Terahertz Wifi

"Researchers in Japan have smashed the record for wireless data transmission in the terahertz band, an uncharted part of the electro-magnetic spectrum. The data rate is 20 times higher than the best commonly used wi-fi standard."

Life Imitates Simpsons At All-You-Can-Eat Fish Fry

Real life: "Man protests restaurant after Friday fish fry runs out"

 

Classic segment from The Simpsons: "'Tis no man, 'tis a remorseless eating machine -- arrgh!..."  (Click through to watch video.)

The Physics Of Not Spilling Coffee

The physics of walking with a coffee cup without spilling. (Via @debbywitt.)

Designing An Antimatter Engine

Ohio scientists design an improved antimatter propulsion engine.

(Now all we need is some antimatter!)

Blogger Confronts Newspaper Editor Who Plagariazed His Work

Blogger confronts newspaper editor who plagiarized his work.  And leaves with a $500 check.

Here's the video:



Go Duane!  (Via PJMedia.)

Touché Enhanced Touch Interaction

Touché: Enhancing Touch Interaction. (Via Howard Roerig.)

Physicists: QM Wavefunctions Are Real

"Quantum Theorists State That Wavefunctions Are Real States Not Just Statistical Tools"

HP Clone Calculators

This small Swiss company make credit card-sized clones of HP calculators (Voyager series).

Here's a video of their production samples:



I'd be very keen on one of their HP-15c clones!  (Via Jeremy S.)

[Off topic] Who Should Control Your Healthcare Spending?

[Off-topic]: The Forbes website has published my latest health policy OpEd, "Just Who Should Control Your Healthcare Spending?"

(Theme: What simple health care reform has reduced medical costs by up to 30%, while preserving quality of care?)

Other Moore's Laws

The Other Moore's Laws (click on image to see full size):

Van Halen and the Brown M&Ms

David Lee Roth tells the back story behind the Van Halen legendary Brown M&M Ban. (Via Kelly V.)

Creative Dad Takes Crazy Photos Of Daughters

"Creative Dad Takes Crazy Photos Of Daughters"

Upcoming Venus Transit

Information about the Venus Transit, occurring June 6, 2012.

Excerpt:

On June 6th Venus will transit the sun as seen from earth. The last transit was in 2004. But the next transit after this one is in 2117--no, that's not a typo. Venus transits of the sun are rare--they are among the rarest predictable events in astronomy--and past transits were very important to the history of science.

This page explains what they are, why they are rare, why they show up in pairs eight years apart, but with the time between pairs being over a century, and why they are so important in the history of science. For instance, we would not know how far away stars are if we had not observed Venus transits in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Bubbles in Microgravity

"The Trippy Physics of Bubbles in Microgravity".

Click through to watch the video.

Epic Time-Lapse Map of Europe

Well-done animated map of Europe from 1000 AD until 2005 showing shifting borders, alliances, unions, territories, occupied land, etc.:

What's The Secret to Amazing Naps?

"What's the secret to amazing naps?"

Language and Gestures

Interesting essay discussion language and gestures: "Body Language"

Interview With A Safecracker

Fascinating interview with a (legal) safecracker.

One excerpt:

Q: How realistic are movies that show people breaking into vaults?

A: Not very! In the movies it takes five minutes of razzle-dazzle; in real life it’s usually at least a couple of hours of precision work for an easy, lost combination lockout.

Most vault lockouts are caused by malfunctions. A bank employee over-winds the time lock, a technician makes a mistake servicing the vault, or there was no maintenance because the bank has initiated yet another round of cost cutting.

Another 10-20% of my income comes from law enforcement searches and seizures or estate, aka “dead relative” openings. They hire me and I drill it open, but these are not situations where I like to hang around too long.

Q: Do you ever look inside?

A: I NEVER look. It’s none of my business. Involving yourself in people’s private affairs can lead to being subpoenaed in a lawsuit or criminal trial. Besides, I’d prefer not knowing about a client’s drug stash, personal porn, or belly button lint collection...

(Via Marginal Revolution.)

Meta-Meta-Government Study

"This Is Not a Joke: Government Issues Study of a Study About Studies"

Outdated Icons

"The Floppy Disk means Save, and 14 other old people Icons that don't make sense anymore"

Why Computers Still Can't Translate Languages Automatically

"Why Computers Still Can't Translate Languages Automatically".

Short answer: Because computers still don't understand meaning.

Tom Wilson's Biff FAQ

"Tom Wilson (AKA Biff from Back to the Future) carries around an FAQ".

It's quite witty.

Invisibility Cloak Update

"Silicon Nanospheres Could Be Building Blocks Of Optical Invisibility Cloaks"

You Can Get Your Face Frozen In Carbonite Now

"You Can Get Your Face Frozen In Carbonite Now".

Price = $100 at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Young Orangutans Love iPads

"Orangutans At Miami Zoo Use iPads To Communicate":

The 8-year-old twins love their iPad. They draw, play games and expand their vocabulary. Their family’s teenagers also like the hand-held computer tablets, too, but the clan's elders show no interest.

The orangutans at Miami’s Jungle Island apparently are just like people when it comes to technology. The park is one of several zoos experimenting with computers and apes, letting its six orangutans use an iPad to communicate and as part of a mental stimulus program...

Our young ones pick up on it. They understand it. It's like, 'Oh I get this,'" [Miami Zoo staff Linda] Jacobs said. "Our two older ones, they just are not interested. I think they just figure, 'I've gotten along just fine in this world without this communication-skill here and the iPad, and I don't need a computer.'"

(Via Tyler Cowen.)

Bowling Alleys in Churches are Disappearing Fast

"Bowling alleys in churches are disappearing fast".

Real-Life USS Enterprise

This guy wants to build a real-life USS Enterprise over the next 20 years, capable of traveling from Earth to Mars within 90 days.

Of course, this would utilize conventional propulsion technology, not any kind of faster-than-light drive. As Rand Simberg notes, "Well, you can't say that this guy isn't ambitious."

Dinner Cooked By Active Volcano

This restaurant in the Canary Islands cooks your meal with an active volcano.

The Old Man From Pixar's UP

"The old man from Pixar's UP is real!"

Funny YouTube Comments

"25 YouTube Comments That Are Actually Funny".

How Much Water Does The Earth Have?

"If you collected all of Earth's water into a sphere, how big would it be?"

Short answer: Surprisingly small.

Radio-Controlled Genes

Radio-Controlled Genes

The Economics of Being Kidnapped By Pirates

Gabriel Rossman: "Kidnapped by Pirates at Sea? Here's How Economics Can Save You".

Of course, when this kind of force is involved, there is no true "market", but there are game-theoretic considerations. I must admit to liking Julius Caesar's ultimate solution (at the end of the article).  

Update: The correct author is Gabriel Rossman (guest-blogging for Megan McArdle in her absence). Sorry about that, Dr. Rossman!

Crowdsourcing Pathology With Videogames

Crowdsourcing pathology with videogames