via Cap’n Refsmmat’s Blog of Doom
Yes, I’ve been up to no good again. Together with my band, now named The Quirk Side of the Moon, I’ve created yet another parody song, this time of John Lennon’s Imagine.
Imagine you were in a world with no math…
Cut the Red Wire
I was wiring up some stuff in the lab, and wondered what color-coding we had used for that component on the prototype.
“It’s red” was the almost immediate reply.
Duh. I had expunged this from the buffer. They’re almost all red. That’s why we went with color coding — so much easier than labels.
Faulty Transformer was a Ruse — the Real LHC Update
Large Hadron Collider spitting out lost socks
“It started on Tuesday, when a single white gym sock was found inside the collider,” said Dr Thomas Engelson. “At first, we thought it was a prank or something left behind by one of the construction workers. We removed it, and, following our next high-energy collision, the accelerator was found to have filled with more than one hundred thousand socks. They had popped out of all the tiny black holes the collider produces.”
Immediately following their appearance, the socks were warm to the touch. Engelson said that it was probably the result of the energy dispelled at being burped from the black holes, but scientists are investigating the possibility that they have come straight from people’s tumble dryers.
“They were also full of static,” said Engelson. “It is absolutely conceivable that the socks have been transported directly from tumble dryers, via some undiscovered, invisible vortex created by the heat, static and repetitive circular motion of a tumble dryer.” The only thing confusing this theory is that the fibres on some analysed socks date back to the early 1900’s, a few years after the clothes dryer was invented.
Reasons Why Basic Research is a Waste of Time
Very succinct. “Arguments Against Research”
Posting a quote would ruin the effectiveness; it’s more of a linear explanation.
Not Found in My Lab … Yet
Unfortunately, safety inspection people don’t generally have a sense of humor about such things.
Just Doin' My Job
On Thursday the department was treated to a pizza lunch by one of the senior staff (or his slush fund) in recognition of some recent events. Not too long ago, the remnants of hurricane Hannah swept through the area, and that meant a lot of work preparing equipment that’s exposed to the elements for the onslaught — there are various antennae and support equipment that have to either be stowed or battened down (arrr, love the nautical-speak. Don’t forget, today is Talk Like a Pirate Day)
Now, that’s a lot of work … for somebody. I’m in R&D, though, not operations. And while I’m happy to help when called upon, my main task in these situations is to stay the hell out of the way and let others do their respective jobs. Which I did exceedingly well.
The pizza was quite tasty.
Sesame Street Physics
I can just picture Big Bird:
Can you say, “cooperate?”
Can you say, “surface plasmon polariton?”
When light hits a metal, it can create a surface plasmon polariton–often called simply a “surface plasmon”–which is a traveling wave combining electromagnetic fields with electron oscillations. Researchers are using tiny plasmon antennas to funnel more light into solar cells (photovoltaics), increasing their efficiency. Others studying “plasmonics” hope to develop devices that replace some electric currents with plasmon waves, because plasmons can theoretically carry as much information as light pulses but squeeze it into the nanometer-sized wires used in standard computer chips.
Lucky Me!
I’ve been adopted. That’s right, the adopt-a-physicist program has two three groups that want to get to know me (professionally).
The email I got from the program coordinator says there are a few slots open, in case any physicists out there wish to participate. It’s included (nominally spam-proofed) below.
I was just reading through your profiles and it reminded me how much I love this program! There are a wide variety of careers and backgrounds represented, and there are over 100 classes that are eager to participate.
*Classes are “adopting” their physicists as we speak, and can do so until Sept. 25
*You can see the classes that have adopted you when you login in to www.adoptaphysicist.org and view your profile
*Physicists with pictures on their profile are generally first to go, so if you haven’t added one it’s worth thinking aboutWe still have room for some additional physicists–so if you know anyone that is interested, please have them email me at krand(at)aip.org and I’ll get them set up.
Forums will open on Sept. 29th!
I hadn’t included a picture, and was in fact entering some of my biographical information when the second group adopted me. I think now I won’t add a photo, lest I scare anyone away before selections are done. Then it will be too late, mwuhahahahaha! I’ll get to “converse” with them in a forum setting, and will of course point them here for some of my “lab stories” posts.
Toys in the Office: We Daren't Go a-Hunting, For Fear of Little Men
Think Geek is an evil website, the way they separate me from my disposable income.
Crimp-connectors, pop-rivets and magnets. Somewhat pose-able. Pedantic man notes that they aren’t technically toys in the office unless perhaps if the door is open, since they sit/stand on the door and door jamb. But they do occasionally distract the odd passer-by (which describes a fair fraction of them) into putting them into new poses.