This is why scientists are awesome.
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This is why scientists are awesome.
The kilogram has been a standard for over a century now. While some countries are reluctant to adopt it (along with the entire metric system) as a standard, scientists in the U.S along with scientists in Italy, Belgium, and Japan will be trying to calculate the exact number of atoms in recently created spheres designed as an effort to redefine the kilogram.
While there are a ton of testicular jokes one could make about the international scientific community working together to create a perfect set of balls, it is refreshing that old nuclear technology can be adapted for peaceful endeavors instead of being stashed away for some future war. The article goes on to state that a measure of energy would produce the most accurate result for a kilogram and is a brief but interesting read.
Drive on dear scientists! The world needs you!
Check out this post on Cosmic Variance about a group of physicists who study flocking behavior. The video is amazing.
Let’s say you had a one gigabyte MP3 player full of music. Using encryption one could take all of the information contained on the MP3 player and turn it into a string of numbers based on the key and equation used for the encryption.
Consider that your DNA is a string of numbers in base 4.
If one had a device that could analyze the data contained in your DNA and determine the proper encryption method necessary to result in the exact same data contained on the MP3 player one could create a storage free MP3 player. It would be some thing that decrypted your DNA is such a way that resulted in your desired playlist.
Of course this would involve reverse encryption, or encryption cracking, which we can’t do effectively yet. It may even be slightly more complicated than that, but I still think it’s a cool idea.
Scientists have announced that a new rock floating through space, Gliese 581 c may be a habitable planet. If this is the case, we will need to start thinking about ways to get there. Hell, we’ve been thinking about it as a species for years but we need to put aside social and political differences and really work toward finding a way to migrate to a new habitable planet. We don’t even need to live there really. We just need to be able to grow food on the planet until we find more planets capable of sustaining life.
Once we discover a planet capable of supporting farming, we can send our robo-workers to do do all the heavy lifting and humans will make future livings as Teamsters. Only we’ll all be piloting space ships delivering foodstuffs and repair parts back and forth. Ice Pirates anyone? It may have been an entertaining farce in 1984, but if we as the human race want to go out with a bang, not a whimper, then we really need to start making real progress into deep-space exploration and migration.
We need inter-galactic spaceships capable of traversing millions of miles a la Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek.
Think of it as science fiction if you must…but things change. Sometimes, fantastic stories that were once considered fiction lead to discovery.
While playing Apples to Apples at the cabin up near Grand Marais, one of the categories was “Unforgettable”. Someone played the card “Giant Squid.” Everyone thought it was a pretty stupid card to be played, but the player argued, “Hey man, if you ever ran across a Giant-Effing Squid you would think it was unforgettable!”
Case in point: New Zealand fisherman have not only had an unforgettable experience, but they set a world record for the largest Giant Squid ever reeled in.
That pretty much seals it for me. From now on when someone suggests you come up with something you would always remember for the rest of your life, I will think of: a Giant Squid.
What would YOU think of as “unforgettable?”
Is it wrong for me to find that picture arousing?
So what if it was the creepy little girl in Poltergeiest who orginally uttered those lines. We may all be saying those words soon enough. While Interplanet Janet’s visit to O’Hare was reported around January 2, 2007, and now we have people in several Midwestern states spotting fireballs or bright lights.
When it’s Danger-Cold, people should just stay inside and try to stay warm! If you wander too far in the bitter cold you will see many things. Especially if you are spending your nights staring at the sky watching for little green men.
Ever since Icarus flew too close to the sun we have had people spotting dragons, mermaids, ghosts, whatever.
The easy way to avoid seeing things flying around the sky is to simply get out of the house and interact with other humans. It helps prevent seeing things when cabin fever sets in after five months of sub-arctic temperatures.
Apparently UFO is SO last century…now we have to call them UAPs. Well, whatever. But it does seem that a dozen or so employees out at O’Hare witnessed a UAP event last November. The story is getting a little national coverage and some international, but not in the sense that it is being taken seriously.
For some reason, it’s hard to get taken seriously when you claim to have seen little green men. The FAA’s official statement delivered by Elizabeth Isham Cory discounted any suggestions of UFOs or UAPs:
That night was a perfect atmospheric condition in terms of low [cloud] ceiling and a lot of airport lights. When the lights shine up into the clouds, sometimes you can see funny things. That’s our take on it.
I wouldn’t go so far as to claim we are being observed by little green men, but I would go as far as to say I believe that it is likely that humans are not the most advanced carbon-based life form hurling through the universe.
If the world can be created in seven days who knows what else is possible? It wouldn’t surprise me that if there were a technologically advanced society observing humankind, they would certainly not attempt to make contact with a barbaric species that seems hell-bent on killing themselves off.
Oh, and according to SunriseSunset.com, the sun set at 4:39pm in Chicago on November 7, 2006 so technically, it was still daylight when the event occurred.
Just in time for Christmas, Komodo dragons at two UK zoos are laying batches of eggs conceived with no male fertilization. That’s parthenogenesis, Kyle! Although this process is known to occur in several other lizard species, this is the first time it’s been seen in Komodo dragons. All the babies are male, which is surprising at first. But apparently lizard genetics are a bit different from the more familiar mammalian system. In lizards, females are ZW (instead of XX) and males are ZZ (instead of XY). Add to this the info that WW is embryonic lethal, and a batch of bouncing baby boys is the only thing that makes sense. Did they get that right in Jurassic Park?
This trend has conservationists worried, since preserving endangered species like the Komodo involves preserving variety in the gene pool. From the article:
“It makes you take a completely new look at the genetic management of your animals,” Gibson says. The team suggests that zoos think about keeping male and female dragons together to avoid triggering parthenogenesis and decreasing genetic diversity.
If you’re cool you know the Wii will be available next Saturday at midnight in a number of different places. If you’re prepared you’re clutching your pre-order and having trouble sleeping. If you’re a tenacious procrastinator without a job (or significant other) you’re camping outside some retailer playing your DS starfox/advancewars/mariokart/pokemon (building up your collection in anticipation for diamond or pearl) waiting for your Wii. If you’re lucky your significant other is waiting with you.
I assume you’ve gotten your room ready. Pushed the couch back, perhaps even bought a smaller coffee table. Detached your Xbox from the component inputs on your receiver and put it into storage (lord knows there’s no reason to keep that relic). You’ve probably called your friends and set up a party for Sunday. If you’re really hard core you’ve been adjusting your sleeping schedule and stocking up on energy drinks to help facilitate your party at midnight (less likely to have the sun interfere with the wii-mote).
You’ve certainly pre-ordered some games. Zelda of course, sure the graphics will be a little disappointing but you know that the fishing mini-game is going to totally make up for it (is there a better application for the wii-mote?). You’ve probably ordered some other game as well, maybe a good party game like Rayman or Monkeyball in case Wii-Sports isn’t enough to keep your party going. Perhaps you were brave and risked the first person shooter knowing that the wii-mote will be the ultimate fps interface. Redsteel or Call of Duty? The risk is that the controls may take an iteration or two for the developers to really nail it–for sure Metroid will be awesome but that’s not a launch game. The guy at the counter probably told you to pick up Trauma Center because he played it at his conference and it was freaking great. Of course you’ve already beat it on the DS and you’re unsure of the value it could provide during your Wii-Day party. If you’re more conservative you may still pick up excite truck because of the reviews it’s getting, but if you were more conservative you probably wouldn’t be getting a Wii and you certainly wouldn’t be reading this blog (liberals only please). Of course Wii-Sports will be included and you know it will be a blast. But what about the four-player games? Do they justify the purchase of the two extra remotes (with which you’d have to buy the nunchucks for your party game purchase) that gets expensive 40$ x 3 (wii-mote) + 20$ x 3 (nunchucks) = $180. Here’s my advice: Don’t buy all four now. Get one extra with a nunchuck. Wait for a third party version with rechargeable batteries and a cordless nunchuck (there will probably be a first party cordless nunchuck but not for a while). To keep your party going don’t rely on the Wii alone. Make sure there is plenty of drink and a number of Dual Screens running The New Super Mario Brothers.
You seem prepared. There are still some unanswered questions. What’s the final secret? Is there a final secret? I expect there is and my prediction is that it’s Wii-Play included with the Wii-Mote. I wouldn’t be suprised if there was some sort of voice over IP included as well (the only real justification for the wii-connect 24 that I can figure out). I’m still holding out for the 3D projection solution that has been rumored as I’m sure you are. Although together wii know that it’s unlikely. Perhaps for the next Nintendo console will have it (in three years) which will be more resolute than the PS3 and 360 combined (yeah I said it! 1800p BABY!) that console will sell for roughly 300$ making the purchase of the Wii and the Nintendo Next-Revolution less than the total cost of a premium PS3 (not to diss on the thrice, I will get one… as soon as I have a lot more money).
Wii-Day is near. Be patient, it’s hard I know. Ive been passing time by listening to wii-casts and pouring over the internets scraping up every nugget of info. Breathe… take a Lamaze class if you have to… focus… wii’re almost there.
So Say Wii All!
If I had married Tea Leoni and starred in film and TV with Gillian Anderson, I would have the exact same problem. How many love children do you have David? - #
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LCDs are getting cheaper, but this is a top-rated 22" monitor and is a sweet deal available at General Nanosystems in Minneapolis. I picked one up yesterday. (8/5) The sale is over! - #
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The King is Dead. Maybe JT can bring spam back next! - #