Sagas of Icelanders » Science

The Milky Way over Devil’s Tower

Swany — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:55:10 +0000

A True Image from False Kiva

Swany — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:43:19 +0000

Astronomy Picture of the Day: Far in the distance is part of the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy, taken with a long duration exposure. Much closer, the planet Jupiter is visible as the bright point just to band’s left. Closer still are picturesque buttes and mesas of the Canyonlands National Park in Utah, USA, lit by a crescent moon. In the foreground is a cave housing a stone circle of unknown origin named False Kiva. The cave was briefly lit by flashlight during the long exposure. Astrophotographer Wally Pacholka.

Vacuum Tube Tesla Coil Does Fascinating Stunts

Swany — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 19:52:38 +0000

ModernMechanix:

Light bulbs and spinning wires which glow with weird effects, cigarettes which light mysteriously— these are a few of the stunts you can do with this vacuum tube Tesla coil.

U Calgary launders money for astroturf group

Swany — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 19:53:49 +0000

Deltoid: Charles Montgomery has a detailed expose in the Globe and Mail on the activities of Tim Ball and the Friends of Science. It turns out that the University of Calgary has been used to launder oil company money to … Continue reading →

Mr. Cool and friends

Swany — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 17:50:38 +0000

Charles Montgomery, journalist: “Former geography professor Tim Ball is Canada’s most vocal climate change skeptic. Supporting him is a coalition of oil patch retirees, skeptical scientists, anonymous donors and public relations experts intent on quashing the Kyoto Accord.”

Home Chemistry

Swany — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 17:28:16 +0000

BibliOdyssey

Notable properties of specific numbers

Swany — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 05:59:45 +0000

MROB: 1394 — The number of ways to pick 5 numbers from 1 to 25 (with no two the same) and have them add up to 65.

Benford’s Law

Swany — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 16:07:26 +0000

MathWorld: A phenomenological law also called the first digit law, first digit phenomenon, or leading digit phenomenon. Benford’s law states that in listings, tables of statistics, etc., the digit 1 tends to occur with about .3 probability , much greater than the expected .11 (i.e., one digit out of 9). Benford’s law can be observed, for instance, by examining tables of logarithms and noting that the first pages are much more. Also see the flash-based Significant Figure Distributor Generator.

Researchers confirm lead as cause of Beethoven’s illness

Swany — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 20:07:09 +0000

Science Blog: “Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have found massive amounts of lead in bone fragments belonging to Ludwig von Beethoven, confirming the cause of his years of chronic debilitating illness. Beethoven experienced a change of personality and abdominal illness in his late teens and early 20s that persisted throughout his adult life. His abdominal symptoms and autopsy findings are both consistent with lead poisoning, Walsh said. There have been documented cases of deafness resulting from lead poisoning, but this has been a relatively rare occurrence. There is no solid evidence that lead poisoning was a cause of Beethoven’s deafness, Walsh said.”

Ankylosing spondylitis

Swany — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 17:58:01 +0000

drdoc on-line: “With ideal therapy, advanced disease and progression is reduced, through modification of the disease process and prevention of advanced spinal deformity, through education, regarding exercises and posture.”