Via stumbleupon I came across this really cool orrery. The text is absurdly small and hard to read(*), but this does mean you can turn the brightness down and just watch the motions of the planets. What I really enjoyed doing was comparing the simplicity of the paths in the Copernican (sun centric aka correct) vs Tychonian (earth centric) views, ( Read more... )

I suddenly realised that my copanelist(*) hadn't replied to my email and maybe didn't get it, and have been meaning to contact her another way but for some reason my inertia was easier to overcome to make an lj post. These are very rough notes and will likely be poked at some more. Thoughts welcome.
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So, as it happens, I started using both Second Life (for the cfs study) and the beta of Google Wave today ( Read more... )

Via the WA cfs society I heard about and have joined a Murdoch study on the use of internet by people with cfs, the plan is to get everyone involved in a Second Life support forum and see if it helps people. I have to do an hour long interview at the start as a baseline, and another in six months to see if it made any difference ( Read more... )

Magpie vs Magpie

HOW DID I NOT REALISE THIS?

I guess it explains why european literature portrays them as adorable cheeky thieves rather than violent unexpected death from above...(It really is true: in Australia, even the adorable little birds are deadly)

Because I'm an idiot I didn't get my camera until the last full day of the con so have almost not photos. But what I did get was Rob and Lise's awesome Molecular Gastronomy Hour. It reminded me a bit of Kitchen Chemistry.

The main star was Sodium Alginate. That post has the main gist, so briefly ( Read more... )

I couldn't think of anything to say to celebrate Darwin's birthday(*) when it happened. But better late than never, a vid which illustrates with educational clarity where we stand in the evolutionary chain:

Unnatural Selection: Battlestar Galactica, Terminator

(*)That's the scientist, not the city. Which makes me wonder when Perth's birthday is

What is hard sf? What are the soft sciences?THESE DEFINITIONS ARE ARBITRARY, not the "one true meaning". We just need to delimit the discussion so we know what we're talking about ( Read more... )

I love the tone of this article: Chimp planned rock attacks on zoo visitors.

Aww! Look at how ingenious his plots are to kill the zoo visitors! And see the sociopathic calm with which he prepares his weapons! Isn't nature inspiring ( Read more... )

1000 scientists called Steve affirming the validity of the theory of evolution. EDIT via Hoyden about Town

I will now rant because I am feeling ranty.
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