how to

"Only the knife knows what goes on in the heart of a pumpkin." -Simone Schwarz-Bart With Halloween just behind us, the only things that pumpkins may mean to you now are pie, soups, or -- as John Prine would sing you -- a condescending term of affection, as in, Daddy's Little Pumpkin. But I recently came across the most amazing Jack-O-Lantern I've ever seen, where someone turned a pumpkin into a working, playable game of tetris! Image credit: "Pumpktris" by Nathan at http://www.hahabird.com/. This idea -- and the design -- is nothing short of brilliant. The pumpkin itself was an intricately…
I quite like this guide to fakery by kickass lo-fi science site Hunkins Experiments.
I know every computer box needs a CD/DVD reader in order to boot the thing up under adverse conditions (and your system should always be set up so that you can do this, by the way!). But as a matter of actual functionality, maintaining a current and high-functioning version of this sort of device, or two or more of them especially, built into the box is usually a bad idea for me. My computer boxes are not ever conveniently located. For my main computer, I can reach the off on switch with my toe, which is how I start up the machine. (The button is not needed to turn it off, of course.) So…
We need one of those propaganda videos, like the Marines had when I was a kid: Seriously, I remember watching that and actually thinking it would be awesome to be a Marine! (And for those of you who don't know me that well, I loathe armed conflict.) Well, I'm a scientist. Can't we do anything cool to attract people to be interested in it, or help support it? Baby steps, folks, baby steps. And Duncan Forbes at Swinburne in Australia (where I almost moved when I was offered a position with them last February) has composed a how-to guide entitled: So You Want To Be A Professional Astronomer! It…