Thursday, September 30, 2010
How do real dogs treat cyber-dogs?
Results were mixed, depending on a number of factors, including the age of the real dog and the social situation in which the interactions occurred. There were, however, very strong responses from dogs in scenarios in which they felt that the AIBO might be about to indulge in some cyber food-pilfering.The link also includes a short video. (Via Marginal Revolution.)
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
How a "light echo" can make it seem as if an explosion were moving faster than the speed of light. (Via BBspot.)
Sunday, September 26, 2010
If aliens land, obscure Malaysian astrophysicist Mazlan Othman will be the UN's designated "first contact" person.
Further thoughts by Kenneth Anderson.
Further thoughts by Kenneth Anderson.
Which jobs are associate with low vs. high divorce rates? The answers may surprise you:
OK, here the ten jobs with the highest relative divorce rates: massage therapists, bartenders, dancers and choreographers, health diagnosing and treating practitioners (all other), physicians and surgeons, gaming services workers, mathematicians, fish and game wardens, pile-driver operators, and first-line supervisor of gaming workers.(Via Marginal Revolution.)
Here are the ten jobs with the lowest relative divorce rates: religious workers (all other), audiologists, first-line enlisted military supervisors/managers, shuttle car operators, optometrists, clergy, transit and railroad police, religious activities and education directors, agricultural engineers, and media and communication equipment workers (all other).
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Heck with the human genome, scientists have sequenced the chocolate genome.
(The Homer Simpson picture is completely apropos.)
(The Homer Simpson picture is completely apropos.)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
"Steve Jobs In Email Pissing Match with College Journalism Student".
(I don't think either of them comes off especially well, but I do have a more sympathy for Jobs.)
(I don't think either of them comes off especially well, but I do have a more sympathy for Jobs.)
"To tame traffic, go with the flow: Lights should respond to cars, a study concludes, not the other way around"
Thursday, September 16, 2010
"The Ultimate Field Guide to Subatomic Particles"
(Plus, I think it's super-cool that I get to use friggin' antimatter at work, when reading PET-CT scans.)
(Plus, I think it's super-cool that I get to use friggin' antimatter at work, when reading PET-CT scans.)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Most popular SSH usernames and passwords.
Many of the passwords are pathetically weak! (Via @shlevy.)
Many of the passwords are pathetically weak! (Via @shlevy.)
Off-topic: The September 14, 2010 edition of PajamasMedia has published my latest OpEd, "Get Ready For Your Health Care 'Re-Education'".
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Tweet of the day from @TylerCowen:
If you want to find out whether Google is making you stupider, where is the best place to start looking? You guessed it: Google.
"If hindsight bias and confirmation bias had a baby, it would be the Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy."
(Via @internetcases.)
(Via @internetcases.)
Monday, September 13, 2010
The NYT has a 7-part "Guide to NFL Defenses".
(The link goes to Part 1. The other 6 parts can be found at their Fifth Down Blog.)
(The link goes to Part 1. The other 6 parts can be found at their Fifth Down Blog.)
Sunday, September 12, 2010
"Crowdsourcing peer review: A claimed proof that P≠NP spurs a massive collaborative research effort"
"The strange case of solar flares and radioactive elements".
Is this evidence for a new "mystery particle"?
Is this evidence for a new "mystery particle"?
Are you ready for a world without antibiotics?
Antibiotics are a bedrock of modern medicine. But in the very near future, we're going to have to learn to live without them once again. And it's going to get nasty...
Thursday, September 09, 2010
"10 Tips on How to Write Less Badly".
Great advice from Professor Michael Munger of Duke University. (Via GusVanHorn.)
Great advice from Professor Michael Munger of Duke University. (Via GusVanHorn.)
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
The highest-paid athlete of all time (after adjusting for inflation) was Roman charioteer Gaius Appuleius Diocles. His lifetime winnings was the equivalent of $15 billion on today's money.
(Via Kottke.)
(Via Kottke.)
Monday, September 06, 2010
Now this is an action scene!
(Via BBspot, who notes "They just don't make movies like this any more.")
(Via BBspot, who notes "They just don't make movies like this any more.")
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Saturday, September 04, 2010
NYT: "The Many Iterations of William Shatner".
Used to love those Priceline commercials! (Via @chasrmartin.)
Used to love those Priceline commercials! (Via @chasrmartin.)
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Video of the day: "Asteroid Discovery From 1980 - 2010"
From the website:
From the website:
View of the solar system showing the locations of all the asteroids starting in 1980, as asteroids are discovered they are added to the map and highlighted white so you can pick out the new ones.(Via Cool Infographics.)
The final colour of an asteroids indicates how closely it comes to the inner solar system.
Earth Crossers are Red
Earth Approachers (Perihelion less than 1.3AU) are Yellow
All Others are Green
Notice now the pattern of discovery follows the Earth around its orbit, most discoveries are made in the region directly opposite the Sun. You’ll also notice some clusters of discoveries on the line between Earth and Jupiter, these are the result of surveys looking for Jovian moons. Similar clusters of discoveries can be tied to the other outer planets, but those are not visible in this video.
As the video moves into the mid 1990’s we see much higher discovery rates as automated sky scanning systems come online. Most of the surveys are imaging the sky directly opposite the sun and you’ll see a region of high discovery rates aligned in this manner.
At the beginning of 2010 a new discovery pattern becomes evident, with discovery zones in a line perpendicular to the Sun-Earth vector. These new observations are the result of the WISE (Widefield Infrared Survey Explorer) which is a space mission that’s tasked with imaging the entire sky in infrared wavelengths.
Currently we have observed over half a million minor planets, and the discovery rates show no sign that we’re running out of undiscovered objects.
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