Laser Cat Bowling. That is All.

Posted on February 20, 2011 by swansont

Laser pointer and a low-friction surface and a cat.

Leftovers Again?

Posted on February 17, 2011 by swansont

Time-lapse Tuesday: Wild animals devour elephant

There are an estimated 6 million calories in an elephant – enough energy to keep a human sated for over eight years. But at the Tsavo West National Park in Kenya, it took wild animals just seven days to reduce a dead elephant to nothing more than a pile of bones

My Body is an Industrial Palace

Posted on February 14, 2011 by swansont

Dr. Fritz Kahn’s illustration of the body as a machine: Der Mensch als Industriepalast (Man as Industrial Palace)

You Can't Do That!

Posted on February 11, 2011 by swansont

The More You FLIR The Better You Feel

Posted on February 8, 2011 by swansont

Thermal imaging of a fart. Sorry, no smell-o-vision.

I have wondered what our social interactions would be like if we could see in that portion of the spectrum, or if methane were otherwise visible (like bromine). Fart denial would be a different animal. Not everyone produces methane, though. Would that be a source of discrimination or status?

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader's Little Brother?

Posted on February 6, 2011 by swansont

A Bar Walks Into a Physicist

Posted on February 5, 2011 by swansont

… oops, wrong reference frame.

I mentioned Brian Malow, the science comedian, in one of my Science Online 2011 summary posts. Here he is discussing (bad) science in Star Wars. Yes, you probably know the scene, and it has nothing to do with who shot first.

and some X walks into a bar jokes, some of which you already know

Golden Gate Diamond Anniversary

Posted on January 29, 2011 by swansont

Buzz Blog has a post up about the physics of the Golden Gate Bridge. They mention the thermal effects, which I had blogged about this past summer. There is also now a demonstration of the vibrational modes, using a 1/500 scale model:

There’s also a puzzle at the Buzz Blog link

This quite possibly could be the best business card I have ever seen, because it is not just a cleverly designed graphic, it’s a puzzle: although the diameter of this circle on the card is smaller than that of a quarter, there is a way to get the quarter through the hole. It’s an enigma, get it? Can you figure it out?

There is a way of solving it which does not involve immersing the quarter in liquid nitrogen. (or any other thermal solution)

via Zz