Swans on Tea

I just heard about Steve Chu being nominated for Energy Secretary, and see that I’m late to the party (Uncertain Principles, Cosmic Variance, and elsewhere in the blogohedron, I’m sure)
(As with Chad and Sean, I’ve met him; we sat next to each other at dinner one evening at the Frequency Standards and Metrology Symposium [...]

… but it bothers a geek like me. Yeah, another leap second story. I suspect these will propagate, but like a game of “whisper” the errors will compound. Three…Two…One…One…Happy New Year!
They mention THE atomic clock (ha! there are many atomic clocks) and cesium clock/standard, but the picture is of a mercury ion [...]

Researchers Observe Magnus Effect in Light for First Time
The Magnus effect can be observed in a wide range of systems. It describes, for example, the sideways force a spinning ball feels as it travels through the air, which explains why a baseball pitcher’s curveball curves, and why a badly hit golf ball slices. Light waves, [...]