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Ig Nobel Prize
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Apr 17, 2006
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The Ig Nobel Prize is a "prize" awarded to people who do research and invent things that "make people laugh and then think". Reading the complete list of past winners is hilarious. #science
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WunderKat
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Apr 10, 2006
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WunderKat, a new method of energy production:The novel approach is based on two common but previously unexploited natural laws. One is a well-known form of Murphy's Law which states that when toast is dropped, it always lands buttered side down. The other law states that when a cat falls, it always lands on its feet. These two laws are set in opposition to each other by attaching a buttered piece of toast to a cat's back, buttered side up. If the cat is then suspended in the air, the two laws cause the cat to perpetually rotate. By building a device to hold the cat and capture this rotating energy, enough force is harnessed to drive an electric generator. (via Neatorama)
Update (2007-04-12 9:29am): I've learned that this is called the Buttered Cat Paradox. #science
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Problems
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Mar 24, 2006
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I've found that it's easier and more beneficial to complain about my problems than to do something about them. For example, I work in an uncomfortably hot environment: It's about 78°F. This is unlike my previous complaint about working in an environment that's entirely too cold (around 66°F). I have a pretty good feeling that if I said anything about the temperature, stupid actions would ensue. Me: It's kind of hot in here.
Dr. Stupid: I'll turn on the air conditioner. The problem with this "solution" is that it's a solution to the symptom. Air conditioning fixes the symptom of it being too hot. But the real solution would be to fix the problem itself. The problem is caused by the heat being on too high on a cold day and there being no way to control a specific room's temperature. So the real solution would be to turn the heat off when the room reaches a certain temperature. I believe there's a magical device that does this by sensing the gravitational pull of Jupiter during high tide and incorporating the molecular weight of uranium-238. It's called a thermostat.
So instead of voicing my concerns to some idiot who won't and/or can't do anything about it, I'll just voice my concerns to the internet: Teacher, mother, secret lover. #science
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World's fastest man
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Feb 7, 2006
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In the 1950s-1960s, a guy named Joseph Kittinger jumped out of high-altitude balloons and set several world records. It was all part of a series of experiments to determine the effects of high altitude and different atmospheric conditions on the human body. His highest jump was from 102,800 feet, where he was in free-fall for almost 5 minutes and reached a speed of 614 mph, making him the fastest human to travel through the atmosphere. (via Digg) #science
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Bellagio fountains
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Feb 2, 2006
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This article from the IEEE geek magazine talks about a guy who designs the fountains for the Bellagio in Las Vegas. His initial task was to double the height of the spray to 160 feet, which causes problems with the FAA because they say it shows up on their radar. How awesome is that? (via Boing Boing). Here's my picture from January, 2005.
 #science
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Silly putty
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Dec 31, 2005
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Silly putty has been in the geek news recently because some Google employees bought 250 lbs of it to see what 250 lbs of silly putty looked like. Now a video popped up showing what happens when you drop a 50-lb ball of it off the roof of a building. Geeks are awesome. #science
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Dinosaurs
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Aug 22, 2005
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I've come to the conclusion that dinosaurs aren't real. I know a bunch of bones have been found and scientists have conclusively proven intricate details concerning size, shape, and character of dinosaurs, but I just don't buy it. Every movie I've watched and every museum exhibit I've seen portrays these animals as big and mean and always roaring. And they're always covered with green scales. What if they were actually orange and blue? And what if some of those scales were actually feathers? Maybe dinosaurs purred or barked. How can anyone possibly know that? I'm just a little skeptical. I have a hard time believing everything scientists prove. What if they're wrong? What if these things we've been learning since we were in 1st grade are all completely wrong, and we're just a product of our politically-driven educational system? Oops, a little rant... #science
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Temperate (5)
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Jul 26, 2005
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I've come to the conclusion that the best temperature anything can ever be is "just under 70". I just walked outside. It was in the mid 90s. It might as well be a million degrees. It felt like my skin was melting. So then I walked inside. It's about 68. That's what I'm talking about.
But during the winter, 68 is a little too cold. Therefore, the ideal year-round temperature is 69 (shut up Jared Simpson). I've noticed that large buildings and companies haven't quite figured out how to keep a comfortable working environment. All winter, it was about 66 degrees in my office/lab. And it's not because they can't afford to heat the place. It's because it's air conditioned down to 66. I can hear the AC running. I asked them to turn it down a bit, and they said, "You have to be careful what you ask for. If we turn it down, it gets unbearably hot, and then you'll be complaining about that." So there you have it. What's dumb about this is the fact that I know how a thermostat works. Most people do. In my experience, there's usually a setting for 65, 70, 75, etc. and everything in between. Wouldn't you think they could change the setting just a little bit so that it reads "69" instead of "66"? I'm no genius. But this seems like a logical thing to me. If I ever find out where they keep this magical temperature device, I'm gonna change everything and save the world! #science
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