{"id":12071,"date":"2015-09-21T15:41:42","date_gmt":"2015-09-21T20:41:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/?p=12071"},"modified":"2015-09-21T15:41:42","modified_gmt":"2015-09-21T20:41:42","slug":"geek-month-in-review-august-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/?p=12071","title":{"rendered":"Geek Month in Review: August 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

By JB Sanders<\/p>\n

Not as hot as expected August… <\/p>\n

Roomba Makers Exploring Autonomous Lawn Mower<\/a><\/strong>
\nYup, robotic lawn mowers, just trimming away on their own. What could go wrong? <\/p>\n

HyperLoop Actually Happening<\/a><\/strong>
\nRemember that crazy scifi pneumatic tube train that Elon Musk (super villain in training) was talking about a while ago? Sounded like a crazy, looney-tunes idea, right? Super-high-speed trains, running in tubes with little or no air, and getting places in an hour that normally require six. Yeah, that. They\u2019re starting construction in 2016. Really. <\/p>\n

Oldest Message-in-a-Bottle Found<\/a><\/strong>
\nAt over 100 years old, this bottle has been floating around for a long, long time. <\/p>\n

Real Locked Room Puzzle<\/a><\/strong>
\nApparently, there\u2019s a craze spreading around where people build real locked-room puzzles. Remember those things in video games where you find yourself locked in a room, and have to solve a variety of mechanical (or magical!) puzzles to unlock the door. Well, now people are doing that in real life. <\/p>\n

Integrated Space Plan<\/a><\/strong>
\nOriginally conceived by scientist Ron Jones, the \u201cwildly detailed\u201d plan to map how humans will expand into space has recently been updated. It sets out milestones and technology we\u2019ll need to do things like permanently settle Mars, create a self-sustaining Moon base, and other fun items. Plus it comes in a handy poster form! <\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/a> About John:<\/strong>
\nJohn’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).<\/p>\n

Geek Credentials:<\/strong>
\nRPG:<\/strong> Blue box D&D, lead minis, been to GenCon in Milwaukee.
\nComputer:<\/strong> TRS-80 Color Computer, Amiga 1000, UNIX system w\/reel-to-reel backup tape
\nCard games:<\/strong> bought Magic cards at GenCon in 1993
\nScience:<\/strong> Met Phil Plait, got time on a mainframe for astronomy project in 1983
\nHis Blog:<\/strong>http:\/\/www.glenandtyler.com\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"