Thursday, November 29, 2012

Physics Sex Scandals

"5 Of Physics's Greatest Sex Scandals".

I don't know if one can say whether Schroedinger did or did not cheat on his wife until he was observed. (Via Sam K.)

Turning Escher Drawings into Real 3D Models

"3D Print the Impossible! Turning Escher Drawings into Real 3D Models". (Via Vik Rubenfeld.)

Facebook Plus Wolfram Alpha

"What Facebook and Wolfram Alpha can tell you about yourself"

Win Nobel Prize, Get Free Beer

Alex Knapp: "For Winning The Nobel Prize, Niels Bohr Got A House With Free Beer"

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Awesome Anamorphic Optical Illusions

Awesome Anamorphic Optical Illusions:


From the video description:
I've included the images in this video for you to download and try yourself. Print them on 8.5 X 14. Cut the paper any way you'd like to add more of an effect.

Rubiks - http://i.imgur.com/ffAnX.jpg
Tape - http://i.imgur.com/GUU2b.jpg
Shoe - http://i.imgur.com/J8VNL.jpg

Wireless Network of Cows

"Wireless network of cows to keep burps under control". (Via MR.)

Musk Mars Colony

Ari Armstrong: "SpaceX Founder Musk Envisions Mars Colony: Potential Value is Immense"

Olfactory White

Oldfactory white is the olfactory equivalent of "white noise". (Via Instapundit.)

Monday, November 26, 2012

Self-Filling Water Bottle Skepticism

Some skepticism: "Is it possible to create a self-filling water bottle?"

Munchausen By Internet

"Why Would Someone Want to Fake a Serious Illness on the Internet?"

Related: How to spot "Munchausen by internet"

Extinction-Level Near-Collision in 1883?

Did the Earth nearly have an extinction-level "Deep Impact" collision in 1883?

Dr Seuss Does Malaria

"Dr. Seuss Does Malaria".

WWII-era US government pamphlet illustrated by Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss), explaining malaria precautions to the troops.  Click through to see the rest. (Via Dr. Amesh Adalja.)

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Misplaced Decimal Point Creates Spinach=Strength Myth

The origin of the spinach=strength myth was a misplaced decimal point:
In 1870, German chemist Erich von Wolf analyzed the iron content of green vegetables and accidentally misplaced a decimal point when transcribing data from his notebook. As a result, spinach was reported to contain a tremendous amount of iron -- 35 milligrams per serving, not 3.5 milligrams (the true measured value). While the error was eventually corrected in 1937, the legend of spinach's nutritional power had already taken hold, one reason that studio executives chose it as the source of Popeye's vaunted strength...

Breast Milk Exchange?

No, I did not realize there was a barter market for breast milk. (Via Marginal Revolution.)

Cyberforensics Update

"The Real Cyberforensics Used To Snoop On Petraeus (And You)"

3D Printing and Military Logistics

"3D printing revolution in military logistics".  (Via James Joyner.)

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Monday, November 19, 2012

African Teen Innovator

Self-taught African teen builds own batteries, starts own radio station broadcasting news/music. (Via Maximizing Progress.)

Gene Predicts What Time of Day You Will Die

"Study: A Gene Predicts What Time of Day You Will Die"

This adds new meaning to the phrase, "I'm not a morning person."

The 10% Neuromyth

WSJ: "Using Just 10% of Your Brain? Think Again"

(FWIW, I'm not convinced that the "learning styles" concept is a mere "neuromyth".)

The Earthquake Rose

"When a magnitude 6.8 earthquake shook Olympia, Wash., in 2001, shopowner Jason Ward discovered that a sand-tracing pendulum had recorded the vibrations in the image [below]."  (Via Doug W.)

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Princess Bride Lines On ESPN

Last week on ESPN's "NFL Kickoff", Trey Wingo, Mark Sclereth, and Tedy Bruschi jammed as many Princess Bride references as they could into their half hour show. Hilarious!

Hater's Guide To Williams-Sonoma Catalog

"The Hater's Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog".

(Note: Contains some mildly NSFW language.  Via Kelly V.)

Self-Assembling Polymer Increases Hard Drive Capacity 5X

"Chemists create self-assembling polymer that increases hard drive capacity by 5X"

Modern Day Big Brother

"The Broadwell saga illustrates just how vulnerable our e-mail is to warrantless government snooping"

Thursday, November 08, 2012

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

My Electoral College Prediction

In the interest of intellectual honesty and to close the loop, I'll freely acknowledge: Boy, was I wrong in my EC prediction.

(Basically, I banked on an "enthusiasm edge" for GOP supporters that wasn't there or had evaporated.)

For the record, here was my prediction:




Gas for Sex Trades in NY, NJ

Gasoline price controls in NY and NJ have led to this inevitable secondary market: "13 People Trying To Trade Gas For Sex On Craigslist". (Via Marginal Revolution.)

MS Marketing Genius

Microsoft: Hey, let's release Halo 4 on Election Day! We'll totally dominate the news cycle!

Famous Trials

Famous trials.

Iron Man Exoskeletons?

"Will we ever have Iron Man exoskeletons?"

Monday, November 05, 2012

Abacus Championships

"World's fastest number game wows spectators and scientists"

I was especially impressed by the "Flash Anzan" (imaginary abacus) competition:
...[I]t requires contestants to use the mental image of an abacus. Since when you get very good at the abacus it is possible to calculate simply by imagining one. In Flash Anzan, 15 numbers are flashed consecutively on a giant screen. Each number is between 100 and 999. The challenge is to add them up. Simple, right? Except the numbers are flashed so fast you can barely read them.

Is Scotch The New Wine?

"Liquid Assets: Is Scotch The New Wine?"

Behind the Scenes at NASA's Mission Control

"Going boldly: Behind the scenes at NASA's hallowed Mission Control Center". (Via Howard R.)

Robot vs. Human Race Car Driving

"Human 'Only Just' Edges Out Robot Car On The Racetrack". (Via Marginal Revolution.)

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Kids Are Smart

"Ethiopian kids hack OLPCs in 5 months with zero instruction"

Related from MIT Technology Review: "Given Tablets but No Teachers, Ethiopian Children Teach Themselves"

British Invasions

"British have invaded nine out of ten countries - so look out Luxembourg"

The article notes, "Britain has invaded all but 22 countries in the world in its long and colourful history".

My favorite quote:
The only other nation which has achieved anything approaching the British total, Mr Laycock said, is France -- which also holds the unfortunate record for having endured the most British invasions...

How Cork is Made

"How cork is made: An illustrated guide to the cork production process". (Via Gus Van Horn.)

Shatner Talks Shatoetry, Star Trek and Apple

Yes, there's now an Apple iTunes app that lets you create sentences using William Shatner's voice (e.g., for voicemail messages, poetry, etc.)

Android version coming soon.

Saturday, November 03, 2012

Brendan Loy Electoral College Contest

BTW, you can still enter Brendan Loy's Electoral College Contest.

Here's my prediction.  (Like with any good NCAA basketball pool, I predicted a few unlikely upsets, which by definition go against the conventional wisdom).