Curtains Closed

And the 45th President of the United States is… not Hillary Clinton. In a surprise turn of events, the Tuesday election ended with Donald Trump as president-elect of the United States. Although most national polls put Hillary Clinton with a solid 3-point lead, Trump won the election with a staggering 290 electoral votes. Donald Trump was able to flip Wisconsin, which the GOP hasn’t held since the Reagan election of 1984, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. These states, which Clinton and her team expected to turn their regular shade of blue, shocked everyone when they were red at the end of the night. Trump also won the battleground states of Iowa, North Carolina, and Florida. With these losses, Clinton ended up with only 228 of the necessary 270 electoral votes. However, Clinton did win the popular vote, meaning that she got more overall votes than Trump. Not only will we have a new president on January 20, but hopefully we will have new methods of polling in the works.

What’s Cooking? 

Send our compliments to the chef, who in this case goes by “Bruno the Robot.” At Zume Pizza, a commercial kitchen in Silicon Valley, robots assemble and cook the pizzas, making up to 288 per hour. They still need help from humans to make the dough, sauce, and toppings, but by spring, they’re expected to be fully automated. Their next plan is to create a food truck with an oven that automatically bakes your pizza on its way to your house. Instead of leaving a pizza sitting in a box in the back seat, it’ll be cooking and delivering made-to-order pizzas in less than seven minutes. Now, pizza connoisseurs are asking, “Is it still ‘artisanal’ if it’s made by a robot?” But this cooking robot isn’t the first of its kind. There is a robot-operated burger joint in San Francisco, a noodle-slicing robot in Japan, a bionic bar, and a robotic salad-maker company. Is this the part where robots take over the world?

Harvard Soccer Scandal

While Harvard is generally known for its academic prestige, recently, it has gained attention because of its soccer program, or specifically, its players. Players from Harvard’s 2012 men’s soccer team created a spreadsheet that documented the physical appearance and “appeal” of every member of the women’s soccer team and ranked them accordingly. This practice has continued to present-day, as the 2016 men’s team took part in this newfound “tradition” as well. As punishment, Harvard Athletics decided to terminate the rest of the men’s soccer season, forfeiting the remaining games. While the public has mixed reactions to this decision and the situation as a whole, the women’s soccer team wrote a poignant article that clearly communicated their feelings.

The 51 States of America?

On Election Day, residents of the District of Columbia voted for more than just president. Voters from the District of Columbia voted 79 percent in favor of petitioning Congress to become the 51st state. The first part of the petition states that the current District of Columbia will be admitted as the State of New Columbia. It also has a Constitution for the State of New Columbia and proposed state boundaries. The fourth part guarantees an elected representative government. Since it has now passed, it will move on to Congress. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser promises to present the petition to president-elect Donald Trump and Congress by Inauguration Day. If this passes, it would allow the State of New Columbia to elect two senators and a member of the House, something that D.C. currently can’t do. Only time will tell if Capitol Hill will receive statehood.

A Real Spectacle(s)

Snapchat has made the decision that it simply isn’t easy enough for the customers to take out their phone and take a snap. Now, you are able to take and send a snapchat with a press of a button on brand-new sunglasses. The glasses will be able to record video and transfer it wirelessly to the app. These glasses, called Spectacles, will be sold through vending machines called Snapbots. At the Snapbots, you are able to “try on” the different glasses, similar to the familiar filters present on the app. The new camera glasses cost $129.99 and come with a charger and cleaning cloth. Or, you could buy them on Ebay for upwards of $1000. Is this the future of eyewear or simply a passing fad?

Presidential Protests

Just a few hours after it was announced that Donald Trump was the president-elect, frustrated citizens of America’s largest cities took to the streets chanting the phrase, “Not my president.” In New York, protesters chanted outside of Trump tower. Among the protesters was pop star, Lady Gaga, who is a devout Hillary Clinton supporter. Most of the protests were peaceful, with only a few arrests, but many have said that they have never witnessed such defiance to a election result. Protesters are fearful that many of Trump’s plans that were mentioned in his campaign, such as a wall along the Mexican-American border, will be implemented. Meanwhile, President Obama is calling for unity, and a “peaceful transition of power.” “We all want what’s best for this country,” he said.

That Song In Your Head

“Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga. It’s probably already stuck in your head, right? New studies from psychologists might be able to tell you why. A Durham University music psychologist is leading the first large-scale study of what makes a song stuck in your head, called the “Earworm Project.” For of those of you who didn’t know, “earworm” is the word for that moment when you get a tune or part of a tune stuck in your head. Like “Bad Romance,” one of the most frequent earworms. They have found that earworms usually follow the same structure: an up-tempo song with a familiar melody and unique interval pattern. Songs with fast tempo are particularly hard to get unstuck. While they’re not sure of a solution yet, they think the earworm effect could come from not knowing how the tune ends. Only have the chorus of “Bad Romance” stuck in your head? Listen to the whole song, and you might be cured. Earworms are a form of spontaneous thoughts that pop into your brain at inopportune times, so psychologists hope the Earworm Project will help them understand where your brain goes when it wanders.

A Medical Hit

A groundbreaking new blood test might be the future for diagnosing concussions. The test, developed by scientists at the Children’s Health Research Institute, has had over 90 percent success in concussion diagnosis. It uses a form of blood profiling known as metabolomics. Basically, blood is drawn from an individual within 72 hours of a head injury. Scientists analyze tiny molecules in the blood to look for patterns unique to concussions. Currently, concussion diagnosis is difficult and unreliable. Typically, it involves a combination of assessment of the patient’s symptoms and clinical judgment. Meaning, it is currently more subjective. The scientists are hoping that this new blood test streamlines the process so that doctors can say with certainty whether or not it’s safe for patients to return to normal activities or not. Concussions have been in the spotlight lately, so this is a big deal.

Keeping Up With Kris Jenner

While most mothers would probably want to protect their child from the public after dealing with something as traumatic as a robbery, Kris Jenner might have other ideas for her child in mind. Just a little more than a month ago, news outlets and social media were buzzing about Kim Kardashian being tied up for hours in her Parisian hotel while she was robbed of more than 10-million dollars worth of jewelry. Now, Kris is reportedly “assembling a pitch” for a film that would be based on Kim’s experience. While the film may actually do well in box offices, despite the ratings of their show dropping significantly, it still is a question of morals. Is it okay if Kris basically exploits her daughter’s experience for a profit?

Pop Culture Announcement

Memphis’ first-ever “Bark Bistro” opened on South Main, across from Oshi, on Saturday, November 11. The Bark Bistro is as cool as it sounds – dog lovers can come play with puppies, enjoy Dr. Bean’s Coffee, and shop. This is the Memphis Animal Shelter’s way of raising awareness for the animals available for adoption. Last week, it was a “Cat Café” with kittens and coffee. If this sounds like heaven to you, you’re not alone.