The Lounge

Funniest thing I've read all week. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,407263,00.html Hahahaha! You'd have thought the word "bigfoot" would have been enough of a giveaway, eh?

A horrible thing happened yesterday. My employer has blocked scienceforums.net. I clicked my favorite, at the tip top I might add, and I was shocked to be presented with the "Website Blocked" screen, under the category of MSGBRD. Unless I can come up with a valid business reason, I'm essentially outa here. I can't believe the IT folks noticed my usage enough to block it. Hell, I didn't think I was accessing it that much. I'm a hard, efficient worker, and most people who work with me wouldn't think I have the time to even post here, but I do most of it from work. I can multi-task with the best of them. So why?? I've grown quite fond of the people and the…

Dunno if you guys caught this, but I know we have a lot of Linux folks here who might appreciate the humor of it. Apparently one of the projectors threw this image up during the opening ceremony in Beijing the other day: The first comment on the story this page is amusing: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10015872-1.html

hey guys..happy raksha bandhan to all:-) love chitrangda

I start by declaring my political stance on guns. I am in favour of much stricter gun control. I am a non American, but have visited the USA several times. I find myself tensing when in public due to my knowledge that guns, and especially hand-guns are in wide use among members of the public. In today's local newspaper is a small article quoting American sources, and relating to hand-guns. Here are some facts they report. 1. According to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, of all deaths from fire-arms in 2005, suicides accounted for 55%. Homicides 40%. Accidents 3%. 'Legal' killings 2% (such as police shooting someone.) Hand-guns are over-r…

I was reading an article on quantum entanglement on the physicsworld site, and to my horror Zephir is running a mock in the comments section....touting his aether idea. This is not the only article he's been posting under. Of all places, a website run by the iop, is being subject to crackpottery. If anyone is a member, this is a heads up to contact the editor...this guy must be STOPPED !!!!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4712151344200568094&sourceid=docidfeed&hl=en woah.

I bumped into this over at scienceforums today, and I wanted to share it with all of you. It's a classical interpretation of the shine in peoples eyes. http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/fullscreen.html?v=/ted/movies/BenjaminZander_2008&cid=/ted/movies It applies in so many ways and in so many places. Enjoy.

Being a small man, in most senses of the word, I was surprised to hear that the public perceive small men to be more aggressive and power hungry to overcompensate for their lack of height. However, it seems that this story could be a myth from a recent study by the University of Central Lancashire which shows the opposite to be a strong probability - i.e. Tall Man Syndrome. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6501633.stm However, Napoleon, Hitler and Sarkozy are small men. What do you think?

Hi guys I am new here and a huge documentary/science fan. I found these and watched them all. I can't say I agree with all of them. What do you guys think? 100 Greatest Discoveries - Medicine 100 Greatest Discoveries - Genetics 100 Greatest Discoveries - Biology 100 Greatest Discoveries - Astronomy

Anyone else catch this last night? For UK members its available from 4OD, for our overseas members then it may be available through Youtube pretty soon. I was a little disappointed to see that creationism is still so rife in our country, but overall it was nice to see that it might get a few people to really re-consider what they know about evolution. Parts 2 and 3 are shown over the next two weeks on channel 4.

Good to know my tax dollars are being well spent! http://www.theonion.com/content/video/pentagons_unmanned_spokesdrone

From my very brief look into the world of Science (referring to Chemistry, Astronomy, Physics, Biology etc etc) I have noticed a lot of the major discoveries made in recent times have come from western scientists. This could simply be because I haven't been studying the sciences long enough. I am curious, if I were to go to china (for example) and look in one of their introductory Physics (or some other science book) books, would the contents of that book be similar to a western Science book? The two great discoveries that I am aware of in modern times (and forgive my ignorance) are general relativity and quantum mechanics. One is by a German scientist, the other …

http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/ Just heard about the site for the first time a few days back. I've been on quite a few forums in my days so I was amused how I could immediately associate many of the "warriors" with certain users. A brilliant example of "it's funny because it's true".

A while back I sent an email to Kenneth Miller just letting him know I enjoyed Finding Darwin's God and how it really helped my relationship with my conservative christian family. He responded the next day with short appreciative message. I knew he's a busy guy and I'm just some bio student at FSU so It was pretty much what I had expected. I smiled and went on with my day. This morning I checked my email and a NY Times reporter who's working on a story about science students and their faith (or lake thereof) had emailed me. She told me Kenneth Miller had given her my contact info during an interview. I'm nerding out like crazy right now Edit: Oh yeah. She…

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/magazine/03trolls-t.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=trolls&st=cse&oref=slogin&oref=slogin Take a special note for their definition of trolls as a "Subculture with fluid morality" ... not sure if that makes me want to laugh really hard, or sob my eyes out...

I am an individual with mental illness. I am diagonsed with schizophrenia. I currently live with my parents and receive SSI benefits for my disability. I've been doing ok, until today, and i have a very debilitating mental condition, and i realized that it would be wise for me to make sure that i'll always have the grace to take time out from life. like i said i receive SSI, and i live with my parents. My mom forbids me to question how my life will be after my parents pass. i dont understand why she forbids me to think about the future, but my parents are old, and i feel its a valid concern to be worried, even if they don't care how i will survive. My par…

http://www.newscientist.com/blog/shortsharpscience/2008/07/rappin-physics.html And people say particle physicists arn't in touch with todays youth....

Alright, there doesn't seem to be a better place to post this sort of question. If there are any other grad students I'd especially appreciate your feedback. I am a grad student at a research university, I'm also the only student in my PI's research group currently. We mostly do theoretical/computer stuff, no wetlab. The problem is I've come in from a more wetlab background and am somewhat inexperienced in the heavier math orientation of this research. This would be all fine and dandy except that the PI is travelling often, and when he is around doesn't seem too interested in giving me one on one instruction or anything but the most general and vague directions ab…

I'm such a coward. On my way home, there was a car on I-64E traveling west. I could have done the right thing. I could have, but I didn't. I could have leaned back into my seat, close my eyes, grit my teeth, and hit the gas. Instead, I was a coward and I swerved out of the way. Instead of eliminating a danger to others I decided to preserve my own well being. I got out of the way just in time and the wrong-way driver got away. What happened after that? I don't know. Did EVERYONE get out of the way? Based on my experience with VA drivers, I'd say no. Two cars at highway speed(and possibly one or both speeding) could have collided and I could have stopped it. …

I've been pondering, are projects like CERN/LHC wastes of money that would be better spent, IMO, on developing new/alternative energy sources? I'm thinking mainly of fusion. If we funneled all the money we now spend on particle accelerators like LHC and whatnot and focused those funds like a laser beam on developing fusion, couldn't we achieve progress faster? I'm not saying those experiments should never be done, and I as well as anyone am waiting for LHC to be turned on (hoping it doesn't blow us up lol ), but given the current energy crisis (and don't get me started, that would be a whole other thread and probably be in that new political forum), wouldn't t…

Very odd, off the wall question: Is kvas (Russian drink made from fermented dark bread) considered alcoholic in the United States, such that an underaged person couldn't consume it? Does anyone know? Apparently it's served in schools in Russia.

Being the bonehead that I am, last week I forgot to bring my glasses case with me, so just threw them in my pocket. Of course the snapped on the bridge. I tried scotch tape (worked for a bit, but wobbly and silly looking) and krazy glue (glue not strong enough to hold the weight at the bridge) and in combination (slightly better but still fragile). Anybody know anything I can do that works, but doesn't make me look like an idiot?

Back when I was at Georgia Tech in the early 1980s, this was the big social game that everyone played. Almost as popular (maybe more so) than chess. Engineers seemed to really take to it. But as video games took off I think this game has become somewhat relegated to the backwaters of retirement homes. None of my video game design students have ever played it; some had never even heard of it. So, just out of curiosity, does anyone here play it?

Are any readers knowledgeable about effect of ethanol in gas on small carburetted engines -- even after non use for a few weeks ? I have a small motor scooter ( 249 cc ) & if such gas is present have great trouble starting it due to EtOH hygroscopicity & gum formation . Small engine dealers ( scooters , boat outboards , generators ,etc ) dont seem to want to admit this problem until it is too late . Is it not a pending disaster for sales of such engines ?