distractions, waffles, ground cover, pancakes, and wood filler

Today I learned that scientists have found the brain's irrelevance filter. It supposedly sorts the distractions from the important stuff, so theoretically, the better it works, the better you are at remembering things. Conversely, you'd expect that if you had a whole bunch of distractions sliding unimpeded into your brain, you'd have more trouble remembering things, but I think that's why some of us have heads filled with random-seeming esoteric trivia.

In other news:

• "Consider the chocolate covered waffle: Last year, Britain both imported 14,000 tonnes, and exported 15,000 tonnes. And it is not just waffles that are travelling further...."
• "West Antarctic to be covered with scientific instruments"
• "People are dying like pancakes around here."

Also, wood filler gives me a headache, but only if I get the pot too close to my face. If I'm not an idiot about it, I can fill nail holes with the best of them.