Things I had never considered about Alderaan’s destruction until this very moment: this Things I was not prepared to start bawling over at midnight: also this, holy shit
“There is a copy of the NES game Golf in the firmware of every Switch system”
Me: Oh haha, what a weird thing, probably some remnant from the debugging process -
“Since that was a game that Satoru Iwata programmed himself, this could have been intended as a way of saying that Iwata is spiritually a part of every Switch and is watching over and protecting every system.”
On July 11th*, the date of Iwata’s passing, doing Iwata’s “directly to you” motion with the Joy-Cons on the home screen will play a sound clip of Iwata and launch the game.
(* Before you try this yourself, note that simply changing the date on your system will not work, as this runs off the Switch’s internal internet-synced clock, meaning that changing the date manually will only work if the system has never been connected to the internet)
I… I can’t…
It goes even further than that.
Firstly, opening the game like this person is in the video is only possible with a brand new unit on system version 1.0.0 that has never been connected to the Internet. Because of this, opening it is pretty hard to replicate, unless if you have a completely brand new Switch. So, even if the system’s internal date is on July 11, it still won’t open if the system version is up to date.
The thing is, it’s not supposed to be opened.
The hidden Golf game has been described as an omamori, which, in Japanese culture, is a charm usually bought at shrines that offers spiritual protection and good luck if you keep it close to you.
Sometimes they’re made of cloth, and look like a tiny bag, which can contain a written prayer. People often tie them to something like a purse or a backpack, so that it’s always with them. Here are a bunch of different ones:
Omamori are not supposed to be opened, as doing so is said to remove its blessing.
Seeing as the hidden Golf game on the Switch is so difficult to run under normal circumstances, it’s probably not supposed to be opened in the first place. It’s likely meant to represent an omamori in Iwata’s honor. Its very fitting, because of how portable the Switch is, since people are likely to take it with them like they would with an omamori strapped to a purse or backpack.
Hank, meet Henry. Henry, meet Hank! These two are so funny, they have become the most unusual pair. Every morning before the Aquarium opens Henry goes inside and sits on the octopus’s tank. The octopus is just as interested in Henry and Henry is with him. #BFF
It’s hard to hear your friends when you’re in a crowded room! And right now, many places in the ocean are becoming like that crowded room, as noise pollution – like sounds from ships – makes the ocean environment much louder than it used to be.
That’s a major concern, since many marine animals, like humpback whales, depend on sound for everything from communicating with their mates and offspring to finding food.
Dr. David Wiley, research coordinator at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, has been studying the impacts of ship noise on foraging humpback whales. A recent study he collaborated on is among the first to show that humpback whale foraging behavior is significantly altered from exposure to ship noise. As the intensity of ship noise increases – from increased shipping, for example – humpback whales decrease the number of bottom-feeding events per dive, perhaps because ship noise interferes with the sounds they produce to coordinate their bottom-feeding behavior.
Hello friends, I’m going to tell you some cool stuff about bees and why you shouldn’t be afraid of them!
See, there is a lot of misplaced fear over our fuzzy pollinating buddies. Many folks think they are mean and dangerous, but bees are very good little friends. The little, kind bee should not be mistaken for their evil look a likes, such as Hornets Yellow Jackets and Wasps, which are evil and should be hated like the beasts they are. Bees are docile by nature, and are not a threat to anyone who’s not allergic to them.
These bees are Swarming, which despite it’s scary sounding name, is not a dangerous time to be around bees. This time is the safest time to be around bees because they couldn’t give a hoot about you. These bees are gathering themselves together in order to go as a whole colony to find a new home. The gif is showing how bees don’t mind the outside world at this point in a swarm. The bees probably feel like a tickle on his hand. ^-^
Here’s some cool facts about bees!
-Bees are the BEST pollinators in the world! better than butterflies, or humming birds.
-Bees in a colony are all females. The males of the species look totes different and are called drones.
-Bees are totally different from Yellow Jackets, Hornets, and Wasps. They are not even close relatives in the insect kingdom!
-“Africanized” Bees are of no threat to anyone north of the New Mexico, and they barely pose a risk there! They are more territorial than some other species of bees, but not as bad as wasps.
-Many crops rely on bees.
-Bees will often die after stinging someone. Bees know this, and thus will do much to avoid stinging you. Hate to say it buddy, but you’re not worth their time.
-Honey, in it’s natural state, is a vitamin rich superfood! It can help with everything from icky feelings, to gross hair.
-Bees are threatened in many places by parasites, people, and misinformation. Do your part to help the bees and plant some flowers.
