Smile! Look at the Pinhole!

Pinhole Camera Solargraphy at Astroengine.

[The] solargraphs are taken by a compact camera film cartridge (plus tiny pinhole) strapped to an inanimate object for long periods of time. However, due to the low speed of the camera film and light restriction (plus, as this is Bristol, plenty of overcast days), the six-month exposure brings a surprising amount of detail to the shot. Every day when the Sun was shining (and days when it was struggling to get through the clouds), the path it made through the sky every day was captured.

The original site is Pinhole Photography and has some very interesting pictures and information. Also check out the Solargraphy site.

A Little Help

Pictures of Numbers

Pictures of Numbers is a book-project-in-progress, consisting of practical tips and techniques for busy researchers on improving their data presentation, and is updated in intermittent bursts of regularity

In particular, there are

Better Axes

A good rule when making graphs is to remove needless impediments. Every extra act of interpretation we ask of the reader is a chance for them to misunderstand, be baffled, or get frustrated and move on. There should be as little standing between the reader and the data as possible. One level of interpretation all readers have to grapple with is the humble axis

Fixing Excel’s Charts, which need fixing, and

Reflections on the Planets, which improves a plot of the albedo of the solar system’s planets

via Kottke

Under Down Under

Scenes from Antarctica

Down in Antarctica, November marks the end of spring, the beginning of austral summer, and the beginning of Antarctica’s cruise season. The Sun just rose for the first time in 6 months on September 22nd, and is now visible in the sky all the time. Recent studies in Antarctica have brought new insights into the origins of deep sea octopus species (a 30 million-year-old ancestor from Antarctic waters), volcanic contributions to disappearing antarctic ice, and the effects of increasing numbers of icebergs scouring the seafloor. Collected here are 32 photographs of Antarctica from the past several years. (32 photos total)

Worst … Idea … Ever

Worst Idea Ever: Ridley Scott is Directing Monopoly

Ridley Scott is now OFFICIALLY attached to direct a big screen movie based on Hasbro’s popular board game Monopoly. Corpse Bride/Monster House scribe Pamela Pettler has been hired to write the script. Scott had been developing the project with plans to produce since June 2007.

Whaaaa?

I’m having a hard time imagining the scene where the doggie rolls doubles to get out of jail.