July 28, 2003
America: Loosen Up!
Michael Elliott writes that Europeans Just Want to Have Fun. Long vacations. Lots of dancing. So why can't Americans loosen up?
28 Jul 1:56 | Link | Category: Misc. Tidbits
"Dad, how many stars are there in the sky?"
Some folks in Australia decided to count the number of stars in the sky. They've made it to 70 sextillion. 7 followed by 22 zeros. Ten times as many stars as grains of sand on all the world's beaches and deserts. There are likely many million more stars in the universe but the 70 sextillion figure was the number visible within range of modern telescopes. The actual number of stars could be "infinite."
Other interesting science links:
28 Jul 0:34 | Link | Category: Science
July 27, 2003
Zoom Zoom Zoom
Living Near a Freeway: a photo gallery
27 Jul 20:21 | Link | Category: Photography
July 13, 2003
Bunch o' Links, part 6:
Bunch o' Links, part 6:
- At oneword, you're given a word and sixty seconds to write about it.
- Ben Franklin has long been one of my very favorite "founding fathers." Check out TIME's recent special issue.
- Wired's Gregg Easterbrook runs down a list of 10 possible doomsday scenarios. Yep, we're all gonna die! But he argues that proliferating nanobots or instant cosmic doom are far less likely to kill us than our high-calorie, low-exertion lifestyles. True enough.
13 Jul 22:49 | Link | Category: Misc. Tidbits
Bunch o' Links, part 5:
Bunch o' Links, part 5:
- Astronomers have found a planetary system similar to ours - a Jupiter-like world circling a Sun-like star in roughly the same orbit that Jupiter follows our Sun.
- They have also found a planet that may be as much as 13 billion years old, which means there may be even more planets in the universe than previously theorized.
- England's Royal Astronomer, Martin Rees, says the search for alien life is now more urgent than any other task in astronomy. I tend to agree with him (at moments, at least).
13 Jul 21:41 | Link | Category: Science
Bunch o' Links, part 4:
Bunch o' Links, part 4:
- AlterNet presents what they are calling ten appalling lies we were told about Iraq.
- Tony Karon of TIME spells out why he believes Africa has become a Bush priority. I'm not so sure...
- Also from TIME is a photo essay, Death in the Congo.
13 Jul 13:31 | Link | Category: Misc. Tidbits
Bunch o' Links, part 3:
Bunch o' Links, part 3:
- See how well you can remember a random face.
- Then see if you can tell somebody's race by looking at them. It's part of the Race - The Power of an Illusion site.
- Visit Battleground God to see if your religious beliefs are rationally consistent. (The quiz does not judge whether any of your answers are right or wrong, simply if they are consistent.) I'm happy to report that my beliefs are consistent. I didn't even have to "bite a bullet" or take any "direct hits." (There are a few more interesting games on the site, too.)
13 Jul 13:06 | Link | Category: Misc. Tidbits
Bunch o' Links, part 2:
Bunch o' Links, part 2:
- The 10 worst comedians. I agree with almost all of the choices.
- Bush asks Congress for $30 billion to help fight war on criticism
- Classic: Lightning hits preacher after call to God
13 Jul 11:59 | Link | Category: Humor
Bunch o' Links, part 1:
Bunch o' Links, part 1:
- This guy will tell you why he hates your favorite album, band, singer, or song. You may also want to visit Tanya Headon's I hate music blog.
- Check out Barbara Abel's photos of tragic beauties (antique wax figures captured in a dimly lit mannequin warehouse).
- A while back I linked to predictions for life in the year 2000, circa 1900. Here are a few more, this time from 1950.
13 Jul 11:46 | Link | Category: Misc. Tidbits