In high school, we had software which would simulate dynamics of different shaped objects. I used to set up part of the screen as a “hoop” and then try to design the crazies way for a ball to bounce off all sorts of shapes set with different initial velocities and into the hoop. It was kind of cool how Rube Goldburg you could get with this physics simulation, and it was, I’ll admit, both quite fun, and absolutely geeky. Now, via Slate, I find that someone has made this into a game:
Room Temperature?
Dear Digg, no, this article and press release do not mean that Scientists Invent Room Temperature Superconducting Material. It means that scientists have put molecular silane under hundreds of giga-Pascals presures (for comparison, atmospheric pressure is 100 kilo-Pascals) at a temperature of around 20 Kelvin, and gotten it to superconduct. While this is certainly cool, it is not “room temperature” as far as I can tell.
One day I was driving down the road and listening to AM radio when Paul Harvey came on and did his schtick (“and now you know, the rest of the story.”) At one point in the show, Harvey made a statement that physicists had recently discovered how to get superconductivity at room temperature. I almost drove off the road hearing this and ran home to see if it was true. Unfortunately it was not, and I will never, ever, forgive Paul Harvey for making me think this amazing discovery had been made. And now you know the rest of the…ah, whatever.
Ecologists Can't Handle Their Beer Like Physicists
A New York Times article has appeared about a study on the effects of excessive beer drinking on scientific productivity. The study, (Tomas Grim, “A possible role of social activity to explain differences in publication output among ecologists.” Oikos 117 (4), 484-487) done by the aptly named ecologist, Dr. Thomas Grim, claimed that scientific productivity among Czech avian ecologists and behavioral ecologists (as measured by number of publications, citation rate per paper, etc.) dropped according to how many beers the ecologists drank.
Continue reading “Ecologists Can't Handle Their Beer Like Physicists”
Google Code University
Last year, Google announced a set of resource to help students and faculty with CS education. They’ve revamped the set of resources and redesigned the web page and all the jazzy stuff to produce: Google Code University. Marty Stepp, whose courses are featured in the Google code university, has his office just down the hall from me. His name plate says “Marty Stepp++”
Continue reading “Google Code University”
The Great Debate
Since my laptop was stolen, it’s time for me to think about getting a replacement. My last laptop was a tablet PC, a Toshiba M400 Portege, which was “Vista capable,” which I’m pretty sure means that it was “just barely Vista capable.” I loved having a tablet PC, but the Toshiba wasn’t exactly behaving great under Vista (slow, slow, slow.) So now the question is what should my next laptop be. In particular I am almost tempted to (close you ears Seattlites)….buy a Mac.
Continue reading “The Great Debate”
Arthur C. Clarke 1917-2008
Arthur C. Clarke, science fiction author, predictor of the future, and inspirer of at least one little kid from rural Northern California, is dead at age 90.
Continue reading “Arthur C. Clarke 1917-2008”
Broken Glass Everywhere, If It Ain't About the Money, Puff Just Don't Care
To the jerk, or jerks, who broke into my car and stole my laptop and passport while parked in downtown Vancouver. Pfffft! You stink! And just what do you think you’re going to do with all those LaTeX files? Maybe you should try to sell them to D-wave! (For the humor impaired: that’s a joke.)
Off the Queue and Into the Mind
Seeker by Jack McDevitt, Newton’s Wake: A Space Opera by Ken MacLeod, and Eater by Gregory Benford. Seems I am on a science fiction kick. That must be a sign that I’m looking for new ideas to work on.
Continue reading “Off the Queue and Into the Mind”
ACM Transactions on Computation Theory
As noted by Lance, the new journal ACM Transactions on Computation Theory is now accepting papers. Note for quantum computing theorists:
ACM Transactions on Computation Theory will cover theoretical computer science complementing the scope of the ACM Transactions on Algorithms and the ACM Transactions on Computational Logic including, but not limited to, computational complexity, foundations of cryptography, randomness in computing, coding theory, models of computation including parallel, distributed and quantum and other emerging models, computational learning theory, theoretical computer science aspects of areas such as databases, information retrieval, economic models and networks.
So next time you write a paper which involves QMA, the Hidden Subgroup, etc. etc. make sure to give ToCT a look!
Google Sky
A favorite quote of mine from Vincent van Gogh: “For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” Especially when I can access them through my web browser. Here in Seattle this is greatly needed, since there are vast portions of the winter when the night sky is hidden behind puffy clouds. I mean I need to be reminded every once in a while that I’m a little little speck in a big big universe.
First one to spot a Dyson sphere wins.