Category Archives: sciences

the royal philatelic service moves with the times

Tanaqui Weaver, cited here recently, reports: the UK issued a neat 2nd-class stamp with an atom of c60 illustrated. It’s thermochromic black, and a hot thumb on the stamp whitens it out to reveal a captive atom of carbon in … Continue reading

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alone?

Data from the Infrared Astronomy Satellite have been used to search for Dyson spheres; no luck. (pdf; cited at Sharp Blue)

Posted in astronomy | Leave a comment

grab-bag

Wanting to learn about database programming, it occurred to me to resume work on my fullerene search code. I’m a bit surprised to find that I haven’t touched it in two years. Speaking of surprises – Angel the vampire had … Continue reading

Posted in cinema, mathematics, me!me!me! | 1 Comment

cui bono?

Debra of Wolfesblog reports: the federal government (you know, the guys who swear they’re doing ‘everything possible’ to protect the beef supply) does not allow such private testing for mad cow disease. Perhaps that should read “to protect the beef … Continue reading

Posted in medicine, politics | Leave a comment

rounding error

Well what d’ya know. You make a casual post to alt.language.artificial about leap-seconds and before you know it someone sends links on the subject: The Future of Leap Seconds; Extrapolations of the difference ( TI – UT1 ); Time Scales. Thanks Steve!

Posted in calendars | Leave a comment

and a fine shin it was too

On February 29, I whacked my shin on a truck’s tow-bar, making a deep dent but drawing almost no blood. Today, six weeks later, the scab came off. (The dent is still there.) I wonder, did the wound heal more … Continue reading

Posted in me!me!me!, medicine | Leave a comment

QotD

Tyler Cowen: The key thing that markets do is economize on the need for agreement.

Posted in economics | Leave a comment