Category: Science

Geek Month in Review: February 2014

by Administrator, posted in Geek Stuff, Guest Authors, Science

More ice and snow…

How Was the Expedition?
Found in the antarctic hut of explorer Captain Scott, left there over 100 years ago, was a clump of cellulose nitrate negatives Shackleton took of his expedition. See the developed pictures!

Blue-light Zombies
The City of Los Angeles is changing their sodium streetlights for LED ones — huge savings on energy, right? Well, yes, but it will seriously mess with filmmakers doing street shots in LA — the LED lights are heavily blue-tinted, as opposed to the amber of the sodium lights.
Then there’s the possible effect of LED lights on sleep and attention-span, leading to insomniacs wandering the streets.

Lighter Than Water, Stronger Than Steel
Welcome to the new age of material science, brought to you by Science! and 3D printing. Oh, and lasers.

Not This Earth
Here’s a roundup of “the most unusual alternate history novels ever written”, or in other words, here’s a list of popular alternate Earth novels.

Storm Photos That Make You Want to Run for the Basement
Crazy great photos, obviously taken in the midwest, of some storms as they really start to get going.

Vertigo-Inducing Photos of the Crumbling Remnants of the Soviet Union
See some crazy (CRAZY) urban explorers as they go that extra mile to climb to perilous heights on old industrial USSR stuff, and take photos of it all. Pretty breathtaking. Also some pretty awesome shots from underground parts, too. Warning: if you get vertigo easily, hold onto your chair.

Super-Geek Shroud
Hand-stitched portrayal of all 6 episodes (however much we might wish it to be only 3) of the Star Wars saga on a shroud, now selling for $20,000 to a gallery in LA.

Buildings That Might Have Been
Take a look at this article and then imagine if some of these buildings had actually been built. We could have visited the giant wall-like building in Chicago, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, clad in plates of etched copper. Or visited the observation deck on the mile-high skyscraper The Illinois (another Wright project). Or seen the hollow pyramid-buildings, sheltering gardens and expressways. There’s even a Civic Center that combined all transportation into one place: trains, cars, and even airplanes, landing on the top level.

Joker Armor
And no, not that modern junk — Medieval Joker armor. You have to see it to believe it. Creepy as heck.

7th Grader Builds Braille Printer With LEGOs
Kid uses $350 worth of LEGOSs to build a printer that does Braille, and what the hell was I doing in 7th grade? Reading, I think. Maybe a video game or two. Holy crap.

Voynich Manuscript Decoded??
One of the most mysterious and baffling manuscripts ever penned may have begun to be deciphered. The Voynich manuscript has tantalized scholars for centuries. If the professor in question has actually got a handle on the document, it will be huge.
Check out the Wikipedia article on it for the skinny on what the Voynich Manuscript is.

How Big?
Want to see a quick discussion of how big the universe is? It’s like an animated bit of Cosmos. Then they start talking about the multiverse, parallels worlds with different laws of physics, and it all just combines to make your head explode. But in a fun way.

About John:
John’s a geek from way back. He’s been floating between various computer-related jobs for years, until he settled into doing tech support in higher ed. Now he rules the Macs on campus with an iron hand (really, it’s on his desk).

Geek Credentials:
RPG: Blue box D&D, lead minis, been to GenCon in Milwaukee.
Computer: TRS-80 Color Computer, Amiga 1000, UNIX system w/reel-to-reel backup tape
Card games: bought Magic cards at GenCon in 1993
Science: Met Phil Plait, got time on a mainframe for astronomy project in 1983
His Blog:http://www.glenandtyler.com/

Misconceptions of Science and Religion Found in New Study

by Administrator, posted in Religion, Science

David Ruth
612-702-9473
david@rice.edu

HOUSTON – (Feb. 16, 2014) – The public’s view that science and religion can’t work in collaboration is a misconception that stunts progress, according to a new survey of more than 10,000 Americans, scientists and evangelical Protestants. The study by Rice University also found that scientists and the general public are surprisingly similar in their religious practices.

The study, “Religious Understandings of Science (RUS),” was conducted by sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklundand presented on February 16th in Chicago during the annual American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference. Ecklund is the Autrey Professor of Sociology and director of Rice’s Religion and Public Life Program.

“We found that nearly 50 percent of evangelicals believe that science and religion can work together and support one another,” Ecklund said. “That’s in contrast to the fact that only 38 percent of Americans feel that science and religion can work in collaboration.”

The study also found that 18 percent of scientists attended weekly religious services, compared with 20 percent of the general U.S. population; 15 percent consider themselves very religious (versus 19 percent of the general U.S. population); 13.5 percent read religious texts weekly (compared with 17 percent of the U.S. population); and 19 percent pray several times a day (versus 26 percent of the U.S. population).
“This is a hopeful message for science policymakers and educators, because the two groups don’t have to approach religion with an attitude of combat,” Ecklund said. “Rather, they should approach it with collaboration in mind.”

Ecklund said that the way the science-religion relationship is portrayed in the news media influences the misperception.

“Most of what you see in the news are stories about these two groups at odds over the controversial issues, like teaching creationism in the schools. And the pundits and news panelists are likely the most strident representatives for each group,” she said. “It might not be as riveting for television, but consider how often you see a news story about these groups doing things for their common good. There is enormous stereotyping about this issue and not very good information.”

Ecklund noted that portions of the two groups are likely to stay put in their oppositional camps. As an example, she found that evangelical Protestants are twice as likely as the general population (11 percent) to consult a religious text or religious leader for questions about science.

Other key findings:

• Nearly 60 percent of evangelical Protestants and 38 percent of all surveyed believe “scientists should be open to considering miracles in their theories or explanations.”
• 27 percent of Americans feel that science and religion are in conflict.
• Of those who feel science and religion are in conflict, 52 percent sided with religion.
• 48 percent of evangelicals believe that science and religion can work in collaboration.
• 22 percent of scientists think most religious people are hostile to science.
• Nearly 20 percent of the general population think religious people are hostile to science.
• Nearly 22 percent of the general population think scientists are hostile to religion.
• Nearly 36 percent of scientists have no doubt about God’s existence.

Ecklund found another counterintuitive result in the survey. The conventional wisdom is that religious people who work in science will have more doubts about their faith, but the survey revealed the opposite: Evangelical scientists practice religion more than evangelical Protestants in the general population.

“Those scientists who identify as evangelical are more religious than regular American evangelicals who are not in science,” Ecklund said.

“Evangelical scientists feel that they’ve been put under pressure or they find themselves in what they view to be more hostile environments,” she said. “They potentially see themselves as more religious, because they’re seeing the contrast between the two groups all the time.”

RUS is the largest study of American views on religion and science. It includes the nationally representative survey of more than 10,000 Americans, more than 300 in-depth interviews with Christians, Jews and Muslims — more than 140 of whom are evangelicals — and extensive observations of religious centers in Houston and Chicago.

The study is being provided to the AAAS Dialogue on Science Ethics and Religion program to help foster dialogue between religious groups and scientists.

The study was supported by the John Templeton Foundation.

Photo courtesy: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University

World Sword Swallowing Day

by Administrator, posted in Events, Organizations, Science

Did you know that this Saturday is World Sword Swallowing Day? I didn’t until someone submitted this fun video to us.

Now that video is all well and good, but let’s take a brief look at some surprising reality about sword swallowing. In reviewing the press release about this year’s World Sword Swallowing Day I learned a lot. For instance, Sword Swallowers Association International President Dan Meyer states, “We established World Sword Swallower’s Day to promote this ancient art still carried on by a few dozen surviving performers — to raise awareness of the medical contributions sword swallowers have made in the fields of medicine and science, to honor veteran performers, and to raise funds for esophageal cancer research and the Injured Sword Swallower’s Relief Fund.”

Medical contributions? That’s right. I learned from further reading the release that in 1868 a sword swallower was used by Dr. Adolf Kussmaul in Freiburg Germany to develop the first rigid endoscopy. In 1906 a sword swallower underwent the first esophageal electrocardiogram in Wales. In the 1930’s sword swallower Delno Fritz died of pneumonia while testing a bronchialscope for doctors in Pennsylvania as a result of a screw that came loose and lodged in his lung.

To learn more about World Sword Swallowing Day, visit the Sword Swallowers Association International website! Until then, let’s check out a previous participant!

Geek Month in Review: January 2014

by Administrator, posted in Geek Stuff, Guest Authors, Science

By JB Sanders

Ice and snow…

Isaac Asimov Predicts 2014
Interesting set of snippets of things Asimov thought would be happening in 2014, and he gets a LOT of things right. Holy crap!

Ghost Stations of the London Underground
Ever wanted a map of all the disused, but still largely intact, subway stations of the London metro system? Here ya go.

Epilepsy Drug Might Help Adults Learn Languages
It’s designed to help folks with varying degrees of epilepsy, but valproate might help adults learn languages like they were a kid again. It enhances, or re-instates, neuro-plasticity.

Famous ‘80s Movie Posters as Stained Glass
Seriously, you really get a better appreciation for the movie after seeing the poster in stained glass. Which movie? Say, RoboCop. Or Blade Runner.

Geekiest Remodel Ever?
See what you can do with $30,000 and a dream. Woman converts her house into an original Star Trek tribute, with pretty great success.

Glow-in-the-Dark Sidewalks
It’s a technology called Starpath, and it’s a spray-on application that’s non-slip, waterproof, and non-reflective. Plus it’s environmentally friendly!

Ready-to-Use Supervillain Lairs
Yeah, I posted about this before, but this is an updated and cooler list. It’s got a 1970’s German Cold War bunker, with a hip interior, and a volcano house.

Follow-up: Derelict Ship Upgraded to Ghost Ship
Remember that cruise ship left to drift the Atlantic I mentioned back in February of 2013? No? Well, there’s a ship out there that’s been adrift now for almost a full year. Doesn’t get much better than a derelict cruise ship overrun by cannibal rats, right?

Firing a Gun Underwater: In Super-Slow Motion
Always a good time with the SloMo guys. This time, see a gun fired underwater.

What if Star Wars was set in the Old West?
Yeah, you read that right. Not Han Solo, but Hank Solomon, gun runner and smuggler. There are 3D models to gawk at, too.

Or Noir Wars? Or SteamPunk Wars? Or … just go look at the artist’s website

Boeing 777 Airliner Recreated in Paper
So this art student wants to create a model airplane out of paper. Cool, you say. Well, hold your flying horses, because he does it entirely out of manilla envelopes, and he recreates not only the exterior of the plane, but also the interior — including seats, doors, etc. And the doors WORK! Watch them in action.

Build With Virtual LEGOs on the Web
For those of you who don’t have time to play with real LEGOs, try out this virtual ones.

About John:
John’s a geek from way back. He’s been floating between various computer-related jobs for years, until he settled into doing tech support in higher ed. Now he rules the Macs on campus with an iron hand (really, it’s on his desk).

Geek Credentials:
RPG: Blue box D&D, lead minis, been to GenCon in Milwaukee.
Computer: TRS-80 Color Computer, Amiga 1000, UNIX system w/reel-to-reel backup tape
Card games: bought Magic cards at GenCon in 1993
Science: Met Phil Plait, got time on a mainframe for astronomy project in 1983
His Blog: http://glenandtyler.blogspot.com

Geek Month in Review: December 2013

by Administrator, posted in Geek Stuff, Guest Authors, Science

By JB Sanders

Snow!

Real Warp Drive
No, I’m not kidding. They’re working on it at NASA. It doesn’t break Einstein’s law of relativity, either.

One Drone to Rule Them All
This clever hacker has come up with a drone that seeks out other drones, hacks them mid-air, and then adds them to your robot army. Your flying robot army, obviously.

Oldest Human DNA Found: 400,000 Years Old
Yup, you read that number right. Some remains found in a Spanish cave gave up DNA, and it has some interesting thing to say. For one thing, it’s not Neanderthal, but a sister race much closer to the Denisovans (who were around about the same time). Who knows what else the DNA will give up?

Old Master’s Using Cameras to Paint?
So Johannes Vermeer is a Dutch painter who mastered a photo-realistic painting technique that was pretty amazing for 1653, and for a guy 21 years old. Did he secretly use a Camera Obscura to paint his masterpieces (now hanging in major museums)? Long article talking about the puzzle, and the documentary unraveling it by Penn & Teller.

An Object Impossible to Make, OK to Print
So these guys decided to create an object that could ONLY be created using a 3D printer, and they wanted to make it as complex as possible. Take a look at the video showing the sphere created entirely with interacting gears.

Mystery Object Blocks Tunnel Boring Machine
From the Writes Its Own Scifi Movie Department, we have some unidentified object blocking a tunnel boring machine under Seattle. This is a machine capable of breaking up boulders, mind you, so it’s a bit of a mystery as to what could be stopping it. Speculate away!

Modern-Day Castle, On Sale
Pretty nice little pad: it’s own footbridge at the entrance, crenelations, a jacuzzi, fireplaces, and a forest setting. What more could you ask for?

Where to Find a Lethal Dose of Neutrinos
Hint: not anywhere in this solar system. The creator of xkcd, the webcomic, takes a little time out of his busy humor schedule to answer random questions, the latest of which is “how close to a supernova would you have to be to get a lethal dose of neutrinos”? Fun science problem!

Star Wars Holiday Decorations — DIY
Want some nice cut-out snowflakes to hang up in your window, but you’re doing a Star Wars themed Christmas scheme? No worries! Here are instructions on creating those paper snowflakes with Yoda, Empire symbols, what have you.

Classic Computer Games of the 70s and 80s for Free!
The Internet Archive has rigged up a virtual-through-the-web system for playing classic video games of the 1970s and 1980s, including stuff from Atari 2600, Colecovision, and Magnavox Odyssey. Enjoy!

About John:
John’s a geek from way back. He’s been floating between various computer-related jobs for years, until he settled into doing tech support in higher ed. Now he rules the Macs on campus with an iron hand (really, it’s on his desk).

Geek Credentials:
RPG: Blue box D&D, lead minis, been to GenCon in Milwaukee.
Computer: TRS-80 Color Computer, Amiga 1000, UNIX system w/reel-to-reel backup tape
Card games: bought Magic cards at GenCon in 1993
Science: Met Phil Plait, got time on a mainframe for astronomy project in 1983
His Blog: http://glenandtyler.blogspot.com

Geek Month in Review: November 2013

by Administrator, posted in Geek Stuff, Guest Authors, Science, Television

by JB Sanders

On to Turkey Day!

Castle for Sale — Cheap!
At only $179,000, I mean cheap. Nestled in the Helderberg mountains of New York State, this little artistic ruin is a perfect get-away retreat.

Tiny Robots
Here’s a company making modular robot parts you fit together to create any robot you can imagine. And have a module for. Check out the video, it’s pretty cool.

Interactive 3D Interface
Behold another glimpse of the future — or a really odd off-shoot that never goes anywhere. Tough to say sometimes. Scientists at MIT’s Media Lab have developed a primitive interface for interacting with digital objects in 3D — not holograms, actual physical moving objects. Watch the video.

Elon Musk’s Hyperloop Supertrain
New York to Montreal in 35 minutes? Yes, please.

Dr Who at 50
The show started 50 years ago, and is still going, making it the longest-running SciFi show on Earth television. Here’s a nice retrospective of the show, focusing on the TARDIS, from the BBC.

Real Photos, or Miniatures with Perspective?
Take some very cool model cars, add some fake terrain, and then get the perspective JUST right in front of some real buildings: what do you have? Some amazing photos.

Not the Most Ideal Writing Situation
Still, the data collected should be interesting. A Dutch writer is donning a cap full of electrodes every time he sits down to write his latest novel. Scientists plan on pouring over the data collected this way, and then doing the same thing to 50 readers as they peruse the novel. What will they find?

Thousand-Year-Old Forest Discovered Under Glacier
In Alaska, scientists have uncovered a forest that last saw the light a thousand years ago.

Full-Scale Millenium Falcon Built for Star Wars VII
What do you call that? It’s not a model — maybe a “replica”? Anyway, JJ Abrams had it built (so the rumor goes) for filming. It’s a 1:1 scale set.

Abandoned Sites Ready-Made for Your Villainous Lair
Yeah, ok, it’s another Cracked article, but it’s so, so much fun! Villainous HQs nearly ready for move-in. Just need to add that laser fence.

Amazon Brings the SciFi
Want that really cool new smart-phone? Don’t want to wait for it? Order it with Prime Air shipping, and watch the helicopter drone drop it off in 30 minutes. Think I’m talking about some futuristic science fiction world where electronics, books or any other smallish item can be delivered in the same time the pizza delivery ninjas can get you a hot pizza? Nope. Amazon is really actually working on delivery drones, and a promised 30 minute delivery time. Watch the video.

About John:
John’s a geek from way back. He’s been floating between various computer-related jobs for years, until he settled into doing tech support in higher ed. Now he rules the Macs on campus with an iron hand (really, it’s on his desk).

Geek Credentials:
RPG: Blue box D&D, lead minis, been to GenCon in Milwaukee.
Computer: TRS-80 Color Computer, Amiga 1000, UNIX system w/reel-to-reel backup tape
Card games: bought Magic cards at GenCon in 1993
Science: Met Phil Plait, got time on a mainframe for astronomy project in 1983
His Blog: http://glenandtyler.blogspot.com

Geek Month in Review: October 2013

by Administrator, posted in Geek Stuff, Guest Authors, Science, Television

By JB Sanders

Fall is here.

Fun Victorian Phrases
For those linguistic geeks among us, here’s a review of a Victorian slang dictionary. It brings such fun phrases as “suitable for electioneering purposes” (referring to an egg that’s gone bad, for “the exercise of projecting them at antagonistic candidates”), or “bags o’ mystery”, referring to sausages.

20 Trivia Bits On the X-Files
So, to make some of us feel old, the TV show The X-Files premiered 20 years ago. In honor of that, some random trivia bits about the show and its creators.

Every First Edition of the James Bond Novels
Ian Fleming’s seminal novels all in one virtual place. In full color, with original covers. Pretty nifty.

Cube Robots
Ignore the stupid headline — while they are “self-assembling”, it’s only in that the cubes can be told to arrange themselves together in groups, not actually build new robo-cubes. Still, they’re pretty neat.

Fearsome Galloping Robot
When the robot wars come, this will have been your preview. Or at some point we’ll get mechanical, robotic horse-racing. Either way.

Printing a Satellite
Times were, you had to build those communications (or spy) satellites by hand, took years, and cost millions. Nowadays, we’re aiming to just print those suckers whole cloth.

Why the Number 1729 Matters — Futurama!
Apparently Futurama has mathematicians on their writing staff, and as you probably already know, the slip sly (and not so sly) math references into every episode.

For the full rundown on math in Futurama

What a Strange Place Memory Is
Read about the man who stopped being able to make new memories. He could recall his past, up to a point, but everything after that stopped happening for him. Tragic, but also one of the foundation rocks of our understanding of the brain and how memory works.

Remember the Game Myst?
Yeah, or Riven? The same creators are back and the screenshots are crazy. This time, they’re using kickstarted to fund the project, instead of finding a traditional publisher. Check it out.

Aliens in 2001: A Space Odyssey
Yup, we almost had actual, walking-around aliens in the movie, until Carl Sagan talked Kubrick and Clark out of it.

NASA’s Pumpkin-Carving Contest
Yup, rocket scientists carving pumpkins. You know this is gonna be good. Yes, there’s a video.

About John:
John’s a geek from way back. He’s been floating between various computer-related jobs for years, until he settled into doing tech support in higher ed. Now he rules the Macs on campus with an iron hand (really, it’s on his desk).

Geek Credentials:
RPG: Blue box D&D, lead minis, been to GenCon in Milwaukee.
Computer: TRS-80 Color Computer, Amiga 1000, UNIX system w/reel-to-reel backup tape
Card games: bought Magic cards at GenCon in 1993
Science: Met Phil Plait, got time on a mainframe for astronomy project in 1983
His Blog: http://glenandtyler.blogspot.com

Geek Month in Review: August 2013

by Administrator, posted in Geek Stuff, Guest Authors, Science

By JB Sanders

Isn’t it supposed to be mega-hot?

Ancient Underground Structures
Come for the bunkers built 2,800 years ago, stay for the sexist architecture.

What You Got There is a Category 5 Language. Yup.
The Foreign Service Institute (whatever the heck that is) has developed a list of languages, and rated them in how difficult they are for an English speaker to learn.

Toilet Tech Vulnerability
Because, really, you want the technology in your toilet to have a “vulnerability”. Maybe we should just skip having “technology” as part of your toilet in the first place. I just can’t stop snorting at this story.

Famous Guns
From all sorts of things: James Bond’s silenced pistol, Dr. Morbius’ ray gun (Forbidden Planet), a Star Trek old series phaser, and the list goes on.

Mars Rover, Huh? What’s the Blue Book On That?
Seriously, here’s an article discussing how to calculate the current “blue book” value of the Mars Rover. It has had a little wear-and-tear.

Bus Charges While It Drives
Build a special roadway, put the right equipment in your bus, and it never has to stop to charge. Pretty neat.

500 New Fairy Tales
Unearthed in an archive in Germany, 500 tales unheard for over 150 years. This feels like a Fables major story line.

Lighting a Million Homes
Guy invents an extremely easy and cheap way to spread light inside homes during the day. And millions of people use the idea.

New York City’s Secret Subway Station
Ok, more like abandoned but still amazingly cool looking. As a bonus, graffiti artists have discovered it and put up some impressive murals.

Timeline of Slang for Your Naughty Bits
Ever wonder how various adult slang developed over time and what people were using to swear in 1910? Wonder no more! Tip: be sure to click the – sign a few times to get a better overview, and slide to the right. (Link is to the Lady Bits version, but there’s also a Men’s Bits page, too.)

How Big is Wikipedia?
If you printed all the articles in Wikipedia (English), how many encyclopedia volumes would that make? About 2000. There’s a live-updating page to calculate it.

About John:
John’s a geek from way back. He’s been floating between various computer-related jobs for years, until he settled into doing tech support in higher ed. Now he rules the Macs on campus with an iron hand (really, it’s on his desk).

Geek Credentials:
RPG: Blue box D&D, lead minis, been to GenCon in Milwaukee.
Computer: TRS-80 Color Computer, Amiga 1000, UNIX system w/reel-to-reel backup tape
Card games: bought Magic cards at GenCon in 1993
Science: Met Phil Plait, got time on a mainframe for astronomy project in 1983
His Blog: http://glenandtyler.blogspot.com

Geek Month in Review: July 2013

by Administrator, posted in Food/Drink, Geek Stuff, Guest Authors, Science, Television

By JB Sanders

Scorching July…

Weird Things in Urban Environments
What weird things, I hear you ask? There’s the over 500 dogs living in the Moscow subway system, or the City Below Kansas City (businesses and storage, mostly) in the old limestone mines, or Thames Town, which is a completely artificial English town just outside Shanghai. Plenty of urban weird to go around. How about the town in Pennsylvania that has been on fire since 1962, and will probably keep burning for another 250 years? Or the abandoned island city of Gunkanjima? It looks a lot like that dream city from Inception, actually.

The Right Way to Rehabilitate a Quarry
Those folks in China sure know how to revitalize an abandoned quarry: build a nearly billion-dollar hotel/resort inside it. With a 100m waterfall visible from all the rooms. Extra bonus points: looks like a James Bond villain’s lair

That’s Not a Train Set, This is a Train Set
Ever wonder what the greatest model train setup in the world would look like? Think you’ve already seen it? Nope.

Sci-Fi Cooking
First episode of this YouTube series? Cooking Klingon Gagh and Blood Wine.

Robot Spider, Check
So this company has a robot spider for sale, or you can order the plans to print it from your handy 3D printer. It comes with an eye camera in the thorax. That’s not creepy at all, right?

Magnetic Levitation & Mobius Strip Tracks
Scientist shoots a video of not only a “train” floating along a track in the shape of a Mobius strip, but also explains everything. It’s Science-y!

Beer Labels in Motion
I don’t know if this is geeky or just plain weird. Some inventive person has taken clever microbrew beer labels and animated them. How long before we have active-display labels on products?

How to Be Invisible to Mosquitos
The answer: wear the special patch that exudes a chemical that confuses a mosquito’s CO2 sense. That’s how they find you, the CO2.

Details of the Siberian Princess’ Tattoos
See the designs of the Siberian Princess, preserved for several millennia in the permafrost.

New Star Control Game?
Some of you, those of you old enough to remember a computer game from 20+ years ago, may remember the ship-to-ship combat and strategy game Star Control. Well, someone acquired the rights to it and is looking to make a sequel.

Mid-Air Haptic Interface
So the folks at Disney Research (did you know that Disney had an R&D department?) are working on a haptic response interface that works by using puffs of air to provide feedback for systems that rely strictly on hand and body motions (like Microsoft’s Kinect).

Largest Virtual Space Battle Ever
You know it’s a New Geek World when giant space battles are reported on the BBC’s front news page. Eve Online held a 4000-player space battle between two of its largest factions for control of a few systems’ worth of resources. Which is pretty neat.

Beethoven on the Theremin
Here’s an orchestral arrangement of Beethoven’s 9th symphony done on 167 theremins and 1 piano.

That’s Not a Snow-blower!
This is a snow blower. Brought to you by Switzerland, the land that doesn’t do things by halves.

About John:
John’s a geek from way back. He’s been floating between various computer-related jobs for years, until he settled into doing tech support in higher ed. Now he rules the Macs on campus with an iron hand (really, it’s on his desk).

Geek Credentials:
RPG: Blue box D&D, lead minis, been to GenCon in Milwaukee.
Computer: TRS-80 Color Computer, Amiga 1000, UNIX system w/reel-to-reel backup tape
Card games: bought Magic cards at GenCon in 1993
Science: Met Phil Plait, got time on a mainframe for astronomy project in 1983
His Blog: http://glenandtyler.blogspot.com

Geek Month in Review: June 2013

by Administrator, posted in Geek Stuff, Guest Authors, Science, Television

By JB Sanders

Summer, summer, summer…

That’s Not a Train
When the US Army wants an overland train that doesn’t need tracks in 1950, they build this.

Clockwork Automaton from the 1500’s
It’s a clockwork monk, who prays, does his rosaries and kisses his bible.

Lost Egyptian City Uncovered
And not from the “sands of time”, either. It was a major port city near Alexandria and was submerged centuries ago during an earthquake. It’s now below water. They’ve discovered it 13 years ago, and have been steadily uncovering statues, shipwrecks, anchors and tablets. Plus some mummified cats — so you know it’s Egyptian! Spectacular photos and some raw underwater video included.

The Sun Still Hasn’t Set on the British Empire
No, really. There are enough British Overseas Territories that it’s still the case that the sun doesn’t set on British soil. Kind of makes you wonder if it was a colonial land grab, or the monarchy made some kind of sketchy deal with a Faerie Lord that they’d give up their throne if the sun ever set on their Empire, and then set about making sure it would never, ever happen.

Geekiest Location on Earth?
It’s immediately recognizable to just about everyone on Earth — well, ok, except those few who haven’t seen the Star Wars movies. See photos of the outdoor set used to film Star Wars (1976) as it looks today.

Original Series Star Trek, New Episodes (sort of)
So a bunch of people got together to fill a hole that’s been there in SF fandom for decades: the final two seasons of Star Trek’s “Five year mission”. They’re showing online, of course, because this is the 21st Century, but otherwise, it’s right out of the 1960’s — lighting, makeup, effects, story-line. Take a look.

Bomb Shelter Found in Backyard from 1961
Inside: perfectly preserved (mostly) examples of typical household products, and some really old issues of Analog magazine to while away the hours. Fun discovery to stumble across in your back yard, huh?

Boating in Lakes of Not-Water
What would it be like to paddle on a lake of mercury? Not as cool as you’d think, especially if you’re in an aluminum boat.
Best quote: “Liquid tungsten is so hot, if you dropped it into a lava flow, the lava would freeze the tungsten.”

The Voynich Manuscript — Again
Ah, the Voynich Manuscript — variously described as a hoax that won’t stop hoaxing, a masterpiece of alchemical knowledge (which no one can read) and a book of herbal remedies written by a madman (or woman). Well, some linguistic scientists have run a statistical analysis of the language in the book and concluded that although they haven’t yet deciphered it, the text appears to be a real language of some kind. The article also has some nice higher-res pictures of the book.

If the Sky Was More Interesting
It would also be a little more terrifying. An artist’s conception of what the sky would look like if various planets were as close to Earth as the moon is now.

Secret Societies, Airships and Coded Notebooks
This article has everything! So some artist found the notebooks of a man who died in 1923 in a junkshop in 1969, and realized that the detailed drawings and coded notes were — amazing! Was the guy crazy? A secret genius? A member of a secret society of airship designers? Or was he the earthly representative of a an alien entity?

About John:
John’s a geek from way back. He’s been floating between various computer-related jobs for years, until he settled into doing tech support in higher ed. Now he rules the Macs on campus with an iron hand (really, it’s on his desk).

Geek Credentials:
RPG: Blue box D&D, lead minis, been to GenCon in Milwaukee.
Computer: TRS-80 Color Computer, Amiga 1000, UNIX system w/reel-to-reel backup tape
Card games: bought Magic cards at GenCon in 1993
Science: Met Phil Plait, got time on a mainframe for astronomy project in 1983
His Blog: http://glenandtyler.blogspot.com