.: Above The Aether :. » Science

John Cleese on creativity

Dave — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:33:59 +0000

I’ve always been interested in the source of creativity and how it works. “Sleeping” on a problem has frequently worked for me too.

- Dave

Dan Telfer knows dinosaurs

Dave — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:39:43 +0000

Video link

Light Speed Magazine

Dave — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:03:53 +0000

I discovered a new science fiction magazine online that publishes original and reprinted science fiction stories and interviews.

According to the Light Speed Magazine “about us” page:

Lightspeed is an online magazine focusing exclusively on science fiction. Here you can expect to see all types of science fiction, from near-future, sociological soft sf, to far-future, star-spanning hard sf, and anything and everything in between. No subject will be considered off-limits, and we encourage our writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope.

Each month at Lightspeed, we bring you a mix of originals and reprints, and featuring a variety of authors—from the bestsellers and award-winners you already know to the best new voices you haven’t heard of yet. When you read Lightspeed, it is our hope that you’ll see where science fiction comes from, where it is now, and where it’s going.

Lightspeed also features a variety of nonfiction features, fiction podcasts, and Q&As with our authors that go behind-the-scenes of their stories.

Our regular publication schedule each month includes two pieces of original fiction and two fiction reprints, along with four nonfiction articles. Fiction posts on Tuesdays, nonfiction on Thursdays.

I hope they can sustain their business model, because they have some great content so far.

You can also donate to help keep them going.

Enjoy.

- Dave

I, for one, welcome our talking robotic overlords.

Dave — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:24:52 +0000

Video

NASA to Launch Human-Like Robot to Join Space Station Crew

Dave — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:38:14 +0000

According to the Nasa website:

NASA will launch the first human-like robot to space later this year to become a permanent resident of the International Space Station. Robonaut 2, or R2, was developed jointly by NASA and General Motors under a cooperative agreement to develop a robotic assistant that can work alongside humans, whether they are astronauts in space or workers at GM manufacturing plants on Earth.

The 300-pound R2 consists of a head and a torso with two arms and two hands. R2 will launch on space shuttle Discovery as part of the STS-133 mission planned for September. Once aboard the station, engineers will monitor how the robot operates in weightlessness. Throughout its first decade in orbit, the space station has served as a test bed for human and robotic teamwork for construction, maintenance and science.

Read the entire article here.

“I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” springs to mind.

- Dave

Nuclear explosions since 1945

Dave — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:30:28 +0000

Nuclear explosions since 1945

I love interesting data visualizations and happened to stumble upon this map of nuclear explosions since 1945 (high res) on Neatorama.

I have a lot of respect for designers who can take a mass of data and create an elegantly simple visualization like this one.

Original high res image (via Neatorama)

- Dave

In honor of the moon landing

Dave — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:20:28 +0000

The fucking moon. Over.

Failure – by Adam Savage of Mythbusters

Dave — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:13:13 +0000

Link to video (via Laughing Squid)

Did you know?

Dave — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:14:16 +0000

Link to video (via TMBLG)

Mysterious aurora found on Saturn

Dave — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:31:11 +0000

It appears that the hexagonal storm at the north pole of Saturn (as previously posted) has created an unusual aurora effect. The Cassini orbiter sent back the photo above of the peculiar light display in the photo above.

(If I were Captain Kirk, I’d fly the Enterprise right through the aurora just for fun.)

National Geographic link to the story (via jwz.org)