So can you hear this ringtone? It’s supposed to be too high-pitched in frequency for the ears of people over 30 to hear… but I can hear it. It’s via Shannon, who seems to be alternating between thinking she’s too old to hear it, or she’s just been exposed to too much loud music over… Continue reading So can you hear the ringtone?
Tag: Science
Pi Day
For the mathematically-inclined, today is Pi Day. Because today is 3-14. Get it? Even better, the celebration begins at 1:59 p.m. Curiously enough, today is also Albert Einstein‘s birthday. Odd coincidence, considering.
Central Oregon dinosaur
This article in the Bulletin Monday caught my eye: Dinosaur discovery. Part of a plesiosaur was unearthed over near Prineville last summer: The self-trained paleontologists found what is believed to be the first remains of a marine reptile called the plesiosaur that has been found in the Pacific Northwest. It is also thought to be… Continue reading Central Oregon dinosaur
Treknobabble on Slashdot
In the science fiction world, “technobabble” refers to the use of technical or scientific jargon strung together so that to listeners unfamiliar with the language, it sounds like made-up nonsense. When relating to Star Trek, a derivative and more derogatory concept shows up: “treknobabble,” which, in the words of Wikipedia, “is used humorously by fans… Continue reading Treknobabble on Slashdot
Followup to the Time Traveler Convention
Wired News has a followup article about the time traveler convention that I blogged about the other day. Apparently no one from the future showed up. But when attendees gathered outside for a raucous countdown at 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, nothing appeared on the makeshift landing pad at the coordinates Dorai set for the… Continue reading Followup to the Time Traveler Convention
The Time Traveler Convention
I don’t know whether to file this under “weird” or “science” or “brilliant”: MIT is hosting a time traveler convention on May 7. What is it? Technically, you would only need one time traveler convention. Time travelers from all eras could meet at a specific place at a specific time, and they could make as… Continue reading The Time Traveler Convention
55,000 year old trees at Yachats
This story from Bend.com last week reminded me of the Stumps posting I made a year ago. An Oregon State University oceanographer has discovered remnants of an ancient forest in a seaside cliff near Yachats, with exposed tree sections that have been dated at older than 55,000 years. Those trees, which apparently were flattened during… Continue reading 55,000 year old trees at Yachats
Globe
Today at work my friend Kerry and I were talking about geography and globes, which was prompted by the Yahooligans Where in the World is? game (where you see if you know your world geography), and came up with what I think would be the perfect globe: an interactive one whose outer surface is a… Continue reading Globe
Orion
The February issue of Discover Magazine has an interesting article about Project Orion: a project that was developed during the ’50s and ’60s to build a spaceship that was as big as a skyscraper, weighed eight million pounds, and was propelled by—get this—nuclear bombs. While Discover’s article was good, focusing more on the people and… Continue reading Orion
Oregon tsunamis
This article on Bend.com is interesting, about the occurence (and likelihood of) tsunamis off the coast of Oregon. Some time between 9 and 10 p.m. on Jan. 26, 1700, a similar great earthquake, with the same estimated magnitude as the one in Asia, struck the Northwest, rocking the region with strong shaking for several minutes.… Continue reading Oregon tsunamis