SciencePunk
Archives for February, 2010
Royal Mail celebrates 350 years of the Royal Society
Posted by Frank Swain on February 25, 2010 A set of special commemorative stamps is being launched today to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Royal Society. The stamps feature ten of the most prominent historical fellows, as chosen by leading figures in the society today. How many can you name? Answers below the fold!
Mysterious photos found in old camera
Posted by Frank Swain on February 23, 2010 For my birthday I was given a vintage Super Baldina camera. A German model first manufactured in 1938, it has a coupled rangefinder and pop-out lens. At the time it cost an impressive $58 dollars, around $900 in today’s money. Wow! It’s very pretty. My flatmate picked it up in an antiques store for £25.…
Beautiful colorimeter lets you take snapshots of smells
Posted by Frank Swain on February 19, 2010 Researchers at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign have developed a way to compare aromas visually using specially developed inks. Kenneth Suslick and his colleagues used tiny squares of polymer film that hold 36 drops of carefully designed dyes. These pigments change colour when exposed to various chemicals. The result is a cheap system for detecting…
The Circle of Leaf
Posted by Frank Swain on February 18, 2010 Flickr user robherr created this fantastic image, summing up life, death, beauty, youth, age and decay in a handful of leaves.
Real life dragon discovered
Posted by Frank Swain on February 16, 2010 Neatorama reports the discovery of a real life (albeit tiny) dragon! While participating in a herpetology study we stumbled across this female laying eggs in a nest. She was found in the Lambusango Forest reserve and was immediately released after this photograph was taken. Neatorama notes it could be related to Draco volans. No word…
Geek love on Valentines
Posted by Frank Swain on February 14, 2010 Valentines is a time to pronounce your undying love to the geek in your life, and what better way than through the medium of maths and science? A true geek knows that Texas Instruments says more than Hallmark ever could. Plotting a heart is a great trick if you’re not good with words, or would…
Man shrugs off 500,000 volts of electricity
Posted by Frank Swain on February 10, 2010 Looking every bit like the mythical Silver Power Ranger, the guy in this video is bestowed with similarly impressive powers – the ability to shoot lightning from his hands! So what’s really happening here? The lightning is actually being generated by the huge Tesla coil in the background, and flowing through the figure into a…
Gummi Worm Chromosomes
Posted by Frank Swain on February 9, 2010 Artist Kevin Van Aelt makes lots of biology-inspired art, including this delicious-looking chromosome chart made out of jelly worms. NOM NOM NOM! Via Serious Eats
Richard Younger-Ross MP supports the Campaign for Libel Reform
Posted by Frank Swain on February 8, 2010 Some time back I wrote to my MP, Lib Dem Richard Younger-Ross, to ask why he hadn’t signed up to Early Day Motion 423 for libel law reform. I’m please to say I’ve received a reply in a bundle of forwarded mail. The news in a nutshell: Richard Younger-Ross wholeheartedly supports the campaign for libel…
Nifty gallery of spacemen
Posted by Frank Swain on February 7, 2010 Thanks to Greg Foot for leading me to this delightful gallery of couture space fashion circa 1959 – present. I’d love to know more about the team behind each of these – did they employ seamstresses and tailors as well as materials scientists and flight suit technicians? One of NASA’s seven original astronauts, Gordon Cooper…