Cool Science

...I don't have any particular talent in either, yet I do have a deep and abiding appreciation for both. I sincerely enjoy being immersed in both, even if I don't always understand what's going on or even if can't figure out "how did they do that". Both have an unquantifiable, compelling power. And let's face it - you can do excellent party tricks with both. Both music and math are democratic, indiscriminate subjects which can be learned by anybody; yet when you witness somebody with real talent in either case then it can really blow your mind. Ok, that's my rant for today.

Here's a completely random web video that I got a kick out of. That's one clever penguin.

My deep thought: I've decided that by grilling, and especially by smoking the things I grill with mesquite and hickory, that I release tiny inert dust particles into the upper atmosphere which reflect sunlight and contribute to a global cooling effect that opposes global warming. I intend to grill a lot more in support of the environment. (let's forget about where charcoal comes from, or the production of carbon dioxide, etc.).

Finally, I haven't kept up with the free energy folks in a while. I'll admit it - they're entertaining and I've missed hearing the latest. Here's a fellow who believes he has a contraption which is supposed to take advantage of the fact that the Earth is rotating. Rotation just results in a centripetal/centrifugal force (quiz : what's the difference?) and so this looks fishy but I've never run across this one before so I should think it through first.