Interesting Links for 18-07-2012

[andrewducker]

• Xkcd is prepared to go a long way for a punch line.
  (tags: starwars electricity funny physics )
• Scotland’s languages, Scotland’s people
  (tags: scotland language nationality history )
• The laser-powered bionic eye that gives 576-pixel grayscale vision to the blind
  (tags: lasers eyesight bionic technology blindness thefuture )
• Your geek

Comments

[a_pawson]

I'm glad the naked rambler has finally been released. It seemed completely pointless keeping him in jail for 6 years. But then what was the alternative - we can't have a society where people are free to ignore laws or court orders whenever they feel like it.

[andrewducker]

Well, before arresting someone for breach of the peace, the police could ascertain that the peace had actually been breached. That might be a good start.

The law in England/Wales is quite clear that it's only an offence if there is intent to shock:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indecent_exposure#United_Kingdom

[danieldwilliam]

Me too.

I think the naked rambler is a case of the law being well served but justice served poorly.

For what it’s worth I’m pretty sure that he hadn’t, in law, committed a breach of the peace. Public nudity isn’t, in my view, of itself a breach of the peace. So, as well as pointlessly incarcerated, he’s probably been wrongfully convicted too.

In any event, I’m pleased to see the police using their discretion at long last.

[erindubitably]

Harsh, man - after two gloriously sunny days out here they decide to release him on a cold, wet, rainy day.

[andrewducker]

That's hilarious. Probably not deliberate, but I bet they would have if they'd thought of it. (Or let him out in the middle of the snow).

[nancylebov]

Marissa Mayer's glass ceiling.

[andrewducker]

That is awesome! I saw some Chihuly glass when I was in Las Vegas, and it was very impressive in person.

so true SMBC...

[reverancepavane]

As a experimental physicist I have made my mathematician friends cry many times over the standard rather cavalier approach to maths that most physicists have. Or cringe and groan in pain! It's fun!

geek nostalgia

[wig]

takes me right back to the time when I was in high school circa 1984 and I cleverly typed in "C:\> del *.*" on my dad's computer... he was not impressed!!

I lol'd :-D

[wig]

"what are you going to do to me?"

"give you the general case of a mathematical technique when you only need it for a specific usage!"

Re: geek nostalgia

[andrewducker]

I did something similar once. So not good.