QOTD

[t3knomanser]

"If you don't publish your findings, you're not doing science, you're doing alchemy and every alchemist had to discover for himself- the hard way- that drinking mercury was a bad idea." - Cory Doctorow (paraphrased from others)

This quote was, in specific, about the TSA and airport security. It is, however, also applicable in countless other

Comments

[hwobr]

I did not understand this statement.
Why does it concern the airport security?

[t3knomanser]

Security is a science- that is to say, it is developed and understood through the scientific method. When performing an experiment- in any science- you must publish your results so that other people may identify flaws in the experiment, things you missed, etc. Being found wrong is the lifeblood of science.

The TSA does not release the details of its tests. We have only their word for it that their security works. They perform tests (experiments) and do not release the results? It's alchemy.

[giftchild]

speaking of science and geekery, i actually came here to see if you've seen/heard of this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism

i seem to recall you having an interest in analog computers, yes?

[t3knomanser]

I was quite excited about that news. If I were more of a making-things type, I'd certainly want to replicate that sort of thing.

[giftchild]

dunno if i told you or you have heard it before, but i recall hearing about another classical greek analog machine involving wrapping rope around pegged cylanders, the pegs used to change the direction of the wrapping/rotation of the logs/dowels. i recall a whole cut-out 'play' with sound having been done that way, weight or ox driven.