The BLOG: 2/19/12

Friday, February 24, 2012

The Periodic Table Table [Video]

Some people collect stamps. Wolfram Research co-founder and author Theo Gray collects elements. Step into his office, and you’ll see a silicon disc engraved with Homer Simpson, a jar of mercury, uranium shells and hundreds of other chemical artifacts. But his real DIY masterpiece is the world’s first “periodic table table.” Within this masterfully constructed table-top lay samples of nearly every element known to man, minus the super-radioactive ones.

[Via Videosift]

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Interrupted Sleep Might Be the Best Kind

Worf is Always Wrong [Video]

Worf is Always Wrong [Video]:

Star Trek: The Next Generation ran for seven seasons, and in this more culturally accepting future version of Star Trek, even the violent Klingons were members of the Federation. Worf was the first Klingon to be a lead character in a Star Trek franchise, and has appeared in more episodes than any other Star Trek character.

The only reason I bring up all that trivia is that I wonder exactly how he lasted that long. Check out this 15-minute video of all the scenes in which Worf’s impulsive suggestions get shot down.

Clearly his assessments are very often short sighted and rejected very quickly by those around him. I understand his Klingon impulses are very hard to resist and often his reactions involve violence. How did he get promoted when he instinctively wants to solve every problem with a proton torpedo?

Oh, we love you Worf. Even if everything you say is wrong.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Faulty Cable To Blame For Superluminal Neutrino Results

Faulty Cable To Blame For Superluminal Neutrino Results:

smolloy writes "It would appear that the hotly debated faster-than-light neutrino observation at CERN is the result of a fault in the connection between a GPS unit and a computer. This connection was used to correct for time delays in the neutrino flight, and after fixing the correction the researchers have found that the time discrepancy appears to have vanished."