Swans on Tea

Busted more than once.
Skulls in the Stars: Mythbusters were scooped — by 130 years! (Archimedes death ray)
About the same time, however, and in an earlier volume of the Proceedings, I found an article with the title, “On the burning mirrors of Archimedes, and on the Concentration of light produced by reflectors,” by John Scott. [...]

Physics Buzz: Chicken Head Tracking
The technique – which you could generally call “tracking” but is also pretty much the same thing as “dead reckoning” (or is it ded reckoning?) – is utilized by aircraft and some car navigation systems. (I love it when “high tech” turns up in Nature.) The chicken’s body communicates its [...]

Thursday afternoon I had the realization that I still had not purchased a shovel; my inner drive to get one after our last big snowstorm waned immediately after I dug myself out and went home on vacation. So it wasn’t until the latest storm was looming, along with the local ordinance requiring one to [...]

World War II computer Colossus that cracked Nazi code
Retired British spy catcher Tony Sale rebuilt Colossus, the world’s first recognisably programmable computer.
Colossus was instrumental in the work of code cracking operations at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire during World War II.
It deciphered messages sent by German over the Lorenz Cipher.

Doghouse Diaries: 20 Things I already know about Apple’s ultrahyped iTablet/iSlate
Funny because it’s true, in a time-travelly sort of way.
I always read these reviews of new devices, telling you to hate it because it doesn’t do X. Well, if you need X, then you aren’t the droids they are looking for, so [...]

Spray-on miracle could revolutionise manufacturing
The secret of liquid glass is that it forms an ultra-thin film between 15 and 30 molecules thick – about 500 times thinner than human hair. On this nanoscale – a few millionths of a millimetre thick – liquid glass turns into a highly flexible invisible barrier that repels water, dirt [...]

The Oatmeal: How to Suck at Facebook
I joined facebook about a year ago. After the initial rush was over, I find I visit ~monthly.
The last panel is one reason why I fear twitter. I imagine feeds like
need more fiber in my diet
scratching my butt. feelin’ good.
Some things just don’t need to [...]

More virtual vacation visits. 360º Panoramic view from Mt. Everest
The Great Wall
Rio
Machu Picchu – Peru

(License Plate of a White VW Rabbit)
OK, I am a little embarrassed to be more than fashionably late to the blogohedron party, but this is the 50th anniversary of the laser, and the APS (and some partners) have launched the laserfest website, with lots of stimulating, coherent goodness. Also, Jennifer gives us the festival [...]

And by that I don’t mean Manny Ramirez.
How Does an Outfielder Know Where to Run for a Fly Ball?
To test three theories that might explain an outfielder’s ability to catch a fly ball, researcher Philip Fink, PhD, from Massey University in New Zealand and Patrick Foo, PhD, from the University of North Carolina at Ashville [...]

Fast Animals in Slow Motion
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National Trust on Google Street View
It has engaged Google to take pictures from all around sites including Corfe Castle in Dorset and Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, which have then be digitally stitched together to give seamless 360 degree images.
You can visit Stonehenge (as I did in 2001), and go where pedestrians are not normally allowed.