Purity
6th August, 2008
By xkcd, via The Filter.
Categories: Nonsense, General Science, Maths | Comments (0) | Permalink
Put a little science in your life!
2nd June, 2008
Inspirational stuff from Brian Greene in the New York Times:
Science is a way of life. Science is a perspective. Science is the process that takes us from confusion to understanding in a manner that’s precise, predictive and reliable — a transformation, for those lucky enough to experience it, that is empowering and emotional. To be able to think through and grasp explanations — for everything from why the sky is blue to how life formed on earth — not because they are declared dogma but rather because they reveal patterns confirmed by experiment and observation, is one of the most precious of human experiences.
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Defecating on an infinite number of keyboards
21st May, 2008
Everyone knows that if an infinite number of monkeys bash away at an infinite number of typewriters, then eventually one will write the complete works of Shakespeare.
So, in 2003, some researchers at the University of Plymouth decided to test this theory, at Paignton Zoo. Unfortunately they were limited to having only one month, one computer, and six monkeys (Sulawesi crested macaques Elmo, Gum, Heather, Holly, Mistletoe and Rowan).
The initial results were not encouraging: “the lead male got a stone and started bashing the hell out of it… Another thing they were interested in was in defecating and urinating all over the keyboard”.
But who’s to say that isn’t how Shakespeare started out?
After a while the monkeys began to get the idea, and set to work enthusiastically. In such restricted conditions, it’s understandable that their final manuscript [pdf] lacks the intricacy of the bard’s work. Nevertheless, it’s a good first attempt, which I look forward to seeing on stage.
[via Elliott]
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The Four-legged Mince of Progress
9th April, 2008
Do you get disappointed that life in the 21st century isn’t quite as last millennium’s sci-fi promised? Here are 3 videos I’ve seen recently, which suggest that we’re getting there.
First, Boston Dynamics’ BigDog robot:
Next, Microsoft’s Photosynth (which you can try for yourself here), as demonstrated by Blaise Aguera y Arcas:
Finally Direct Note Access from Melodyne:
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