Solar furnace. Cooks hot dogs, melts steel.
Dude, it's Physics, Part II
The Physics of Surfing (Part Two: Tubes and Barrels)
But why do some waves break as hollow grinding tubes while others crumble more gently and forgivingly? Let’s examine a little wave dynamics in order to assess the situation. Ocean waves are created by wind blowing over the ocean surface, as the kinetic energy of the air is converted into potential and kinetic energy of the water. The biggest and most powerful waves are created in massive storms. As the swells generated by these storms travel over the open ocean, the originally chaotic “victory at sea”-type wave motion is gradually organized into cleaner lines. As with all waves, it is not the actual material (water in this case) that travels any distance through the medium — it is the energy of the wave. As the wave energy passes through a point in the ocean, the water molecules rise and fall in a circular pattern but remain in the vicinity as the disturbance passes by.
Previously: Dude, It’s Physics
Billy Joel, in the Library, with the Lead Pipe
Mathematician Cracks Mystery Beatles Chord
The opening chord to A Hard Day’s Night is also famous because for 40 years, no one quite knew exactly what chord Harrison was playing. Musicians, scholars and amateur guitar players alike had all come up with their own theories, but it took a Dalhousie mathematician to figure out the exact formula.
Help Me, Obi Wan
General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle to explain what a hologram is, and isn’t.
I only watched a few minutes of CNN’s election coverage before becoming ill (figuratively) and switching off the TV, so I missed where he called their camera trick a hologram. But it wasn’t, and several people caught it.
So what happened?
CNN focused more than 35 high-definition cameras on Yellin to get multiple views from Grant Park in Chicago for the look of a 3-D holographic image Tuesday. That made it appear as if Yellin was in the studio talking with CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer.
That’s a camera trick, but not a hologram.
Unfortunately, some of the criticism misses the mark. Uh, Wolf, That CNN Election Image Wasn’t a Hologram
A hologram is a photographic image that is three-dimensional and appears to have depth. They work by creating an image composed of two superimposed pictures of the same object, but seen from different points.
No, but I think I can see how the writer got from what a hologram actually is to this explanation. A hologram is a comparison of an image with some reference light, not the comparison of two images. Some of the light bounces off of the target and then interferes with the reference beam (and I think this interference pattern is the “superimposed” reference), and you record the interference pattern on the film. That pattern has all the information of the object, and when you pass a reference beam through the film (or off the surface, if it’s a reflection hologram) you’ll see a 3-D image.
The CNN image wasn’t 3-D. It looked something that was 3-D on the TV screen, but like everything else on the screen, the image was 2-D.
CNN’s Hologram. Real or Fake? calls the CNN technique a tomogram, which I don’t think is right. Tomography gives you 2-D slices of a 3-D object, and that’s not what’s happening here.
CNN’s “Holograms” Aren’t Holograms, So Cut It Out doesn’t attempt an explanation of holography, and is content to note that
It was movie magic, folks, similar to what we all remember from The Matrix. Given that it was done live without a hitch, it was extremely way cool. But it wasn’t a hologram, and no amount of wishing will make it so.
Zapperz, in Not A Hologram, has linked to an article that lists other instances of people misusing “hologram”
Apparently, You Can Make This Stuff Up
Amazon.com (UK) user product reviews: Bic Crystal Ballpoint Pen, Medium Point, Black
OMG, this is TFF. Beverage-through-the-nose caliber. (sorry, calibre)
You’d think, with all of the new anti-obscenity laws, that this pen would have a V-chip installed. It DOESN’T!!!!! You should see some of the filthy words and drawings that my children were able to write with this product. I am going to file a formal complaint with the FCC.
Buyer (with young children) Beware!!!!
This product has NO included manual and NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT! You are on your own. I have used these in the past, so I was able to figure it out, but it took a while. Another caveat: If you lose the cap, there is NO way to attach it to anything because the retainer clip is inexplicably attached to the cap. Also, the caps for the different colors of ink all fit each other, so it is far too easy to misplace a cap on the wrong pen. Very confusing.
I also especially like the A4 vs 8.5×11 compatibility comment. Go read.
Bartender, Gimme a Pan-Galactic Gargleblaster
Exploring Liquids: An Experiment
Fun, and physics, with fluids
Here’s a fun experiment you can try using the contents of your kitchen cupboard. Explore the effects of different densities and learn about refraction, viscosity and the planet Jupiter. You’ll need five different liquids; I used golden syrup, dishwashing liquid, water, alcohol and vegetable oil. I also used some food colouring to make it easier to see what was going on (and because the alcohol I use is Tequila which looks just like water). If you have a chopstick around that will also be handy – but any stirring implement will do.
People with Too Much Time on Their Hands: Toast Art
People with Too Much Time on Their Hands: Toast Art
It would never occur to me to take a picture of my toast. Unless it had an image of the Virgin Mary on it or something. Then I would make sure to capture just the right image for my posting on Ebay. Seriously, though, it’s amazing what kinds of creative uses people have put their toasters and minds to. I love it when bored people take a few steps outside of the box. Sometimes it’s a few steps too many. You be the judge.
No, Parking!
Don’t try this at home. Or at the mall.
Phenomenal Flickr Fun
Using Where-On-Earth geotagged photos uploaded to Flickr, one is often able to reverse-engineer maps, sometimes even at the neighborhood level.
Over time this got us wondering: If we plotted all the geotagged photos associated with a particular WOE ID, would we have enough data to generate a mostly accurate contour of that place? Not a perfect representation, perhaps, but something more fine-grained than a bounding box. It turns out we can.
via Kottke
Career Advice
Career Advice from Dr. Pion
Engineering and physics and programming are all hard work. Hard work can be fun, or it can be a drag. Money can make up for it being a drag, but many students who are just in it for the money will struggle with motivation when faced with the years of hard work that must be put in before you get that first internship, let alone a job.
There’s a good example that goes with this (posed as an exchange between a student and advisor) of why salary should not be the primary reason you choose a career.
So my advice is to learn everything you can from your classes, find what you like, find what you are good at, and pursue a career that requires skills that you have and enjoy doing for 10 or so hours a day. All technical careers are hard work for the money, so you better like what you are doing.