A mathematician has shown that you can solve a Rubik's cube in as few as twenty-five moves. This is one better than the previous proof.

Addendum: Via BoingBoing, a kit to help you conquer "speed cubing".

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 08:12 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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NASA posted a somewhat obscure map depicting the landing site of Apollo 11. Thank goodness there are people out there who can show us what all that data means!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 11:43 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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There's an old joke (attributed in one instance I've come across to Timothy Krauss) that goes...

A physicist, an engineer, and a psychologist are called in as consultants to a dairy farm whose production has been below par. Each is given time to inspect the details of the operation before making a report.

The first to be called is the engineer, who states: “The size of the stalls for the cattle should be decreased. Efficiency could be improved if the cows were more closely packed, with a net allotment of 275 cubic feet per cow. Also, the diameter of the milking tubes should be increased by 4 percent to allow for a greater average flow rate during the milking periods”.

The next to report is the psychologist, who proposes: “The inside of the barn should be painted green. This is a more mellow color than brown and should help induce greater milk flow. Also, more trees should be planted in the fields to add diversity to the scenery for the cattle during grazing, to reduce boredom”.

Finally, the physicist is called upon. He asks for a blackboard and then draws a circle. He begins: “Assume the cow is a sphere....”.

From the latest issue (online) of Symmetry comes a little more physics humor (yes, physics humor). For example, we can learn about Les Horribles Cernettes at the Hardronic Music Festival, Drug Sniffing Dogs at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and more! Who knew that physicists had a sense of humor?

Well, some at least. In the same issue, Jennifer Ouellette (who blogs at Cocktail Party Physics) talks about how some in the community complain about Big Bang Theory. I've only seen a few episodes, but why complain? How many people before the show was aired even knew what a physicist was? Welcome to the enlightenment of the great unwashed masses!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 11:31 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Once upon a time, when I had one of those Real Jobs, I used to attend various conferences around New York City. While wandering outside during the breaks (believe me, you needed to get away from the buzz of the microphone, the overload presentations, the PowerPoint presentations!), I would come across small shops that sold reproductions of netsuke. I was somewhat interested in Japan, especially Japan of Ran or Throne of Blood or Kwaidan (too many movies!) and various novels, so these fascinated me.

I never bought any, but was interested enough to buy a couple of books on the subject. Now I have noticed that BoingBoing links to a site showing representations of this folk art.

Hmmm...are gashapon the modern equivalent?

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 08:20 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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A couple of famous science fiction items rendered in Lego bricks.

(O.K., technically the third is not science fiction. But...build a couple more and stick it on a Lego version of the Valley Forge...) more...

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 08:00 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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At BoingBoing, we are pointed towards Lego Mecha! The best of both worlds! And at Altair VI, a plan to help revive the economy.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 07:15 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Links between St. Elsewhere and a large chunk of television. Some people have too much free time on their hands!

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A member of The Gunroom community shows off her efforts to build or otherwise acquire (capture, sink or destroy?) miniature versions of items used on the H.M.S. Surprise. Still waiting for somebody to the Lego version of The Canon...

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 04:47 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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...that should NEVER BE MADE!!!!

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I read of the death of Gary Gygax many places, but The Order of the Stick has the best tribute I've seen so far.

I've been transcribing some old journals and writings of mine recently. Just tonight, I ran across this entry from November 1982, and thought it appropriate for the occasion:

I Know...

I know a dwarf. His name is Ixthos. I know a man. His name is Peldar. I know another man. His name is Ralt Gaither. I know yet another man, but he doesnÂ’t have a name. I know a pegasus. His name is Ariel. I know an animated box. His name is Tavtos. I know three horses. They donÂ’t have names.

I met all of them once while strolling through a hilly, rolling countryside. There were towns, people, good ale, and warm beds. But not all things were so good. Aye, there were dangers--dragons, orcs, goblins, and worse still.

There were swords, sorcerers, monsters, friendly yet stupid barkeeps, beautiful wenches, blue skies, and projects which needed doing. Yes, projects which needed doing such as killing hydras, riding dragons, finding treasures, and cleaving orc heads.

I met them all on a Sunday at 12:00PM and left them at 5:00PM, promising to be back at the same place at the same time within the next few weeks. Yes, I know them all. They come from the realms of my imagination.

His creations brought me weeks, nay, months of fun during some critical times of my life. RIP.

Posted by: JohnL at 10:53 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 I liked the one from the OoTS, PvP had a decent webcomic on it too. The best blog post I've come across was this one: http://playthisthing.com/e-gary-gygax-fails-his-last-saving-throw

Posted by: owlish at March 07, 2008 01:15 AM (dk0SG)

2 Sorry, I lied. Penny Arcade had the Gary Gygax tribute, not PvP. And the Play This Thing post is next-to-best, compared to anything on TexasBestGrok, of course.

Posted by: owlish at March 07, 2008 01:26 AM (dk0SG)

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Fred's Reading Report (February 200

Leap Year! An extra day of reading! Nope, just an increased number of hours at work, alas...

Books? 11, year-to-date.

Short works? 74, year-to-date.

Currently being read:

Poul Anderson: The Earth Book of Stormgate. Trader to the Stars. The Trouble Twisters. more...

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 06:14 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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