. "Pretty famous as a red light district by the time this was painted. Today this view east towards St. Pauls Church is taken up by the Market Hall that got built in 1830."

"St Martins in the Fields" by English painter William Logsdail (1888)

london then and now paintings"On the other side of Trafalgar Square is St. Martin's in the Fields," according to shystone. "Not as old as Northumberland House but there's been a church on the site for at least 800 years. You see locals doing Tai Chi at lunchtime in the courtyard over the crypt when the weather is nice."

The River Thames with "St. Paul's Cathedral on Lord Mayor's Day" by Italian painter Canaletto (1746)

london then and now paintings"The Millennium Bridge cuts across this patch of the river now," shystone explained. "You still get a great view of St. Pauls from the South side of the river, but in 1746 — only 40 years since they finished building it — it must have totally dominated London's skyline; It was our city's tallest building for over 300 years!"

Westminster Abbey with a "Procession of Knights of the Bath" by Italian painter Canaletto (1749)

london then and now paintings"This view hints at the less developed (and less painted) riverfront behind the Abbey the Knights are heading down to," shystone said. "In 1749 Westminster Palace as we see it today wasn't built yet, No Big Ben keyring for Canaletto. Members of Parliament were still using the Abbey's Chapter House to have Commons meetings."

"The Strand Looking East from Exeter Exchange" by an unknown artist (1822)

london then and now paintings"The Strand has changed massively since this painting of St. Mary Le Strand," according to shystone. "It was half demolished and widened in 1900 removing all the pokey alleyways and narrow residential roads to the North side. Even the church is a replacement for another one demolished to make way for Somerset House. In 1822 all the roads on the right would have still led right down into the Thames before the embankment was constructed.

"Most of those buildings are gone, but some of the roads remain and retain their slope down towards the old Thames riverbank. On Villers St., the riverbank came right up to where Gordon's Wine Bar is."

SEE ALSO: 20 Pictures Of London Street Life In The 1870s

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A Reddit AMA Featuring A Top Microsoft Exec Was Mysteriously Shut Down (MSFT)

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Microsoft Brad Anderson

The folks at Microsoft love doing Reddit "ask me anything" sessions. Bill Gates just did one earlier this month, and a top Windows exec, Brad Anderson, was scheduled to do one on Thursday.

The company often uses them to show off what can politely be called its "Microsoft pride."

For instance, Anderson, who is corporate vice president of Windows Server & System Center (the version of Windows that runs on corporate servers), was asked if he has an iPad.

True answer: Yes.

But, he explained, "I bought the original, and I can tell you it hasn't been turned on since I got all the kids Surfaces. True story."

Note that the original iPad came out way before Microsoft introduced its first Surface.

The AMA was clicking along like that until it mysteriously crashed and vanished. Anderson seemed bummed but good natured about it. He tweeted:

"today's @reddit_AMA crashed, burned & then shut down for unknown reasons. once things get fixed, i'll post my responses. maybe next time!"

Later, however, he couldn't resist a subtle dig at Microsoft's cloud competitor, Amazon Web Services (AWS). When Anderson posted the AMA (such as it was) on his "In the Cloud" blog, he linked to the tweet below.

Reddit AMA Microsoft tweet

 

 

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The Statements From People Who Lost Their Money On Mt. Gox Are Seriously Sad

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mark karpeles

Last week, Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpeles admitted that the exchange's 850,000 bitcoins — worth nearly half a billion dollars — were gone.

The firm, Karpeles said in a press conference in Tokyo, is filing for bankruptcy.

Those who held bitcoin with Mt. Gox were left to vent their frustrations online — and try to potentially organize for litigation.

And some Bitcoin enthusiast argued that Mt. Gox had to die in order for Bitcoin to live in more above-board fashion.

Either way, this thread from a Bitcoin forum posted to Reddit shows some of the sad stories: People who say they have lost their entire life savings or can't tell their spouses how much they've lost.

This is a big story from the first era of Bitcoin, and it can't keep having these episodes if it's going to thrive.

These are from right before Mt. Gox filed bankruptcy (via Adrianne Jeffries):

-- I am in Japan and have deposited 12.499 million Yen (about USD 122,000) at MtGox from October to December 2013. I currently have 175 BTCs and 13,000 Yen in cash at their exchange. I also have a Premium status account. Please let me know how to proceed. That was most of my retirement money.

-- My name is xxx and I live in Sweden, Malmö. I am writing for me and for my girlfriend and my dad. We all bought and sold bitcoins a last years and made some money. We have taken out some money when we need to and right now me and my girlfriend was going to buy a house and start a family so we tried to withdraw the money in January. Since the money didn't show up after 4 weeks I tried to contact them but still nothing. I hope that together with you and some others get at least some money back. If you need any proof of the withdrawals or such I can provide some of it. We had in total $49000 on the accounts.

--  have about 90 BTC and no USD in my mtgox account, which I would very much like to receive back at some point. It's only just sinking in that it might all be gone.. I can't believe I waited so long before getting it out somewhere safe, but.. here we are.

-- Hey there, I am interested in being a plaintiff as well. I had about 70k in Mtgox in Dec due to the price explosion in November and attempted to withdraw some funds since I wasn't comfortable having that amount hosted there.  I ran into the withdrawal issue back in Dec and opened a support ticket in which I got the run around until they finally officially announced what the problem was.  As the moment, I don't have any $$ in Mtgox but around 180 BTC.  My stomach has been in knots all week :-(

-- Hi, My name is xxxxxx and I am from California (if that matters).  I have about 650 BTC in Gox.  I haven't slept in days and haven't been able to tell my wife how much I've lost.  I was an early adopter, just mining in my basement, and I can't imagine all of my time and work vanishing like this.  Please contact me with what I need to do

-- I am a French citizen.  I would like to know how to try and join you in reclaiming my lost funds.  I had almost 100.000 EUR in my account.  It will be a complete disaster for me if it is stolen.

-- I cannot reasonably afford to lose the funds I have at Mtgox. I currently hold the majority in USD, but also significant amounts of EUR and BTC.

-- I'm a student and this is almost all of my money I have left (I actually have a lot of debt, which I intended to pay back with that money). I'm really panicking right now and not sure what to do!!!

-- I'm in Tokyo as well and I lost ~8 BTC and 500,000 in JPY. Please let me know how your case progresses and whether at any time you think it would be possible to get others involved. I really hope I can get at least some of that money back. I need it.

-- Hey, I'd like to get involved in this as well. Gox has yet to deliver a withdrawal of funds from late last year and currently has all my coins locked up because of their withdrawal lock. Email is below, let me know if you need any other info. Thanks

-- (originally I tried to withdraw $30,000.00, but Mt.Gox cancelled my withdraw and asked me to change to GBP. Funds never arrived--> Mt.Gox confirmed they were unable to wire funds, but funds are not re-instated to my account. Mt.Gox admits in the e-mail funds are mine.)

-- I found your post just today after the Gox closed the site. I had 10,200 USD with them, which I traded just last week for gox coin. I initially deposited USD from bank account on November 2013, and traded on Gox just about 2 weeks ago, not knowing there was a trouble to withdraw any BTC from them. I do have screen shots from last week from trading and all my history since November 2013. My initial deposits in November have been 8000 USD and 2200 USD, so whatever trading I did in last weeks was for vain since gox did not let any BTC out of the site. Current standing on my account is about 27 BTC and around 2200 USD but since gox coin was never a real BTC, as I just learnt recently, I consider Gox owing me 10200 USD which I initially deposited.

-- I wish to be include in the class action lawsuit, I an non-us (EU) and have lost 50 BTC and 24,600€.

-- I would like to join the lawsuit if there is any chance of getting the either the BTC or EURO-equivalent at the price determined at the time of judgement.

I would be thankful for any news / suggestions / ideas.

Thank you very much

-- I want to participate. I have 85 BTC on Mt Gox.

-- Please update me and let me know, which further steps I have to take to participate.

-- I had $28500 in, and purchased 50btc @ $570.  So now I have the 49.7btc still in and no fiat.  Have been waiting for withdrawal to resume to clean myself of gox forever.

-- I was very lucky, having pulled out the bulk of my btc holdings from gox in mid-January.

-- Please respond if whether I can or can't participate.

-- I have 37 BTCs and wnt to be part of your lawsuit. Please send me more details.

-- i too am a Gox victim.  I have 69 BTC stuck on Gox. At this stage i would be very reluctant to take such a haircut and convert to USD.

-- I have roughly $100K in my account, so it might be worth it for the lawyer to squeeze me in.

-- I have 50BTC in MTGOX and would be interested in joining. If yes, how large would the fees be?

-- If Mtgox is indeed gone and finished, I would like to know what the status of this suit is and who I can contact regarding it. I had about 111.777 BTC on gox.

-- I have 158 btc on MtGox and would like to take part to your lawsuit.

-- Most of our holdings were in bitcoin, and at market rates on other exchanges, I had over $40,000 while my friends had $300,000 to 400,000.

-- I have 154 BTC and 0 USD in MTGOX.

-- I live in Malta but would like to know what my options are for joining your case?

-- Hey. Mt. Gox has owed me roughly 1,800 USD for more than 6 months. Two transactions. One they're claiming technical difficulties to Dwolla which never went through, and one they just never sent to my bank.

Check out the full thread at Bitcoin Talk »

SEE ALSO: Bitcoin's First Era Is Over

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Aziz Ansari Asked Reddit Users Personal Questions About Dating In The Digital Age — And The Responses Were Amazing

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aziz ansari

Aziz Ansari created a subreddit called Modern Romantics on Tuesday, as research for his debut book about dating in the digital age.

The responses are equal parts heart-warming and cringe-worthy.

"You know when you text someone you're romantically interested in and you don't hear anything back and then you see them post a photo of a pizza on Instagram?" Ansari explained in a statement. "That's exactly what I want this book to deal with."

Ansari seems to have plenty of life experiences to pull from. He bemoaned the pressures of finding love at age 30 in his last comedy special "Buried Alive," which premiered on Netflix.

But he and NYU professor Eric Klinenberg, who's helping with the book, took to reddit to cull more material.

Ansari posted questions as threads, asking users to share their experiences (which he discloses may be included in the book). The subreddit has already spawned a lot of thoughtful discussion.

Ansari's untitled book — which will put a whopping $3.5 million in the "Parks and Recreation" star's pocket — hits shelves September 2015.

Here are some of the highlights of the subreddit. Sound familiar?

Ansari asked how being single in the smartphone era and in the eras before has changed, for better or worse.

fruitoftheloomis1: Pre-smartphone/pager there was a forced patience with waiting for a call back, or a response to a date request. Going a couple days before hearing back wasn't odd. Then pagers came into play and you wanted a response a little more quickly. Now it seems that everything has to be instant or it "means something". Blah.

azizansariAMA: You didn't feel a similar paranoia if someone didn't return a phone call or page in a timely manner? Is this paranoia something you've felt only with text messages?

alexisyque: I don't think this is limited to text messages, it may be amplified through text, but it's possible to feel that way when you don't get likes/favorites/comments on your instagram/twitter/facebook posts. It's almost becoming "required" to like or respond to whatever your partner puts out into the digital world.

Users said that a single text or message by their significant other or potential partner can shatter hopes of dating further. And emojis got no love.

bmollenkamp: My friend set me up with a guy and his very first text to me included an emoji. We are both in our 30s. And he's a man. ICK. I went on the date anyway and -- I was right. Worst date ever. Never date a guy who uses emojis.

azizansariAMA: What was the emoji???

When romances do bloom online or through social media, people aren't particularly proud to tell the how-we-met story.

RubberRob: I met my soul mate on twitter. We followed each other and interacted a lot (she used to go to my school) and eventually decided to meet. I would always hope she would favorite my tweet or notice it. Now I don't have to wait for that, as I actually have her in my real life. I think it's interesting how we met, but I never tell people the real story. It doesn't sound as cool or "real" and commonly makes our love less believable to others (not that their opinions really matter).

azizansariAMA: What's your decoy story?

RubberRob: That we both happened to be at the coffee shop and remembered each other from school. Works pretty well and makes us look cool for both going to this rad coffee shop.

But not all was lost. Delightful stories of technology in dating surfaced, too.

Ram_Skull: I briefly met my current girlfriend in person and she then added me on Facebook. We really started talking because of it. We have now been dating for close to 3 years. To be honest I would not have just walked up and asked for her number, but I felt comfortable starting a conversation with her through Facebook. So I would say social media played a major part as to why we are together today.

azizansariAMA: THIS is the kind of story that gets lost too often in these discussions. The notion that tends to get most play is that all this technology is keeping us less present and ultimately more disconnected and flakey - while I think this is valid and true to a large extent - in the book we don't want to forget this stuff. Social media gave you a tool to overcome your shyness and meet someone. Cool.

Tip of the hat to reddit user jaggazz, who posted a link to this subreddit on /r/PandR.

SEE ALSO: Aziz Ansari Wants To Join 'House Of Cards,' And Other Goodies From His Reddit AMA

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19 Things America Does Better Than The Rest Of The World

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american flag kid

America may be far from perfect, but life here is pretty sweet.

A recent /r/AskReddit thread posed the question: What does America do best?

The outpouring of responses covered everything from food to patriotism, and were submitted by Reddit users based all around the globe. Here are some of their best responses.

1. Jazz And The Blues

"The Blues really changed the world and is pure American. Although I guess it was influenced by slave gospels. I'm a huge blues fan. BB King, Chuck Berry, and Robert Johnson all paved the way for rock and pop music of today." - WastedPotato

burger2. Food

"'France is the country of good food.' No, not really. France is the country of an expensive grilled cheese given a name you probably can't pronounce with a slice of tomato on it. ALL THE DIFFERENT FOOD, EVERYWHERE. And I'm not just talking fast food. I'm talking about everything." - Jhaturtle

3. Friendliness

"Default smiling. Buy a coffee, get a smile. Make random eye contact, get a smile. In most parts of the world, smiles are not as readily given out or are causes for suspicion." - cream-of-cow

"I find Americans are the most extroverted group of people. I've never met more forceful personalities, it's almost impossible to miss an American abroad. I'm not quite sure how to describe it, it's not rowdy or disruptive, it's just something about the mannerisms, like a complete abandonment of discretion replaced with the overwhelming compulsion to engage in conversation and introduce themselves, their reason for being here, their family history, their career and to compare seemingly random attributes around them to back home, while blissfully ignoring the palpable European disdain for being talked to while on public transport." - Didalectic

4. Guitars

"Virtually every single significant guitar ever made is American. Regardless of a band's nationality, the bands that don't use an American Fender, Gibson, Martin, Epiphone, Rickenbacker, PRS, etc... are few and far in between. With the exception of several British amplification companies, America has virtually every aspect of the guitar market covered." - StolenNachoRanger

5. Corn

Especially: "Turn[ing] corn into things that are not corn."  - lift_heavy64

6. Pride In Our Culture

"I was at a local brewery/grill a few months ago when the table next to me said to the waitress, 'Our friend here is from Germany, and he's never had hush puppies or sweet tea!' (we're in the South)…Our section of the restaurant went dead quiet. The waitress says, 'In that case, one order of hush puppies and tea, on the house.'
It's that pride and willingness (if not insistence) to share parts of our culture that we love." - pirateofspace

7. Porn

"I'm pretty sure America makes the highest quality porn in the world." - Bk7

Airheads candy8. Junk Food

"Here in The Netherlands, our junk food is decades behind the godly snacks and beverages that the USA offers. Besides how good it is, the variety that you have is so vast that I think anyone in the world would have something they like…Bless Americans for Reese's Pieces, Warheads, Airheads, Hot Cheetos, Fruit Rollups, Nerds and Hot Cheetos again." - TotolLies

9. Free Speech

"I know that free-speech battles are being continually fought in the US and that sometimes it seems like a never-ending battle. I also accept that there are all sorts of problems like free-speech on campuses, free-speech 'zones' and so on. Even so, recognize that you are still ahead of most of the world when it comes to the right to say what you want." - backtowriting

10. Cereal

"Variety of breakfast cereals and other processed foods. I was in Walmart with a bunch of foreigners and they were taking pictures of the cereal aisle to show everyone back home." - lo_dolly_lolita

11. Entertainment

"The U.S. is by far best in movies and TV series, something of which the influence on the world should not be underestimated." - Didalectic

"Cartoon adult-ish comedies. Futurama, South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, (apparently King of the Hill, I've never watched it) and of course the Simpsons. The Simpsons, taking all things into account, could very well claim to be the best TV show of all time." - nayimhittingalongone

12. Beef

"Nowhere else does as good steak as commonplace and as cheaply as America does." - sciazs

Celebration BU graduation university13. Higher Education

"Top students from across the world flock to America's universities for education in engineering, finance, math, medicine, law, and everything else. The smartest (and often richest) high school students in other countries frequently will move to a different country to go to Harvard, Princeton, and even highly regarded public universities like University of Wisconsin or Michigan. But it's extremely rare for top students in the US to leave the country for education elsewhere." - MichaelScarn5

14. The Military

"You guys have the most advanced military on the planet, and are willing to use it to protect other people as well as your own; be it against the NSDAP or modern terrorists. While many Europeans like to complain, the world is better for having America." - madwill101

"Military. I'm just sayin', if aliens invaded, America would put the world on it's back." - hammy831

15. Muscle Cars

"Cars with 650 horsepower under $60,000." - THE_GR8_MIKE

16. Being "Cool"

"If you are an American abroad, you would probably have a 90% chance of being regarded as cool just by opening your mouth and saying something. Especially if you are in Scandinavia as we LOVE to speak English (downside to this: you will never learn Swedish except maybe words like:, köttbullar, Systembolaget, kukhuvud, tunnbrödsrulle, kräftskiva and fan)." - wyldcat

17. Diversity

"I'm an international student studying in the US at one of its best engineering colleges, and the sheer level of diversity is insane! In one day I see guys and girls from India, China, Korea, Africa, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South America as well as most of the racially diverse groups here in the US, including whites, blacks, Mexicans and (sometimes) Native Americans. The fact that all of them live together in peace and harmony, and in a society where everyone is treated equally and is judged on their merit is truly phenomenal." - jkthe

Grand Canyon shutterstock18. The States

"The United States of America is one country, but to me, as an outsider, it's like 50 different countries. I've only been in a handful of different states but it's AMAZING. The scenery changes, the people, the culture."  - Jhaturtle

"I've only been to a handful of states, but each one is like a different country. The cities are something to behold and feel truly different (something you don't get in Europe so much), not to mention the stunning landscape." - madwill101

19. Hope

"When other people ask me what I miss most about living in the USA I answer with all of the lesser ones above, the food, the TV, or the nature; but, I've never said: 'I miss being in a country which knows it is capable of greater things: that we will cure cancer and advance the sciences, that we will pursue corruption and combat poverty, that we will be the world's police to those who wish it harm and the world's shelter to those who have been harmed because that is our duty, that we will go back to the moon and then on to Mars, because our forefathers forged our greatness and our children compel us to utilize it."  - TheWanderingSuperman

SEE ALSO: 14 'All-American' Foods That Foreigners Find Completely Gross

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Business Advice, Sex Tips, And More From Martha Stewart's Reddit AMA

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Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart participated in a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" on Thursday and answered questions on business, tech, sex, and her time behind bars.

We've collected some of the highlights from the Q&A.

She gives advice on how to run a successful empire:

Martha Stewart AMA

Tells us about the moment she realized she had made it:

Martha Stewart Reddit AMA

She explains her brainstorming process:

Martha Stewart Reddit AMA

And gives a hint as to what she's working on next:

Martha Stewart Reddit AMA

She might not be honest if you ask her what she thinks of your home:

Martha Stewart Reddit AMA

She gave sex tips:

Martha Stewart Reddit AMA

Alongside her three rules for hosting:

Martha Stewart Reddit AMA

She wasn't impressed with the food in prison:

Martha Stewart Reddit AMA

And didn't get a nickname from fellow inmates while she was locked up:

Martha Stewart Reddit AMA

She reveals that she still uses a Blackberry and questions the authenticity of Ellen's famous Oscar selfie:

Martha Stewart Reddit AMA

You can check out the rest of Stewart's comments here.

SEE ALSO: Aziz Ansari Asked Reddit Users Personal Questions About Dating In The Digital Age — And The Responses Were Amazing

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String Theory Genius Explains The Coming Breakthroughs That Will Change Life As We Know It

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michio kaku

String field theory co-founder Michio Kaku did not even try to explain his controversial yet undeniably brilliant cosmological theory of everything during his interview on Reddit, beyond this analogy:

"In string theory, all particles are vibrations on a tiny rubber band; physics is the harmonies on the string; chemistry is the melodies we play on vibrating strings; the universe is a symphony of strings, and the 'Mind of God' is cosmic music resonating in 11 dimensional hyperspace."

(The "Mind of God" is what Stephen Hawking said we would understand once we completed a theory of everything.)

While Kaku's cursory approach annoyed some Redditors (the top-voted response brings up problems with string field theory like its lack of testable theses that he did not address), it allowed him to respond to a wide array of fascinating scientific questions.

Kaku's media tour is meant to promote his new book, "The Future Of The Mind." Some highlights from Reddit:

On coming breakthroughs:

"Time travel and teleportation will have to wait. It may take centuries to master these technology. But within the coming decades, we will understand dark matter, perhaps test string theory, find planets which can harbor life, and maybe have Brain 2.0, i.e. our consciousness on a disk which will survive even after we die.

"I think, in the coming years, we will have a brain pacemaker that can stimulate the memory of people with Alzheimer's disease. They will be able to upload simple memories of who they are and where they live. Beyond that, we will be able to use electronics to upload vacations we never had, perhaps. And the internet itself will be a brain-net of emotions and memories.

"The 20 century was the century of physics, with computers, lasers, TV, radio, GPS, the internet, etc. Physics, in turn, has made possible that can probe biology. So I think the 21st century will be the century of physics and biology, esp. biology that can be explored via physics. So the future belongs to nanotech, biotech, AI, and quantum physics."

On "Her":

"I have not seen the movie, but I think it's only a matter of time. Today, it is still easy to tell if you are talking to a computer. Computers have no sense of self-awareness, and cannot master common sense very well. But this is a technical question, so I think that, in the coming decades, we will have something like Her."

On colonizing another planet:

"I agree, along with Carl Sagan, that we should eventually become a two planet species. Life is too precious to place on a single planet. But I also think we should explore new ways to drive down the cost of space travel. instead of costly booster rockets, maybe we should think of laser/microwave driven rockets, or space elevators. Until then, the cost of space exploration will limit our ability to explore the universe.

"I think a colony in space will take much longer than sci fiction writers think. It costs $10,000 to put a pound of anything into near earth orbit. That is your weight in gold. It costs about $100,000 a pound to put you on the moon. And it costs $1,000,000 a pound to put you on Mars."

On the birth of the universe:

"The modern thinking is that time did not start with the big bang, and that there was a multiverse even before the big bang. In the inflation theory, and in string theory, there were universes before our big bang, and that big bangs are happening all the time. Universes are formed when bubbles collide or fission into smaller bubbles."

On politics:

"One problem with politics is that it is a zero sum game, i.e. politicians argue how to cut the pie smaller and smaller, by reshuffling pieces of the pie. I think this is destructive. Instead, we should be creating a bigger pie, i.e. funding the science that is the source of all our prosperity. Science is not a zero sum game."

On learning:

"Some advice. Keep the flame of curiosity and wonderment alive, even when studying for boring exams. That is the well from which we scientists draw our nourishment and energy. And also, learn the math. Math is the language of nature, so we have to learn this language.

"When I was a kid, I had two role models. The first was Einstein, whose futile search for a theory of everything fascinated me. But I also watched the old Flash Gordon series on TV. I was hooked by all that I saw, e.g. starships, aliens, ray guns, etc. Eventually, I realized that what was driving the entire series was physics. So I saw that my two loves as a child were really the same thing."

Read the full interview at Reddit and check out his new book.

SEE ALSO: 5 mysteries that keep physicists awake at night

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Pictures Of An Unlivable College Dorm That Houses Over 1,200 Students

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A photo album posted to Reddit shows the disgusting and arguably unlivable conditions in a massive student dormitory in Macedonia.

Posted by Reddit user nocturnalmk with the title "Yes, this is a student dormitory, and yes, there are 1200+ students living in it as we speak," the album shows the terrible interior conditions of the Goce Delčev student dormitory complex in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. While not directly part of any university, the complex provides housing to over 1,000 students across the city for 55 euros a month.

While the pictures speak for themselves, the captions also reveal just how horrible it is to live there. Here were some of the most illustrative:

  • "Moist is very common. Moist-less rooms are non-existent at this moment."
  • "After 2 months of chasing and bribing (with booze) plumbers, caretakers and other drunkards, the bathroom was fixed."
  • "The food varies between pasta, potatoes, chicken steaks and sausages. It is the same food every single day."

Look through the full album below:

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25 Books That Will Blow Your Mind

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JK Rowling Reading Harry Potter

Sometimes a book is so good, it not only sticks with you long after you put it down, but it alters the way you view the world going forward.

On a recent Reddit thread, readers commented on this very phenomenon.

Asked about the most mind-blowing books they'd ever read, users brought up dystopian novels like "1984" and "The Handmaid's Tale." But books that engender hope for the human spirit like "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "The Kite Runner" also made the list. 

Here are 25 of the most gripping books based on Reddit responses. 

"The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry" by Jon Ronson

Jon Ronson's "Psychopath Test" digs into the history of of psychopathy diagnosis and treatments, including drug-fueled therapy sessions in prison and attempts to understand serial killers.

An influential psychologist shares his theory with Ronson that many important business leaders and politicians are actually high-functioning psychopaths, which leads the author to turn the tables on the readers and make them question their own mental health. 

While the style of the book garnered praise, it got mixed reviews for its lack of scientific depth. The Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy made a statement saying some interviews in the book appeared exaggerated or fictionalized. 

Buy the book here >

Submitted by Reddit user Anitsisqua.



"1984" by George Orwell

George Orwell predicts a totalitarian future in "1984." Big Brother originated in this dystopian novel with ever-present government security and Thought Police, who prosecute citizens for subversive thoughts. 

It follows Winston Smith through Airstrip One, formerly Great Britain. He engages in an intellectual rebellion against the Party, and undergoes torture and attempted re-education. The book critiques nationalism, censorship and surveillance. It also makes much of regulating language in order to regulate behavior.  

Buy the book here >

Submitted by Reddit user NewbornMuse.



"Cat's Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut

"Cat's Cradle" is a book about writing. It follows John on his mission to write a book about the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. But quickly, the tale turns into a high-stakes adventure that revolves around stealing, selling and bartering a newly discovered isotope.

Vonnegut said he was inspired to write the book after working as a PR representative for General Electric, where he met scientists who were indifferent to the consequences of their discoveries.  

Buy the book here >

Submitted by Reddit user kelvinkkc.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: 'I'm Doubling Down On The Legalization Of Medical Marijuana'

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RedditSanjayGupta

Dr. Sanjay Gupta — CNN's chief medical correspondent — revealed on a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" this week that he's "doubling down on the legalization of medical marijuana."

In the AMA, Gupta tried to dispel some medical myths about pot and pointed out that it's safer than many narcotic pain pills that doctors prescribe.

Gupta has waged a campaign to change perceptions about pot and argue for its medical legalization since he changed his opinion on the issue in August.

Here are a few highlights from the AMA:

Can you confirm whether marijuana is addictive or not?

Studies have shown that about 9% of people develop an addiction to marijuana. It's likely more psychological than physical. Simply put: if the use of marijuana is interfering with other aspects of your life and you can't control that, you may be developing a psychological addiction. For context — the addiction rate for alcohol is 15%,  heroine 25%, cocaine 20%,  and tobacco comes in the highest at 30%. With those substances, the addiction is more physical.

What is the single most profound piece of quantifiable data (or perhaps a correlation) that convinced you that medical marijuana was a legitimate medication?

The studies about cannabis and epilepsy were very compelling. Also, the use of cannabis as a treatment for neuropathic pain and Multiple Sclerosis. I think people should know that cannabis is being used a legitimate medication in hospitals all over the world. In fact, a medication for Multiple Sclerosis that is cannabis based, is now approved in 25 countries around the world, but not the United States.

Would you recommend medical marijuana to traumatic brain injury patients?

I think we will get to the point where this is a viable treatment option. You should look at the data around patent 6630507. It is a patent held by our own Department of Health and Human Services for this very reason.

[The patent concerns using marijuana as an antioxidant and neuroprotectant.]

Does smoking hurt your memory or is this myth?

It seems to affect everybody in the short-term. But it has more of a long-term impact in people who use it while their brain is still developing (roughly anyone under the age of 25).

Why isn't the federal government taking cannabis off of Schedule I?

It's a great question, and was the focus of an op-ed i wrote back in August.

I don't think marijuana meets the criteria for Schedule I. That would mean it is among the most dangerous substances and has no medicinal benefit. Neither of those statements are factual.

What do you feel could be the long term negative aspects and positive aspects of consistent recreational use of marijuana?

I think that in the developing brain - which neuroscience says is below the age of 25 - I have concerns about consistent marijuana use. Beyond that, there has not been much science to show long-term negative side effects for marijuana use. We do have cannabinoid receptors throughout our body and we know that our body makes cannabinoids. So we are learning more and more about the potential positive benefits of cannabis.

What are your thoughts towards using high percentage CBD strains to help people with Anxiety? Do you think that using CBD in combination with therapy could be effective and less dangerous than other drugs such as Prozac or Xanax?

I think so. We have a better understanding of how CBD works in the brain, and the receptors where it binds. There are many prescription drugs that have a much higher risk than cannabis, but are prescribed often. Narcotics, in particular. We consume 80% of the world's pain meds in the United States.

What is the best method of marijuana ingestion?

It is probably vaporizing. I think smoking creates a lot of byproducts that we don't know enough about. I think eating it leads to very uneven absorption. Vaporizing seems to activate the medicine without burning it. I also think oils absorbed in the mouth are effective, especially for kids.

SEE ALSO: These 9 Charts Show The Remarkable Success Of Colorado's Legal Marijuana Market

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This Is The Future Of Imgur, The Massive Photo-Sharing Startup Yahoo Wants To Buy

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bob costas eye rash

Imgur, the site that hosts a bunch of images and GIFs found on Reddit, has a new hire. 

Tim Hwang, founder of Internet meme convention ROFLCon, is joining Imgur as its Head of Special Initiatives.

Imgur is one of the biggest sites on the Internet. In September, it passed 100 million unique visitors per month, making it bigger than Reddit. In 2012, it was doing 2 billion pageviews a month. By now it could be doing 4 billion per month. 

Imgur's main attraction is meme-style photos like the one in this post. People add some funny text to an image.

After starting out as a companion to Reddit, Imgur has found itself a strong property in its own right. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer was reportedly negotiating to buy the site last fall, but nothing has materialized from that yet.

With Imgur growing up, it brought in Hwang to help make the company's transition to a more mature state. 

"There's been an interesting shift from infrastructure to more like a Reddit in its own right as a community," Hwang tells Business Insider. In other words, Imgur was once just a place to post Reddit photos. Today, it's starting to have its own social group of users.

Imgur is already profitable thanks to its paid Pro subscriptions and deals with advertisers, but now it seems that Imgur has its eyes set on other types of monetization.

As head of special initiatives, Hwang will be responsible for forming partnerships with brands, and throwing in-person events for the Imgur community. Hwang will also dive deep into the data to analyze who uses Imgur, and why, where, what, and when these people share images.

Down the road, Imgur sees itself getting into merchandise with everything from t-shirts to a book filled with the best images from Imgur.

SEE ALSO: Marissa Mayer's Next Big Acquisition Could Be Imgur, The Photo-Sharing Site Reddit Loves

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A Guy Who Owns A Bitcoin-Only Electronics Store Is Revealing Everything On Reddit

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Reddit user "Leeburg"has written a post on his nine months and counting of experience in running a Bitcoin-only storefront online. The site is called CoinsForTech, and it deals in smartphones, computers, and all order of electronic gadgets wanted by people all over the world.

Leeburg is able to serve these people because Bitcoin is a geographically agnostic digital currency. Rather than get a bank involved in converting obscure currencies, CoinsForTech simply waits for confirmation that a customer's payment has arrived at the appropriate Bitcoin wallet. At that point, it can convert to U.S. dollars or do whatever else it would like with the Bitcoins — the payment's arrived and the irreversible nature of Bitcoin transactions means it's here to stay.

Here's a visual for just how international the site's reach is, which nine months' worth of orders denoted by Bitcoin logos over their destinations (you can view an interactive version here):

Screen Shot 2014 03 18 at 9.25.21 AM

Other relevant details from Leeburg's post:

  • Since launching nine months ago, CoinsForTech has sold $300,000 worth of merchandise to "nearly 40" countries, and if business remains steady, it will clear $500,000 before the end of its first year.
  • Bitcoin enables the site to serve many countries that would normally be deemed high-risk markets. Leeburg writes that "customers in areas such as India, Israel, and Pakistan are some of our best. We could never ship to these countries using a system other than Bitcoin."
  • The fact that Bitcoin transactions are irreversible means that the business has been defrauded "a total of zero times." Just as Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne recently told Business Insider, Bitcoin effectively makes customer fraud a thing of the past.

"If you are an international merchant you should be accepting Bitcoin. I cannot stress this enough," Leeburg writes. "Incredibly low start-up and ongoing costs, clear market from Bitcoiners wanting to spend, irreversible and instant payments worldwide — what have you got to lose?"

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Half-Ukrainian, Half-Russian Protester Addresses Crimea Misconceptions In Shockingly Honest AMA

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Ukrainian AMA

Reddit user 2positive has a unique perspective on the situation in Crimea: he grew up in a half-Ukrainian, half-Russian family and now has a Crimean girlfriend.

In a candid Reddit AMA, he says he participated in the pro-EU protests in Ukraine and claims most of the ideological divide over Crimea stems from leftover feelings toward the USSR.

"I was there on two of the three police assaults, I was there when violence on Hrushevskogo street started and I’ve seen dead bodies and streams of blood on Institutska street right after the shootings," wrote 2positive, a portfolio manager in a Ukrainian investment firm. "I’ve seen it all with my own eyes."

Even when asked about police killings, 2positive gave a straight answer.

Ukrainian AMA

2positive's Russian father was a doctor on one of the first USSR nuclear submarines, making their family upper-middle class by USSR standards. Upon retirement, his father chose to live in Kiev, where the government gave him an apartment and a car.

"They miss the glory days in USSR, regret it collapsing and are definitely pro-Russian," he wrote. He added that many other retired Russian officials chose to settle near Sevastopol, a Ukrainian military base in Crimea and a "very nice place."

2positive's Ukrainian grandfather had six siblings, all of whom died during the Holodomor, a forced famine in Ukraine perpetuated by the Soviets. His grandfather's wife's father also "died in prison for nothing." After that, 2positive's grandfather's wife and great-grandmother couldn't find jobs, forcing them to live in a train station for a year. 

"It’s quite natural that this part of the family hates USSR and Russia and believes that Nazi soldiers during German occupation were much nicer than soviet NKVD, I am not kidding, this is an actual quote by my grandmother," 2positive wrote.

Considering his background, 2positive tried to remain neutral, but he expressed some strong feelings on Russian President Vladimir Putin's motivations for trying to take Crimea from Ukraine.

Ukrainian AMA Crimea

He also blames the media and Russian propaganda for much of the misconceptions in public opinion, especially in the West.

Ukrainian AMA screenshot media

Aside from the current clash, 2positive said he believes both Ukraine and Russia are kleptocracies, or governments that steal and bribe to retain power. And he worries about the future of an independent Crimea — even fearing another ethnic cleansing in the area.

Click here to read his full AMA.

Ukrainian Reddit AMA

SEE ALSO: The Crisis In Ukraine Has Much Deeper And Darker Roots Than Many People Realize

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A Visual Guide To Matching Suits And Dress Shoes

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It's the eternal conundrum: What color dress shoes go with a navy or brown suit?

Style aficionado and redditor stRafaello put together this handy graphic showing which types of shoes match with which suits. It even lets men know which colors match best for a traditional look, and which are fashion-forward.

Next time you're suiting up for a special event or considering buying a new pair of oxfords, we suggest you refer to this neat visual guide, which we first saw on /r/malefashionadvice

men shoes suit guide

SEE ALSO: 9 Bad Fashion Tips Men Should Stop Following

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NOW WATCH:  Scientists Discovered What Makes Someone A Good Dancer

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How To Instantly Browse The Most Popular Images From All Of Reddit

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reddit_img_3462

A site called Oublio sends queries to Reddit once an hour in order to identify the most popular image being shared on the site at that time.

Once identified, Oublio makes the image and accompanying caption available for your browsing pleasure. It builds something like a flipbook of interesting images to alternately incite chuckles or awws.

We used the site to find what images have been most popular on Reddit over the last several hours.

'My buddy just sent me this with no context.'



'Scumbag Oculus Rift.'



'I'm officially a grumpy old man.'



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's How Posts Make It To The Front Page Of Reddit

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Have you ever wondered why most of the posts on Reddit's front page are less than 12 hours old? Or why a post with a score of 4,000 is ranked below 3,000 score post? It all has to do with Reddit's window of virality.

Each post on Reddit has a score attached to it: score = upvotes – downvotes. Reddit's "hotness" algorithm uses this score in combination with the post’s age to rank every single post on Reddit.

Amir Salihefendic wrote a fantastic post explaining the nitty-gritty of how Reddit’s hotness algorithm works, so I won't bother repeating that here. Instead, I'll jump right into the visualization showing us Reddit's window of virality.

The y-axis indicates the post's current score; the higher up, the higher the post's score. The x-axis indicates the post's current age; the more to the right, the older the post is. The color indicates the post's "hotness" or virality, with darker shades of red for viral posts and darker shades of blue for posts that don’t stand a chance of getting to Reddit's front page.

Reddit hotness chart

I labeled the dark blue region as "dead" because posts in these regions have the same hotness as a newly submitted post with no upvotes. If our post can be outranked by a post that hasn’t even been voted on yet, it doesn't stand a chance of making the front page.

Immediately, we see why posts older than 12 hours are such a rarity on Reddit's front page: A 12-hour-old post needs roughly 3 times the score to match the hotness of a 6-hour-old post! 18- and 24-hour-old posts don't even stand a chance on the front page unless it's President Obama holding an AMA. Clearly, the life of a viral post on Reddit is short — so if you make it to the front page, enjoy your precious few hours in the spotlight.

It's no surprise then that time plays such a huge role in the success of a Reddit post. If the first 6 hours of a post's life are the most crucial for going viral on Reddit, none of that time can be wasted sitting around when no one's online.

In the end, all posts must die. As we see in the top right of this graph, even the most high-scoring posts will be ouranked by a new post with no upvotes at all by the end of their second day of life. Reddit's front page is constantly evolving, and 2-day-old news is just so yesterday.

There's of course an important addendum here: This classification really only applies to Reddit's front page, but not individual subreddit pages. If we take a stroll down any of the smaller, non-default subreddits, we'll see plenty of older, sub-500 score posts that are still on the front page of the subreddit. That just means it's easier to get on the front page of the individual subreddits — but that's a topic for a future post!

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Taco Bell President Reveals The Company Will Add Even More Breakfast Items

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taco bell breakfast waffle tacoTaco Bell President Brian Niccol said Thursday that the fast food chain is already planning to expand its breakfast menu, which launched nationally this morning.

"We are just getting started with the breakfast menu," Niccol wrote in an "Ask Me Anything" question-and-answer session on Reddit

"People love the Taco Bell Breakfast menu and there is definitely more to come," he added. "In fact, there are a few new breakfast items in test right now."

Niccol didn't provide any details on the new items.

Here's a few other highlights from the AMA:

Q: Is there some type of dream food you would want to add to the menu, but haven't had a chance to yet?

Niccol: Cerveza.

Q: How much have your sales increased in Colorado since the legalization of marijuana?

Niccol: 420% (But seriously what is 4/20?)brian niccol taco bell

Q: Only [releasing the breakfast menu] to America? When is this coming to Canada?

Niccol: When you take Justin Bieber back.

Q: What's the worst thing about being the president of Taco Bell?

Niccol: It is the greatest job ever. Only thing better would be the CEO...

Q: What's really in your "meat"?

Niccol: This is going to surprise you... our beef is beef with wonderful seasonings and I eat it every day.

SEE ALSO: We Tested Taco Bell's New Breakfast Menu — Here's The Verdict

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He Started A Website In College — Now 130 Million People Read It And Investors Beat Down Doors To Give Him $40 Million

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imgur alan schaaf

Photo-sharing and hosting site Imgur has raised $40 million from Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.

The company, which was founded by Alan Schaaf in his Ohio University dorm room in 2009, has been bootstrapped and fighting off investors for the past five years. One angel investor even flew out to Schaaf's campus in the company's early days, but Imgur was profitable and didn't see the need for funding.

Now Imgur has 13 employees, 130 million monthly unique visitors and 4.5 billion monthly pageviews. Reddit, where the photo utility was first introduced and quickly adopted by users, is still Imgur's largest traffic driver. Facebook is Imgur's second-leading referrer.

Late last year, we reported Yahoo was in talks to acquire Imgur. When asked if Imgur had experienced acquisition offers alongside investment offers from VCs, Schaaf replied, "I guess, yah, well — I don't know. Our plan for Imgur is to build a big, independent business, but it definitely wouldn’t make sense to take all this money then sell."

Schaaf never intended to build such a big business. When he founded the company, he was an avid Reddit user who was frustrated with other photo sites. Schaaf noticed there were a lot of great places on the web to host photos, but not images. "Photos are fundamentally different from an image," Schaaf says. "A photo is something that typically comes from your camera. It's probably taken of certain subjects and requires you to have different functionalities."

Because photos aren't always intended to be widely spread, Schaaf ran into sharing restrictions on photo websites. Most inherently didn't want photos to go viral. Schaaf's site hosts animated GIFs, memes and other pictures with the intent of spreading them far and wide. Users can upload images with one click, vote their favorites up or down, comment on them, and share them with friends.

Although Imgur has taken meetings with investors in the past, Andreessen Horowitz was the first firm Schaaf ever pursued.  He had heard good things about them from friends, and was flattered when the firm's partner, Netscape founder Marc Andreessen, told him he was an Imgur user and fan.

Schaaf liked that the firm offered other resources besides its money, like help with PR and recruiting. It also offers access to all the firm's partners, although Lars Dalgaard will be the one joining Imgur's board. Schaaf said an initial meeting with Andreessen Horowitz led to the partners chatting around a table, laughing and brainstorming ideas to further Imgur's business.

It's hard for Schaaf to believe what he's built.

"Back when I started it I had no intention of actually creating a startup," he says. "I’m not even 100% sure I knew what a startup was back then."

SEE ALSO: The Unbelievable Story Behind This Best-Selling Spring Break Tank Top

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SAE Brothers Say That Banning Pledging Will Destroy The Fraternity

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Sigma Alpha Epsilon SAE Fraternity House University Alabama

The Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity made news last month when it banned new-member pledging in an attempt to shed its reputation as the "most deadly fraternity in America."

However, as SAE members' reddit discussions show, many brothers believe this decision will ruin their fraternity and its brotherhood. By quickly initiating new members — and exposing them to secret SAE rituals and traditions — brothers say that the fraternity experience will likely become devalued.

Perhaps the most important SAE tradition that brothers fear will be lost is the "True Gentleman Experience," the fraternity's new member education program. According to a 2013 new member guidebook, over the course of several weeks SAE pledges would learn the history of the Greek system, the "purpose of membership," and SAE songs, among other topics.

"When the new brother takes his place in the chapter he should have a pretty good idea of what the fraternity is all about. He should be able to effectively explain the role of Sigma Alpha Epsilon in the collegiate experience, i.e. the development of the individual toward becoming a solid citizen on campus and after graduation,"the 2013 "The True Gentleman Initiative" guidebook says

Another sensitive piece of information is SAE's secret motto — "Phi Alpha"— defined on various websites as "Brighter from Obscurity."

Under SAE's revised new member program, which went into effect immediately after its announcement in March, "candidates for membership" must be fully initiated into the brotherhood within 96 hours of receiving their bids. "From the first day, the Ritual of Sigma Alpha Epsilon will guide members not in quiet allusion, build-up or allegory, but by experiencing it fully,"states the new version of the "True Gentlemen Experience."

Now, new SAE members will have full access to the fraternity's secrets and rituals almost immediately after receiving an invitation to join, instead of having to go through weeks of lessons and exams before being initiated as brothers.

This quick access to fraternity secrets seems to be at the core of many members' concerns. As one SAE brother writes on reddit, "I cannot believe this is happening to our beloved Fraternity ... Pledgeship was my favorite part, now abolished entirely for the mistakes of few. Phi Alpha will not be a reward after twelve weeks, but now a privilege after one."

Members claim that SAE's pledge process led to a greater appreciation of the fraternity and its values, a connection that could be lost under the new system. "I don't think I would ever have appreciated SAE as much, nor had a relationship with my Brothers, had pledgeship been a week-and-done deal. It will be a gym membership: sign up, get involved for a month, then drop out when life offers you something easier," one member writes on reddit.

These fears were echoed by another SAE brother:

Now that new guys will be initiated they will not care for SAE like we do because they didn't earn it and now we will have random 17 and 18 year olds rushing, becoming brothers and representing our house in most likely bad ways. Sure we will get a few guys that will be TG and phi alpha but the amount of guys that will bring SAE down will be unbelievable. It's going to be so disgusting (from my perspective at least) when I have to call someone I meet my brother after 4 days ... I take pride in wearing my letters and living by the TG ever since I rushed, went through pledging and got initiated and now it's like I got slapped in the face.

Alumni members also joined in the discussion, with one writing on reddit, "I don't like seeing what I earned and worked my a-- off to achieve being given away to some little twerp that wants everything given to him. This is not a way to stop any hazing. I feel that this is only giving those individuals an easier way to become a part of something amazing...something they need to learn before they are given."

It is important to note, though, that several SAE members involved in the reddit discussions explicitly differentiated "pledging" from "hazing." As one SAE brother writes, "I am totally against any pledge program that involves hazing. Too many equate a hazing program as 'earning it,' when in fact, all you have done is select someone who has endured, not achieved. Give pledges real opportunities to prove themselves in skills that will be necessary to run a chapter, i.e., fundraising, philanthropy, scholarship, leadership."

Other members wrote that this change will actually create a worse situation for new members, who will no longer have a pledging period to determine if SAE is the right fit.

"Besides educating pledges, pledgeship helps sort out new people. If you're only a pledge you still have a chance to drop if SAE isn't right for you. If you get initiated instantly, well, you're kinda in a weird situation," writes one SAE reddit user.

As another SAE brother puts it, "Now accepting a bid from SAE is going to Vegas to get hitched. Now you're in so you better like it."

However, some SAE members wrote on reddit about what they viewed as the perseverance of the fraternity, arguing that their brotherhood would not be particularly affected.

"To all the brothers out there facing this, I urge you to remember that ΣΑΕ has preserved through every war, and governmental and ideological shift our country has encountered and we remain IMHO the greatest brotherhood out there. ΦΑ,"one SAE brother writes.

A freshman SAE member took to reddit to write about the possible upside of the changes, which may offer an opportunity for chapters to demonstrate their leadership skills:

I've just been thinking about it in terms of life as a whole. Life is not easy, and it is filled with many situations that will bring you out of your comfort zone. You can lay down and die in the face of adversity, or you can learn to adapt. Yes, this new program sucks, and may destroy the fraternity, but it gives us a taste of experience in the world of business. Employers like leaders, those who bend but do not break. Learning to adapt to this new situation rather than let it kill us is crucial, and one of the reasons why fraternity men are so coveted in their post-collegiate careers.

However, a member of Chi Phi, a different national fraternity, responded with a slightly more cynical view. He writes, "I was under the impression that these actions killed the whole 'business atmosphere' of the Fraternity by making freshmen (entry-level employees) equal to the upper classmen (high execs)."

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