Saturday, July 7
Tour de France in London
The Tour de France starts in London today - I have noticed that the logo for the start looks rather clearer than the one for the 2012 Olympics.
Thursday, July 5
Why do people think scientists are scruffy.
An article in the World's Fair called "Who's a pretty scientist has noted the existence of a collection of paintings, engravings and photographs of eminent scientists. There is a slight problem with these, which I shall now elaborate.
This man did not develop the theory of special relativity!
This man did not develop the theory of special relativity!
No, I haven't gone bonkers, bear with me.
This man did.
Young, reasonably smart and well presented. Not a scruffy, white haired eccentric.
But everyone thinks the great genius Einstein was a white-haired old man, not a 26 year old, because most pictures of eminent scientists are those of them many years *after* they did the work that made them famous.
I didn't spot this problem myself, Sir Harry Kroto points it out in his lectures.
The images are from the Wikipedia article.
Guardian on nanotech at Imperial College
Nanotechnology and electron microscopy get an article in the Grauniad - but unfortunately it's not my University, it's Imperial College. Well, I guess it's less distance for a journalist to travel for starters. Plus they have results, while we only just opened (although we do have some very, very nice results already, but I'm not saying what they are until they're published)
Digs at journos apart, it is a good look at the sort of things that scientists can do, why we can do them now and couldn't before, and why it is important. Higher efficiency boilers are a good environmental thing after all, even before you get to the point that pure hydrogen fuel boilers produce no carbon emissions.
The electron microscope comes into it as to get these boilers to work needs lower temperatures, to get the lower working temperatures needs more understanding of the surface of the ceramic material, and to really do that they need to look at the atoms. Which you can if you have a very nice new transmission electron microscope.
They've also got their own spin-off company, Ceres Power - playing on the environmental aspect, I guess, as Ceres was the Roman goddess of agriculture. I'm guessing they had a good announcement of something last month, as their share price jumped up significantly in June, possibly connected to the Daily Telegraph's shares column listing in their green portfolio (the month would have started particularly well for chief science officer Professor Nigel Brandon, as he also got his Royal Academy of Engineering Silver Award that week)
Digs at journos apart, it is a good look at the sort of things that scientists can do, why we can do them now and couldn't before, and why it is important. Higher efficiency boilers are a good environmental thing after all, even before you get to the point that pure hydrogen fuel boilers produce no carbon emissions.
The electron microscope comes into it as to get these boilers to work needs lower temperatures, to get the lower working temperatures needs more understanding of the surface of the ceramic material, and to really do that they need to look at the atoms. Which you can if you have a very nice new transmission electron microscope.
They've also got their own spin-off company, Ceres Power - playing on the environmental aspect, I guess, as Ceres was the Roman goddess of agriculture. I'm guessing they had a good announcement of something last month, as their share price jumped up significantly in June, possibly connected to the Daily Telegraph's shares column listing in their green portfolio (the month would have started particularly well for chief science officer Professor Nigel Brandon, as he also got his Royal Academy of Engineering Silver Award that week)
Zimbabwe moves yet closer to the brink
The bad news from the breadbasket turned basket case that is Zimbabwe continues - after Mugabe ordered shops to halve their prices, the inevitable panic shopping has hit. Clearly, if shops are forced to sell their goods at less than it costs to buy them from the manufacturers, they aren't going to restock. So now the shops are empty, they won't be refilled.
Mugabe's regime continues to blame everything on the British. Apparently, selling goods at a profit rather than a huge loss is "British tactics" and "dirty tricks". Mugabe's government has threatened to nationalise shops that won't obey them. The end result is that it will be only the state shops that are running officially, everyone else will use the black market - and if Mugabe's supporters run the state shops with the same efficiency they run their farms, that probably will mean everyone else will have to use the black market to survive.
Mugabe's regime continues to blame everything on the British. Apparently, selling goods at a profit rather than a huge loss is "British tactics" and "dirty tricks". Mugabe's government has threatened to nationalise shops that won't obey them. The end result is that it will be only the state shops that are running officially, everyone else will use the black market - and if Mugabe's supporters run the state shops with the same efficiency they run their farms, that probably will mean everyone else will have to use the black market to survive.
Tuesday, July 3
Monday, July 2
Don't trust him just because he's a doctor
The tabloid newspapers have been throwing their arms up in horror that doctors - those nice medical people - were amongst the plotters, planners and would-be suicide bombers that attempted to attack London and Glasgow at the weekend.
However, as was coincidentally noted in the Bad Science column on Saturday, doctors do not have a stain free reputation as a profession.
We need to remember that education doesn't automatically make people decent and rational. Even more, we need to remember that applies to us as well.
However, as was coincidentally noted in the Bad Science column on Saturday, doctors do not have a stain free reputation as a profession.
Doctors had been active participants in the Nazi project, and joined Hitler's National Socialist party in greater numbers than any other profession
We need to remember that education doesn't automatically make people decent and rational. Even more, we need to remember that applies to us as well.
Better than Belgium
In one of those wittering things that think tanks like to come up with, and which contain so many metrics that it's really all a matter of opinion, the UK has come 17th in the list of the world's most prosperous countries, only slightly ahead of Belgium.
This study claims to measure more factors than simply wealth, including climate, which we can't do a lot about (and my opinions on a nice climate probably differ slightly from theirs). Mind you, they put Norway first, so I'd agree with that.
This study claims to measure more factors than simply wealth, including climate, which we can't do a lot about (and my opinions on a nice climate probably differ slightly from theirs). Mind you, they put Norway first, so I'd agree with that.
Damon Days
The increasing rise of Damon Albarn, who appears to have gone from being an annoying mockney brit-popper to a national treasure in the general view of the media seems to be continuing. Not content with arranging the Africa Express stage at Glastonbury (reviews of which changed me from chortling in schadenfreude* at the festival goers struggling through the mud to seething in jealousy** at those who got to go rather than me, purely because they actually bothered to buy tickets when they were on sale), he's now managed to get some reviewers in raptures over the opera Monkey: Journey to the West to which he has written the soundtrack.
Not all plain sailing though - another Grauniad reviewer wasn't so impressed. Guess which reviewer has a pop background and which one is the classical music buff? Still, Albarn's only 39 - there's still time to win over the rest of the world...
*A bad trait of mine.
**Another bad trait of mine.
Not all plain sailing though - another Grauniad reviewer wasn't so impressed. Guess which reviewer has a pop background and which one is the classical music buff? Still, Albarn's only 39 - there's still time to win over the rest of the world...
*A bad trait of mine.
**Another bad trait of mine.
Stupid Design
From the US, a Ted Rall cartoon on how if there is a designer of the universe, they might not be that bright.
I'd go for the design by committee option myself. Some things are very clever indeed - the processing needed to understand and recognise faces is something still beyond computers, while other things are very thick, if designed from scratch - our eyes are wired up the wrong way round, so even more clever computing is needed to ignore the blind spots.
Dawkins' explanation for this works well, of course - once you've started up Mount Impossible, you're not allowed to go down a hill just because you can see a higher hill on the other side of the valley (the only way to do so is to have evolutionary pressures decreased, so it doesn't matter so much how far up the hill you are - indeed, this may be the position with humans now, we're not evolving that much but we have rather increased the range of hills we can reach when evolutionary pressure returns)
I'd go for the design by committee option myself. Some things are very clever indeed - the processing needed to understand and recognise faces is something still beyond computers, while other things are very thick, if designed from scratch - our eyes are wired up the wrong way round, so even more clever computing is needed to ignore the blind spots.
Dawkins' explanation for this works well, of course - once you've started up Mount Impossible, you're not allowed to go down a hill just because you can see a higher hill on the other side of the valley (the only way to do so is to have evolutionary pressures decreased, so it doesn't matter so much how far up the hill you are - indeed, this may be the position with humans now, we're not evolving that much but we have rather increased the range of hills we can reach when evolutionary pressure returns)
More on the flop of Fopp
Having now heard more on the Fopp story from a man at work who was there at the start (shopped in the Glasgow store that started it all before it became Fopp) and was there at the end (in his local branch at 4pm when the asked everyone to leave), and it appears that it wasn't so much a case of Amazon and iTunes taking them down but their overzealous expansion that accrued far too much in the way of debts.
This does perhaps mean that there is some scope for someone to fill the void left by Fopp. I hope this isn't going to be more mainstream stores that have been whinging about their recent reduction in sales, the reason Fopp is missed is that they had a wider range of music.
My local independent music store are apparently quite overcome with schadenfreude at the demise of their larger rivals. I'm not sure they should be, though. It may mean a short term increase in sales, but in the longer term there is the danger that the kids could start viewing music as being something you only get over the internet, rather than something you browse through a shop for. Particularly one that looks like the traditional old music store that makes you slightly concerned that some member of staff may berate you for your poor taste in music.
This does perhaps mean that there is some scope for someone to fill the void left by Fopp. I hope this isn't going to be more mainstream stores that have been whinging about their recent reduction in sales, the reason Fopp is missed is that they had a wider range of music.
My local independent music store are apparently quite overcome with schadenfreude at the demise of their larger rivals. I'm not sure they should be, though. It may mean a short term increase in sales, but in the longer term there is the danger that the kids could start viewing music as being something you only get over the internet, rather than something you browse through a shop for. Particularly one that looks like the traditional old music store that makes you slightly concerned that some member of staff may berate you for your poor taste in music.
Don't Lose the Music
Today, the RNID have published research suggesting that 70% of clubbers experience hearing loss the day after, yet only a quarter realised that the sound was too loud.
And no, this isn't an old man grouching at the youngsters for the sake of it. This is a not-so old man grouching because he's now got mild tinnitus because clubs and gigs turn the volume up on their speakers rather than putting sufficient thought into ensuring they have decent coverage of the sound over the whole area. Come to think of it, if they want people to feel the music, why not have a system that shakes the floor without having to blast it with sound waves?
More details at the Don't Lose the Music website.
On a side thought, since the government has banned people who suffer from a drug addiction from inflicting discomfort and damage on others, perhaps the next thing is going to be enforcing noise limits on nightclubs. And if there are people who genuinely feel that a night isn't good without inflicting permanent damage on their eardrums, perhaps clubs could offer wireless headphones to them so they can destroy their hearing without affecting mine.
In the mean time, I'm buying myself a new set of ear protectors for the next festival I go to, as I'm not keen on putting earplugs in all the time (although I do wear ear plugs to gigs). They're useful not just for the loud music - they also come in handy if some prat is still playing the bongos near your tent at four in the morning.
And no, this isn't an old man grouching at the youngsters for the sake of it. This is a not-so old man grouching because he's now got mild tinnitus because clubs and gigs turn the volume up on their speakers rather than putting sufficient thought into ensuring they have decent coverage of the sound over the whole area. Come to think of it, if they want people to feel the music, why not have a system that shakes the floor without having to blast it with sound waves?
More details at the Don't Lose the Music website.
On a side thought, since the government has banned people who suffer from a drug addiction from inflicting discomfort and damage on others, perhaps the next thing is going to be enforcing noise limits on nightclubs. And if there are people who genuinely feel that a night isn't good without inflicting permanent damage on their eardrums, perhaps clubs could offer wireless headphones to them so they can destroy their hearing without affecting mine.
In the mean time, I'm buying myself a new set of ear protectors for the next festival I go to, as I'm not keen on putting earplugs in all the time (although I do wear ear plugs to gigs). They're useful not just for the loud music - they also come in handy if some prat is still playing the bongos near your tent at four in the morning.
Dublin - the Vikings are coming back
Is it a worrying sign for my sanity that I think this sounds like fun?
Friday, June 29
Fopp's gone
Music store chain Fopp have folded - and I can't see many of them ever opening again as a music store, to he honest.
With Amazon and iTunes taking the mass market, and (I suspect) the brand being too mainstream for the really serious music buffs, I suspect there isn't a way to keep it going.
From my own personal point of view, I'm not really that upset as if I buy music in town, I go to Selectadisc
With Amazon and iTunes taking the mass market, and (I suspect) the brand being too mainstream for the really serious music buffs, I suspect there isn't a way to keep it going.
From my own personal point of view, I'm not really that upset as if I buy music in town, I go to Selectadisc
Thursday, June 28
Tuesday, June 26
When Giant Penguins roamed the Earth
BBC News reports on the discovery of fossilised remains of a tropical penguin (another case of getting the press release out to coincide with the paper being published).
Not sure if people would find a five foot tall penguin with a spear-like beak as cute as various people seem to find modern variants.
Not sure if people would find a five foot tall penguin with a spear-like beak as cute as various people seem to find modern variants.
Sunday, June 24
Trolle Siebenhaar
One of my regular blog stops for new music, and one that has led me to some good music buys, is Aurgasm, and they've recommended another good one - Trolle//Siebenhaar's Sweet Dogs.
The video is also currently available on Last.fm
The video is also currently available on Last.fm
Saturday, June 23
Steampunk Star Wars
I used to be a great Star Wars fan - until the Ewoks got on my nerves. The latest three I didn't even bother with.
If they'd made them a bit more Steampunk, though...
Steampunk Star Wars
If they'd made them a bit more Steampunk, though...
Steampunk Star Wars
Parental Guidance
Yet another of those things that websites make that are useful on blogs and thereby increase the number of links to their website. Not that most people do any more than put up the image thing.
Saw this on Pharyngula, who was outraged to discover he was rated G.
Not sure how he managed to get that - I'm rated PG because I've previously said the word "dead".
Oops, done it again. I'll be X-rated before you know it...
Saw this on Pharyngula, who was outraged to discover he was rated G.
Not sure how he managed to get that - I'm rated PG because I've previously said the word "dead".
Oops, done it again. I'll be X-rated before you know it...
Gatecrasher crashed
Once upon a time, when I was younger and could go into nightclubs without promptly developing tinnitus, I used to go to nightclubs with fellow students at Sheffield. The Republic was one that we used to go to, so a bit of a shame to hear it burnt down last Monday.
Given that the pubs I used to go in most often have either changed, or been demolished entirely, the Sheffield of my student days is largely gone already.
Blimey, makes me feel old...
Given that the pubs I used to go in most often have either changed, or been demolished entirely, the Sheffield of my student days is largely gone already.
Blimey, makes me feel old...
Thursday, June 21
The green face of greed
Well, the free market economy may not be quite the purely rapacious planet eating beast that many people would like to claim it is. Although news that China has become the world's largest producer of greenhouse gases (thanks in part to the West offshoring all its dirty industries) shows the downside of the free market, the rush of investments into renewable energy resources is a good sign.
The Guardian reports that the forward to the Global Trends in Sustainable Development annual review states:
Greenpeace have, of course, pointed out that even these much increased numbers are peanuts compared to the annual investments in fossil fuel technology.
The Guardian reports that the forward to the Global Trends in Sustainable Development annual review states:
bankers and other fund managers have ignored government dithering over climate change and started to shift the whole balance of the sector by pumping money into technologies that tackle global warming.
Greenpeace have, of course, pointed out that even these much increased numbers are peanuts compared to the annual investments in fossil fuel technology.
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