Black holes, LHC, Star Wars, quantum uncertainty… if it is of general geek interest, but doesn’t fit into one of the other categories, it lands here.
Our fridge died about three weeks ago. About two weeks ago, the service guy looked at it and said “the compressor is dead”. Today, the technician came back with parts in hand and welded in a new compressor. Our fridge is once again making itself cold inside.
Today we have our federal election here in Canada. I am not a big fan of politicians, but I guess I have to participate in the electoral process. So, I’ll go and put my X in a box, voting in party that will probably find some way to screw up my life, waste my money, or damage my confidence in elected officials.
I have a really poor track record when it comes to physical fitness. A couple of years ago I bought a bowflex, and my wife and I spent about seven or eight months actually exercising each day. That was probably about as long a stretch of reasonably consistent “fitness” activity as I’ve ever managed. I lost about 20 pounds of fat, gained about 10 pounds of muscle, and still had a bit of a pot belly. The exercising ended, as my previous multi-month efforts have, with me catching a bad cold or hurting myself, and never getting back into the routine. The fat returned with a vengence- my “pregnant toothpick” physique has reached the “when are the twins due” state, which is doubly embarassing since I’m a man. I’m exaggerating, but only a little…
You probably own a DVD player, and likely a number of DVD movies. But if you have or are thinking about buying a high definition television, there is one thing you should be aware of…
Your DVDs aren’t high definition. And in fact, the DVD format (approx 4 GB) can’t store enough data to support a full length high definition movie: you need something in the range of 8 GB for two hours. But relax! The industry has you covered. They’ve been working on a new format for several years, and its about to come roaring in to your nearest Best Buy or Future Shop…Unfortunately, “it” isn’t a single format. Its two formats, and they are incompatible.
I was reading today about the Purdue University wind tunnel that has been completed recently. Its main claim to fame is that it can generate “quiet” (non-turbulent) air streams running at Mach 6. This is important, apparently, for the testing and development of scramjet and similiar technologies.
A student at a Canton, Ohio high school has been arrested and thrown in jail for inciting a devious computer crime. I’m somewhat fearful to reveal the details of his horrid crime, since spreading knowledge of such nefarious criminality could undo the very fabric of the modern internet.
I feel cheated by the last 50 years of science. Currently accepted theories of space and matter based on quantum mechanics and general relativity basically prohibit us from exploring interstellar space. But, since theories are mostly good to build the next generation of improved theories, I keep hoping that one day something will change the accepted models.
As I mentioned in my last post, I had a CT scan today. It was actually kind of fun, and a lot faster than I expected.
My scan was of my upper spine, from my skull down to just below the shoulder blades. I didn’t have to undress or put on one of those funky hospital gowns or anything- just take off my glasses and watch, lay down on a bench, and let the technician do her thing. This is a picture of a scanner similar to the one that I saw today (same brand and I think the same model- this is just a miscellaneous picture I found on the web):
Back in June my doctor requested a CT (computed or computed axial tomography) scan of my neck regarding some persistant pain and occasional numbness of my right arm. With our great waiting lists here, my scan is scheduled for bright and early tomorrow morning, January 3rd…about six months after he made the request. This is the first time I’ve gone in for anything more complicated than a simple X-Ray.
I read an interesting collection of scientific conundrums today. I like these kinds of articles or summaries. Sometimes we act as if science has answered all the questions, and the truth is that we keep uncovering more and bigger questions.