Science - Physics Comments turned off

String Theory in 2 minutes or Less…

By on October 25th, 2007

Every now and then, in my daily search to avoid actual work, I come across something that I think is really and truly worthy of being spread far and wide. Today, I managed to bump into the results of a contest where people were asked to make a video explaining String Theory in two minutes or less. The contest was judged by Brian Greene, a Columbia University physicist. His choice was String Ducky by Sandy Chase (Yes, the yellow bathtub duck. I knew those guys were up to something with all the quarking around.)

Discover Magazine online has the winners and also rans (which are also excellent) along with an introduction by Brian Greene about why he chose String Ducky. Check it out.

After watching all the videos, I really have to say I agree with Greene’s choice of String Ducky. However, my runner ups were Einstein’s Unfinished Symphony (great background music and link to the theory) and Mass Through Strings (visually beautiful).

Writing about science in a clear, concise manner that is factually accurate and entertaining is probably one of the most difficult things a writer can do. The String Theory in 2 Minutes or Less has definitely shown that it can be done visually as well as texturally. All these participants did a wonderful jobs of explaining a very difficult concept in simple language and visuals. These videos are obviously labors of love — love of science and a desire to share knowledge with others. Guess I’ll have to search for more science explanations in 2 minutes or less.

CSA, Environment Comments turned off

Rain at last….

By on October 25th, 2007

It started raining last night — in fits and starts. All day today there’d be misty rain followed by overcast skies and then maybe more rain. Maryland was in a drought — 34 days without rain, with temperatures most days in the mid-70s to high 80s. I’m enjoying the sound and the smell of rain. It’s very pleasant to have not just rain, but the slow drippy kind that soaks into the soil and down through to wherever the wetness goes to help wells and water tables.

On the other hand, Southern California is having another day of fires sweeping through the canyons and destroying homes as well as trees, brush, and the creatures that live hidden from view. The winds are driving the fires — the news today said hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from the burning areas. I feel almost guilty enjoying the rainy end to our drought  when these people are losing their homes. Especially since people I know live very near those areas. None have had to suffer from anything more that soot and smoke, but they’re still living with the threat, while I sit back drinking coffee and enjoying the rain.

To make matter worse, I heard that some of the more recent fires are arson. You really have to wonder about the thought processes that someone has to have gone through to decide that it’s a good idea setting fires in an area that’s already in flames, with firefighters stretched thin and exhausted. Maybe they don’t think at all. Shouldn’t arsonists all just line up to see the beautiful display of fire that nature is displaying rather than setting fires of their own? I can’t come up with a motivation for this behavior — nope, can’t think why a sentient being would do such a thing — maybe they aren’t sentient — they just look the part.

CSA Comments turned off

Electronic problems…

By on October 24th, 2007

I have a cell phone — well, in this day and age nearly everyone does but mine is a basic model — no camera, no Internet access, just your stripped down model. What it does seem to have is a very accurate Important Event Detector (IED). For those of you who haven’t realized that this piece of technology is built-in to every piece of equipment you own — well, you’ve been lucky. An IED is what makes the cell phone, laptop, PDA, calculator, whatever misbehave just when you need it most. So, if you charged your cell phone just last night, took it off the charger this morning and then need to make an emergency phone call because you’re stuck in traffic — well the IED snaps into action and your cell phone will be dead and needing a charge. Have an important paper due at work and figure you’ll print it out when you get there — IED strikes again — the laptop will be dead or the wireless network on the fritz, or the file will suddenly corrupt and you’re dead in the water. It has taken me years of tracking these small incidents but I’ve finally figured out that the IED exists.

I use to get really annoyed at authors of books that have their protagonist’s cell phones, tasers, etc., fail  just when they needed them the most. I figured this was just a clumsy plot device. But now, I can see that these authors knew something I either didn’t know, or simply didn’t want to admit. Yes, it’s the IED that gets us, and all these amateur detectives, into so much trouble.

Now if we could only find out who makes and it and what it’s true purpose is….

Environment Comments turned off

Recycling — where does it go…

By on October 22nd, 2007

We recycle. We separate out the cans, plastic and glass to one bucket, newspapers in a stack, then cardboard and other paper in a third container. Since we live in the country we don’t have town/city trash pick up. So, we pay a local man to come and pick up the trash once a week. However, he doesn’t do recycling so that we take to the recycle center ourselves.  It’s only a little out of our way, so it’s a very minor inconvenience.

Now, I don’t have a problem with recycling — although I threw my back out last night helping to load the car so my husband could stop after work and drop everything off at the center. What bothers me is the people who take their stuff to the recycle center but then can’t be bothered to put the newspaper in the newspaper bin, the cardboard/mixed paper in that bin, etc. I mean why bother to do it and truck it all the way there and then just throw it in the first bin you get to?  They’ve already committed 99% of the effort just being there, but can’t be bothered to take that one final step.

The other thing is there’s an actual household trash area so those people who don’t have pick up of household trash can drop off their bagged garbage.   You know this is coming don’t you…why do people dump their garbage either in with the recycle stuff or into the proper bin, but not bagged.  Again, what’s the thinking on this.

We recycle because of our belief that we’re using up our resources too quickly and it’s bad for the environment.  We feel that helping to recycle is a very minor thing that we can do that might just actually help.  We follow up the recycling by buying products that use recycled materials as part of their product whether that be the container, packaging, or actually the recycled material itself (some yarn is made of recycled plastic bottles). So, I’m totally at a loss to understand the people who go through all the effort to bring their trash there, and then just dump their garbage at the recycle center for others to clean up.

Environment Comments turned off

2007 Solar Decathalon

By on October 18th, 2007

Today after my dentist appointment, we decided a treat was in order and set out to check out the 2007 Solar Decathalon being held on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The Solar Decathalon has been held several times since we’ve lived in Maryland but this is the first time we’ve actually made it. Solar houses are built by teams of students and they compete in ten contests: architecture, engineering, market viability, communications, comfort zone, appliances, hot water, lighting, energy balance, and getting around (usually electric cars).

Sign explaining Solar Decathalon

It was a beautiful day and sunny. All the houses have to use solar for everything. We didn’t get to look in every house but we did see a few. Of the houses that we got to tour we liked the Team Montreal house and the UMR house.

Team Montreal's House

Univ. of Missouri-Rolla House

None of the houses were actually liveable but these two came the closest to being a house that actual people could live in. All of the other houses that we saw seemed to believe that no storage was required for clothing, books, or the other clutter of life (even pared down to House Beautiful levels of nearly empty rooms). One house had a closet about 7 feet high and 2 1/2 wide, most of the others had none at all.

Kitchens were horrible except in the two we liked. Most had kitchens that could reheat frozen dinners or take-out but not to actually cook meals for a couple for a week. Part of the contest is they need to cook a large meal and for one meal you could do it. The appliances were there but if you had a set of dishes (plates, bowls, dessert plate…), silverware, glassware, coffee pot and cups — well you’d fill up 90% of the kitchen cabinets and have no where to store staples like flour, sugar, spices, boxes of this and that, cans of whatever (just think of what you pick up for a month of meals that doesn’t go in the fridge). There was a nice bottom freezer fridge in all the homes we visited.

It has to be remembered that all the houses were designed to meet the contest rules and criteria and thus some design considerations were made that might not have been made if people had to live in it rather than the house being on display. Even as display houses they do show that you don’t have to give up anything to live solar — most homes had a place for an office, full bath, all the usual kitchen appliances and felt open and spacious. For many visiting the houses that may be enough but when I look at a house — I start to think of it as a home and wonder where would you put bookcases, my spinning wheel, my craft supplies, etc. None of the houses seemed like they could actually be homes except for the Montreal and UMR houses. There was another house by the University of Colorado that we liked the appearance of but the line to tour was so long that we couldn’t get near it. But here’s a photo of the outside:

Univ. of Colorado House

All in all, it was well worth taking the time to visit the mall to see these solar homes. Keep your eyes out for tours of solar homes near you area — we should all be trying to reduce our carbon footprints and these homes do show that you don’t have to rough it to use solar energy, energy efficient appliances, and live comfortably — once the designs switch from winning a contest to using solar and being a home people can live in.

Socks - William Street Comments turned off

William Street Socks — or Cold Feet Warm Socks

By on October 18th, 2007

While mulling over the advisability of continuing my Kauni Cardigan (After a short test of sizing — see yesterday’s comments, it looks like a go), I started socks. The pattern is William Street Socks by Lisa Shroyer published by Interweave Knits magazine. The pattern, with lots of cables looked like a nice cuddly sock for those cold days. Knit from the toe up, it’s easy to try it on now and then while working on it. The toe was done using the Eastern wrap method and actually was easy to do. Previously, I’d made up something similar but this was the method I’d have used for toe up socks if I’d known it existed prior to this pattern naming and using it. Here’s a sock in process:

William Street Socks - top of foot

I love to go barefoot in the house. We’ve got engineered wood floors so all summer it’s nice and cool on the toes and makes it seem a bit cooler when it’s over 100 degrees outside. However, in winter it’s another story for the poor toes. My body temperature runs a bit lower than 98.6 so my feet get really, really cold — and I still like to be sans shoes. So, I make a lot of socks with heavier yarn. This pair is being knit with Vanna’s Choice in purple — a nice deep eggplant-purple. For purists, yes, I know this is 100% acrylic but the color is just beautiful and the stitch definition is very nice. I’ll have to remember to post again after they’ve been through the wash 20 or 30 times to report on the yarn’s lasting power.

William Street Socks - side of foot

I turned the heel last night and it looks a bit weird but it seems okay. I’ll try it on when I get a bit more done.

Kauni Cardigan 2 comments

Kauni Cardigan

By on October 17th, 2007

Okay, everyone probably knew about the Kauni Cardigan before it even made an appearance on my radar. But finally, I saw it on Stephanie (Yarn Harlot) Pearl-McPhee’s site and then I of course Googled and checked out the Rainey Sisters. In case you lived under the same rock I did, the pattern is a free PDF from Ruth Sorenson. It took me a while to track down the yarn at a price I could afford and I got it from Fun Knits (fast service and good price).

So, got the yarn (EQ — the rainbow colors), printed the pattern and started swatching and swatching and swatching. Usually, I don’t do the “S” word thing but I actually want this sweater for me/myself — it’s mine. I found that even at gauge it wouldn’t fit with those numbers — a lot of caffeine and scribbled notes and calculator finesse and I finally figured out how many stitches I’d need to fit me and allow full pattern repeats horizonally. Since I can’t try it on until it’s done and there’s a steek so no going back for a do over once that’s cut — I think I got the size I need, I think (note the insecurity rising up on the mental horizon). Anyway, I looked around and saw a lot of different borders other than the railroad ribbing on the pattern. Now I don’t like ribbing in general on my sweaters because, well let’s not go there but it has to do with hips and being a woman of substance. So, I tried alternatives….

Broken rib edge Garter stitch boxes

I decided the broken rib looked too much like V’s and the trial of ribbing (top) of photo just didn’t do it for me. So I ended up going for the garter stitch boxes — that I saw on the Rainey Sisters’ site. So now I’m up to the where I have to set up for the steeks for the armholes. Here’s photos of the front and back.

Front of the Cardigan

Back of the Cardigan

Anyway, I’m sort of stalled at this point. I’m thinking maybe I should take the sweater to the frog pond and then restart as a top down. Which means while I’m having this crisis of resolve, I started a pair of socks. I’ve seen the top down Kauni Cardigan and it looks great. The problem is the steek — once it’s cut there’s no do-over if it doesn’t fit right. Yeah, I know I measured. I swatched. I’ve measured the sweater as it is and it should fit with a bit of ease BUT … what if the wicked fairy comes with a curse on the cold wind and I finish and it’s six sizes too small. What do you think?

Capclave, Conventions Comments turned off

Capclave 2007, Sunday October 14th

By on October 15th, 2007

Sunday’s programming was as good, interesting, and informative as Friday. So even though we were exhausted from Saturday’s excitement, panels, discussions, socializing, and partying, we rose early in order to get to the 10AM panel, Where’s the new and recent YA science Fiction? (Panelist: John G. Hemry, Victoria McManus (m), Davey Beauchamp). John and Victoria are members of the Andre Norton Award committee that gives out an award for excellence in YA literature for the previous year. Needless to say, they’d been reading YA all year in preparation for the award and had a lot of books to discuss and recommend to the audience — not that that stopped the audience from giving their own recommendations. Here’s some of the books discussed/recommended/commended: The Invasion of the IQ Snatchers (Arther Slade’s Canadian Chills) by Arthur Slade, Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor, Dragon’s Keep by Janet Lee Carey, Iris, Messenger by Sarah Deming, Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst, Flora Segunda by by Ysabeau S. Wilce, Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex, Tempting Fate by Esther Friesner, Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Voices by Ursula K. Le Guin, and last for this list but certainly not the last book Spacer and Rat by Margaret Bechard.

Panelists for young adult books.

Next was a panel entitled Astronomy and Science Fiction (Panelists: Yoji Kondo (who writes as Eric Kotani) and Roger MacBride Allen) The topics of discussion ranged over many subject including: the Big Bang, dark matter, quantum effects on black holes, the classification of Vesta and Ceres and what they might be like (or what we’ll learn from the probe), how to figure gravity, stories from science and scientific possibilities, ways of achieving an EMP pulse and could one be caused by gamma rays, could Ben Franklin have actually done the kite experiment and lived, MythBusters, and many other topics as the audience asked and panel replied. My head got full so that’s about all I wrote down.

Yoji and Roger

Yoji Kondo recommended his book: Interstellar Travel & Multi-Generational Space Ships published by Apogee Books Space Series 34.

Next was LibraryThing and other bibliophilic sites. (Panelists: Colleen Cahill (m), Lawrence M. Schoen, David Louis Edelman, Barbara Krasnoff). Check out Library Thing for yourself. It’s a great way to catalogue your personal library and since it’s on the internet you can access it from anywhere with a PDA (or download to a file and print) so you don’t end up re-buying books you already own. Then on to Online Books, a site that has ebooks available for free. Then a short look at Wowio another site for books that are free but only in PDF format at this time. Other sites were covered but I forgot to write them down in the dark (this was a demo panel and they had a laptop hooked up to show the sites on a screen).

Everything old is new again: Re-imaging and remaking the classics. (Panelists: George Scithers, Ernest Lilley (m), Paul Haggerty, Michael Zipser). The panel and audience covered remakes, remakes of remakes, remakes of a film based on a book that remade the film not the book and those that went back to the original source material. It was a very active and interesting panel. (But you can tell the long hours are getting me, I FORGOT to take notes!!!)

Panelists for Everything Old is New Again

Colleen receives Dodo Noir artworkLast, we went to the Gripe Session or Dead Dog panel. Most SF conventions have a panel near the end of the last day of the convention with either this or a similar title. This is the time that convention attendees can air the gripes or give the praise for the convention. This year it seemed that all the gripes were things that the convention couldn’t control: the temperature of the meeting rooms (all on one thermometer so you pick a room to be comfortable in and the rest are either warmer or colder), the locking of the public restrooms after midnight (hotel policy), the lack of an large area to sit and talk to friends (the hotel expected all renovations to be done by the date of the convention but some things ran late and the central atrium area with restaurant and bar was not completed; however they set up two meeting rooms — for food and beverage). Then some things came up that should have been thought of but got over looked (signs by each meeting room door listing the panels within), a no scripts option for email addresses on the website, a handout listing the winner of the WSFA small press award after the ceremony, etc. These were all taken down and will be addressed by the Capclave 2008 and 2009 chairs.

During the meeting, Colleen Cahill received a copy of the Dodo Noir artwork used for this year’s theme of pulp noir, from E. Kovar.

All in all it was a great convention. There were lots of interesting, worthwhile panels to sit in on. There were many opportunities to talk to authors, editors, publishers, and other fans. The workshops are a great idea and I enjoyed the one I sat in on. All in all a great weekend.