Posts tagged Science
Published by Maida
Friday, April 10th, 2009
I thought this was a really brilliant find on Reddit. The comments, of course, find some faults in the information (for example, Polaris is not one of the brightest stars in our sky, and not all of the characteristics of flight are properly explained), but I still think this is fantastic.
Note: I probably still could not do anything with this set of information. What does the pancreas of a dog look like? What does tungsten look like? Let's not delve any further and just hope it will save humanity anyway after we obliterate each other.
Published by Kizi
Monday, February 9th, 2009
I just a few minutes ago dropped my laptop computer cord into the toilet. Just the end that plugs into the computer, and a few more inches, including two areas with exposed wires. I dried it with my boxers briefly, and it works just fine. I am using it now to power my computer to author this post. I just really think that you all should know about this incident.
(Just in case you were wondering, my wordplay in the third sentence is purposeful.)
Published by Maida
Friday, September 26th, 2008
Nevermind ....
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So I gaffed when I asked both Garvey and Kizi to post. The offer is still up for you, Kizi, to unleash your creative potential upon this site and it's ... many ... readers. Of course, standard rules apply. One of those rules posits the requirement of interesting and not really weird or utterly useless content. Sorry Garvey. Your last post violated all three of those stipulations, and thus you're not allowed to post anymore. Just try to sign in. You can't!
Kidding. Garvey, we miss you. Just know that if you post something inexplicable, you will get trashed in the comments by the authorized bloggers on this site and it's ... many ... readers.
Musak
I recently obtained access to the Kings of Leon's new album, "Only by the Night." Rolling Stone awarded it 3 stars, but as Jon pointed out, "yeah; those reviews are becoming suspect though; The Jonas Brothers get 4 stars? wtf?" I've heard only two songs off of the album - "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody," and enjoyed both. Can't vouch for the rest of it, but hopefully it has some hidden gems. Note: "Sex on Fire" is currently the #1 single in the United Kingdom, so I mean ... if the Brits like it, it's probably good. They're more sophisticated than we Americans, and thus everything they like is better than what we like, unless the two likes are identical.
Secondly, I've been listening to Kasabian, a fairly popular British band. They've got two albums out so far, one self-titled, the second one called "Empire." The only song I can recognize is "Club Foot" from their first album - good driving music. With fairly limited experience with these albums (I know, it's like I just listened to a few songs and then recommended three albums ... cough), I suggest Kasabian sounds like a cross between a modern-Beatlesish sound, Linkin Park, The Clash, and the Dandy Warhols. I emphatically point to their song "Me Plus One," off of their second album, Empire. It lacks the Linkin Park elements of their other work, but I dig the harmonies. Old-School meets New-Skool.
Sleep Study!
So two nights ago I travelled to Baptist Medical Center in downtown Jacksonville to spend the night covered in electrodes. As some of you might know, I've been struggling to sleep for the last three months. Trouble falling asleep, trouble staying alseep, no energy, the works. Interesting experience. I get out of the elevator, and walk into a dimly-lit room with two chairs. A sign reads, "please ring the bell." There is no bell. I idle confusedly for ten seconds, then a voice booms, "How may I help you?" I state my purpose. "Ah yes, Joseph, here for the sleep study! We'll be right there." A nurse shows up and directs me to my hospital room. It looks like a hotel room - hotel bed, hotel table with hotel chair, hotel television with a hotel-like number of channels. My own bathroom and a window I can't open. For roughly an hour I sat at the desk, studying for my Torts midterm next week, until the nurse reappeared. 6 electrodes were placed on my scalp to read brain waves, 1 electrode was placed on either side of my eyes to detect REM, 1 electrode was placed on either side of my mouth to detect jaw grinding, 2 electrodes were placed on my legs to detect leg movement, and a breathing monitor was placed just above my mouth. All the while, a camera watches you while you sleep.
Creepy moment: At around 1:30 in the morning I woke up, fumbled with the wires next to me so I could turn to my side. A minute later, the nurse booms in on a microphone by my bed. "Is there anything wrong, Joseph?" Negative. "Okay, just checking on you."
Finally, they woke me up at 6:30 with a free-breakfast voucher. Free grits and fried eggs!
I should get my results within a couple of weeks. They can't come too soon. I'm desperate.
Published by Bear
Friday, February 29th, 2008
Scott Bakula, man or myth?
Scott inherited the genetic gift of quantum leaping at an early age. You may know him from his feature role in a documentary series where he spent one leap day every four years in someone else's life. Since he only exists for one 1/4 days a year, scientists put his birth date somewhere between the Mesozoic era and the Age of Enlightenment. The latter is currently held in higher regard as it is believed that the birth of Bakula was directly responsible for the subsequent period of intellectualism.
It is said that he achieved omnipotence through a telepathic bond with his cell phone Ziggy. Few have survived direct encounters with Sam but many claim to have "felt" his presence in common household objects.
No one knows what happened to the hunk and part time actor, but many believe that he comes out every leap day to feed on the employed. Others speculate that he last left Earth on a rocket ship, shot off as if from an archer, into the cosmos.
Bakula is the tinkle in your eye and the pie in the sky. Next time you see a shooting star, just remember that it's Scott sending you a special message from space.
When everyone else has abandoned you in life, he will be there. Just remember, when you get down on your knees to count your blessings, be sure to Count Bakula.
Published by Bear
Monday, February 25th, 2008
Earlier this month, a Virginia Tech student created a floor lamp that generated light through the power of gravity. The student produced the concept for the lamp, named "Gravia," for a competition led by the Greener Gadgets Conference. Somehow, he only took second place. This is probably due to the fact that his lamp is currently theoretical and works based on the assumption of what future LED innovation will bring.
The inventor estimates that the current design would produce the equivalent of a 40 watt bulb and stay on for four hours at a time. Oh yeah, and the lamp is powered by a two ton falling weight (that you lift). The upside is that the hardware of the lamp is projected to last 200 years if used 24 hours a day every day.
Obviously, due to the technical limitations, we aren't going to see this in Walmart any time soon. However, the foudation has been laid for an intriguing technology based on an unlimited source of energy.
Plus... it looks fuckin cool right? I want one but I'm not sure it offsets the forklift needed to start it.
For millenia mankind has sat and pondered the mysteries of the universe. Today, we close the book on one that has captured our imaginations: Predicting the Future!