The television as envisioned by dreamers — before it existed.
The television as envisioned by dreamers — before it existed.
Author: Robert Zimmerman
Antonio Breschi – from Bach to Ireland on the piano
An evening pause: More off the cuff piano playing from Antonio Breschi, from Bach to Ireland.
Climategate continues
The article describes more evidence that the tree ring data used by global warming scientists was fraudulently manipulated to suggest a warming in the past half century when the full data set showed no such thing.
Until the climate field cleans house and admits to this wrong-doing, no one is going to trust anything they say.
Forecasting hurricanes
NOAA today announced its prediction for the upcoming Atlantic Ocean hurricane season, calling for between 9 and 15 tropical storms in 2012, with 4 to 8 becoming full blown hurricanes. The NOAA release can be seen here.
To me, the range of the prediction is so wide it really doesn’t mean anything. Moreover, I wonder about the reliability of these predictions.
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Destroying polio: only three nations left to go.
Destroying polio: only three nations left to go.
It is revealing that the only three nations where polio still survives — Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan — happen to be poor, corrupt, and heavily dominated or influenced by Islam. Moreover, the article notes that India just celebrated its first full year free from polio, even though it had been thought that the country would be a difficult challenge given its high population density and what the article calls “poor hygiene.” We shouldn’t be surprised, however. Since India abandoned socialism in the early 1990s and embraced capitalism and freedom, the country has thrived. And with increased wealth comes better education and better living conditions, both of which will aid in getting the population to cooperate in this effort.
The Lunar Orbiter image of Copernicus Crater, taken forty-six years ago, has been re-released after significant refurbishing..
Reboot: The Lunar Orbiter image of Copernicus Crater, taken forty-six years ago, has been re-released after significant refurbishing.
By adding modern computer interfaces and data handling techniques, the LOIRP was able to scan and record the data in ways that simply could not have been accomplished in the 1960s. As a result the images that were obtained had a much higher resolution and dynamic range than had been seen to date. Indeed, in many cases, these images often rival or exceed images taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter which is currently surveying the Moon.
You should definitely check it out, as it is a breathtaking image. Historic too, as it was the first image from the Moon that truly made the place understandable.
Spectacular video of a volcano eruption in Japan yesterday.
Sakurajima Volcano, which scientists have on alert since last year, erupted in Japan yesterday. Spectacular video below the fold.
This is not the big eruption that scientists are expecting, only a preliminary.
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Check out the National Speed Trap Exchange.
Going on a trip? Check out the National Speed Trap Exchange.
Why Obama’s poor primary performances matter.
Why Obama’s poor primary performances matter.
Using the budget balancing rules Congress imposed on private companies, the federal deficit turns out to be five times greater than the official but fake numbers Congress normally publishes.
The day of reckoning looms: Using the budget balancing rules Congress imposed on private companies, the annual federal deficit turns out to be five times greater than the official but fake numbers Congress normally publishes.
The big difference between the official deficit and standard accounting: Congress exempts itself from including the cost of promised retirement benefits. Yet companies, states and local governments must include retirement commitments in financial statements, as required by federal law and private boards that set accounting rules.
The deficit was $5 trillion last year under those rules. The official number was $1.3 trillion. Liabilities for Social Security, Medicare and other retirement programs rose by $3.7 trillion in 2011, according to government actuaries, but the amount was not registered on the government’s books.
The conflict between exploration and history
The Google X Prize has agreed to recognize the guidelines created by NASA for protecting the historic first landing sites on the Moon.
In glancing at the guidelines, I found it fascinating that it only mentions the Soviet lunar rover sites as an aside, noting their value but stating that
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Dragon’s dress rehearsal rendezvou last night was a success, and the spacecraft has been cleared to proceed with berthing tomorrow morning.
Dragon’s dress rehearsal rendezvou last night was a success, and the spacecraft has been cleared to proceed with berthing tomorrow morning.
Dragon’s test rendezvous with ISS tonight has begun.
Dragon’s test rendezvous with ISS tonight has begun.
The rendezvous won’t be completed until 6:30 am (Eastern), with two orbital engine burns scheduled for 3 and 4 am. For further updates you can go here. Or you can watch everything on NASA TV.
Engineers at MIT have developed a coating for the inside of food bottles that will allow all the food to flow out.
No more banging that ketchup bottle: Engineers at MIT have developed a coating for the insides of food containers that will allow all the food to flow out.
More information on the leftwing activist, Brett Kimberlin, who is trying to destroy bloggers who criticize him.
More information on the leftwing activist, Brett Kimberlin, who is trying to destroy bloggers who criticize him, and the effort of the blogosphere to fight back.
The University of Arkansas has been forced by the Obama Justice Department to allow a male student permanent access to female bathrooms.
We’re here to help you: The University of Arkansas has been forced by the Obama Justice Department to allow a male student permanent access to female bathrooms.
“[Christians and Jews] are inferior and smaller, more cowardly and despised.”
From the Palestinian Authority: “[Christians and Jews] are inferior and smaller, more cowardly and despised.”
Two points: 1. This was read on the PA’s official television network by a a young girl as part of a children’s show. 2. Our federal government, under the Obama administration, has sent the PA hundreds of millions of dollars to fund this kind of bigotry and hate.
Cousin Jake, Uncle Josh, Earl Scruggs – Nobody’s business
An evening pause: “Nobody’s business what I do.”
Dragon has been approved to approach within one mile of ISS tonight in its first rendezvous test.
Dragon has been approved to approach within 1.5 miles of ISS tonight in its first rendezvous test. More information here.
If this goes well tonight, Dragon will next attempt to approach the station close enough for its robot arm to grab it.
Four Princeton physicists received over $1.5 million in lodging subsidies from the Department of Energy while on “temporary” assignment to other labs, even after living at that assigment for as much as 14 years.
The work is good if you can get it: Four Princeton physicists received over $1.5 million in lodging subsidies from the Department of Energy while on “temporary” assignment to other labs, even after living at that assignment for as much as 14 years.
The above story, from Science, takes a more sympathic view of this misuse of government funds. The Washington Post is more blunt:
Four high-ranking federal lab workers found a way to turn “per diem” funds for a temporary assignment into a steady flow of extra income — at taxpayers’ expense. The overpayments, discovered in an inspector general’s audit, boosted the annual pay of some of the employees by as much as $64,000.
The Department of Energy paid the four scientists roughly $1.8 million for daily lodging and “inconvenience” during assignments away from home. But these scientists were paid as if they were on temporary duty for up to 14 years — long after most had permanently relocated to job sites.
The problem with this story is that it isn’t an exception but the rule. Right now the wolves are guarding the chicken house, and they are raiding it routinely for as much cash as they can get. Consider for example last week’s story about the NIH study that has spent a billion dollars without even getting off the ground.
You give someone the equivalent of a blank check, and they will make no effort to do things efficiently, or even to do what you hired them for.