Tag: science
On Aliens and Vampires
by thatbaldguy on 11 Mar 2010 at 19:10:54, under books and writing
Another audio story I really liked recently was “The Things” by Peter Watts, as heard on the Clarkesworld Magazine podcast. It’s the story of John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982), told from the perspective of the shape-shifting, infectious alien. I don’t want to say much more about it, but if you haven’t seen movie in a while, watch it, then follow it up1 with this story.
Mr. Watts is a biologist by trade, and his writing is always grounded in hard science, complete with exhaustive bibliographies. His stories are also pretty damned dark, which I love. I first discovered him through his Rifters series, Starfish, Maelstrom, and Behemoth, all of which are available online, are really dark, and chock full of good sciencey stuff.
His most recent novel, Blindsight, is also available online, and really baked my noodle2. It’s an absolutely fascinating exploration on the nature of intelligence and self-awareness, and how the two are, to a certain extent, mutually exclusive. If you’re interested in cognition at all, it’s well worth your time. Plus, it’s got a space vampire.
Finally, Mr. Watts is also the fellow who produced the amazing dead-pan presentation “Vampire Domestication: Taming Yesterday’s Nightmares for a Better Tomorrow” which he first presented at a con in 2005. Again, if you’re interested in science, biology and/or vampires, well worth your time.
More audio fiction reviews to come, methinks.
Not So Much of a Miracle
by thatbaldguy on 18 Jan 2010 at 16:42:26, under art and design
Carl Sagan and Steven Hawking, Remixed
by thatbaldguy on 24 Sep 2009 at 21:45:43, under film and video, music, science
No, in a good way!
Quoth the creator, John Boswell:
A musical tribute to two great men of science. Carl Sagan and his cosmologist companion Stephen Hawking present: A Glorious Dawn -- Cosmos remixed. Almost all samples and footage taken from Carl Sagan’s Cosmos and Stephen Hawking’s Universe series.
RIP Dr. Sagan, you will be missed!!
Please, click HQ to watch in better quality.
Go here to download the track:
http://www.colorpulsemusic.com/youtube.html
Via @JaneWiedlin.
Hybrid Cars Suck Up Rare Metals
by thatbaldguy on 01 Sep 2009 at 18:36:16, under science
Neodymium on Wikipedia
Interesting news from Reuters:
Worldwide demand for rare earths, covering 15 entries on the periodic table of elements, is expected to exceed supply by some 40,000 tonnes annually in several years unless major new production sources are developed…
Among the rare earths that would be most affected in a shortage is neodymium, the key component of an alloy used to make the high-power, lightweight magnets for electric motors of hybrid cars, such as the Prius, Honda Insight and Ford Focus, as well as in generators for wind turbines…
Jack Lifton, an independent commodities consultant and strategic metals expert, calls the Prius “the biggest user of rare earths of any object in the world.”
Each electric Prius motor requires 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of neodymium, and each battery uses 10 to 15 kg (22-33 lb) of lanthanum. That number will nearly double under Toyota’s plans to boost the car’s fuel economy, he said.
Via GreatDismal (William Gibson) > Gromit01.
Doctor Who Theme Played on Tesla Coils
by thatbaldguy on 28 Feb 2009 at 18:58:16, under film and video, music
Quoth The Underwire:
The band/science experiment ArcAttack channels music through large Tesla coils or DRSSTCs (Dual-Resonant Solid State Tesla Coils). The metallic whine generated by the synchronized coils creates a synthesizer sound the band presents as an audio-visual instrument.
According to the band’s website, “the music consists of original highly danceable electronic compositions that sometimes incorporates themes or dub of popular songs.”
The video of the “Doctor Who Theme” above comes from last month’s Chattacon 34 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the band played live shows as a convention attraction.
Nicely done, Gents.
See Through Head
by thatbaldguy on 27 Feb 2009 at 01:41:10, under science
We’re still not 100% convinced that we’re not being fooled by something here, but if it’s good enough for National Geographic, who are we to question?
Opisthoproctidae are even creepier in HD.
Via ECTOPLASMOSIS!.
Happy Darwin’s Valentine Day
by thatbaldguy on 14 Feb 2009 at 20:02:25, under science
Marching Backward
by thatbaldguy on 12 Feb 2009 at 17:44:11, under culture
As readers of this blog may be aware, the employees and staff of HFAYHD remain ardent Darwin advocates. The man changed the world by realizing that the gradual slope of natural selection is the process through which all things furry, scaly and otherwise adapt and grow… or whither and die. Magic thinking or “intelligent design” is out of the question: it is not science, and it is not true.
Sadly, as with those who think net neutrality is bad, the idea of some Pink Unicorn Designer is not only still alive, it is spreading. Wired has taken the high road and published two important articles so that this issue does not get swept away or forgotten: The Crusade Against Evolution and On Darwin’s Birthday, Dover Still Isn’t Over.
It is now 2008, and while we would like to believe in a world that is full of smart, open-minded people, it turns out that many of us are still just monkeys in pants. Need more evidence? The Catholic church has brought back indulgences.
Inside, I’m screaming.
LED light bulb: 12x more efficient, 60 year life, $3
by thatbaldguy on 30 Jan 2009 at 19:02:34, under science
Coming soon (well, in a couple years) LED light bulbs that are 12 times more efficient than tungsten bulbs1, three times more efficient than CFLs, and will last for 100,000 hours. All for about $3.
They also avoid using any toxic materials, like lead: The new LEDs use gallium nitride, which until now was too expensive to obtain because it had to be grown on sapphire wafers, which brought the cost of the lightbulbs to $28 each.
The new method, developed by Cambridge University-based Centre for Gallium Nitride, uses silicon wafers, bringing the cost down to $3 each. And if you think this is a thing of the future, think again: Prototypes are already being produced and the light bulbs may reach the market in a mere two years.
Teh rawk.
Via “The Dread Pirate Black Bryant” > Gizmodo > Daily Mail.
- Who uses those anyway? ↩
Lecture at machine project: How Molecules Move Electrons
by thatbaldguy on 21 Jan 2009 at 17:49:24, under art and design, technomancy
Quoth machine project:
Christopher Allen will give a talk on how molecules move electrons, and how this applies to the design of new materials. Two different processes will be discussed. The movement of electrons hoping from one independent molecule to another will be illustrated by the example of a glucose sensor. The process of electrons moving around within a molecule will be illustrated with the example of conductive plastics used in flexible display panels. Also discussed will be how chemists utilize their knowledge of the geometrical and electronic structure of molecules to design new materials.
Sounds like fun! Well, my idea of fun, anyway.
See machine project for details.
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