Thought of the Day

Philosophical Transactions A

I’ve just begun reading some of the articles in the 350th anniversary edition of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A and am reminded that the field of science was originally indistinguishable from philosophy in that most observers attempted to answer questions about the world through deductions derived from simple observations and, by today’s standards, crude experiments. I also find it amusing that those who hold science in high regard (myself included) will use such subjective terms to describe their relationship to it; they are passionate about their field of study and find beauty in its reflections in the world. In a way, I guess we are all philosophers at heart who have just found as much (if not more) joy in discovering how things work as opposed to why.

I occasionally come across organizations that I would have a hard time imagining on my own, like the well-known international organization for ornamental fish growers, the OFI. Think about it. There is an international organization for fish growers. I’m sorry, not all fish growers are allowed, only ornamental fish growers. They even have a code of ethics.

Maybe if I were more interested in koi, I’d see nothing surreal about this group of business owners and hobbyists, but I think I’ll stick with the International Aphid Genomics Consortium.

Thankfully, Edd’s Tavern is running again with minimal downtime. Fortunately, backing up everything has become a habit (but I’m still trying to eradicate the memories of the incident that drove that lesson home).

Support Melissa Hussain!

I just had to share these neat items I came across at Tesla Down Under (some very cool Tesla coils there, as well):

Aerogel - "Developed by NASA, Aerogel is the lightest and lowest-density solid known to exist. It also holds the World records for being the best insulator and lowest density solid. Aerogel is composed of amorphous Silicon Dioxide, and 99.8% Air. Aerogel negates just about any kind of energy transfer - thermal, electrical or acoustic. Aerogel's density is just 3 milligrams per cubic centimeter (it weighs only three times that of air). Its melting point is 2,200 degrees F (1,200 degrees C)."

Photo and info from United Nuclear Scientific Equipment and Supplies.

"Ferrofluid is a liquid that reacts to magnetism. It is attracted by magnets, pretty similar to iron. This can lead to areas where the liquid partly resists to gravitation when a magnet approaches. Thereby a small bump is formed close to the loadstone. This behavior is enabled by magnetic nano-particles that are suspended in a carrier fluid. Normally the particles are coated with a surfactant to prevent their agglomeration. This results in stable ferrofluid dispersions."

Photo and info from Univeristat Der Kunste Berlin.

Visit Nucleus | Art Gallery and Store for more info on one of their current exhibits, Zombies In Love.

I had the thought one day that it would be entertaining to create my own branch of numerology that revolved around the number ‘42′ and Douglas Adams.

Much to my dismay, I find that I’ve been beaten to it. More than once. Even by folks who (apparently) seriously believe it.

I guess it’s much harder than I thought to be an original and successful conspiracy theorist.