grrlscientist | May 22, 2010tags: The Chatty Duel, The Princess Bride, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Hollywood, film, offbeat, streaming video
For this week's Silly Saturday, I am sharing this video of the fight between the Man in Black (Cary Elwes) and Inigo (Mandy Patinkin) from the Princess Bride. It's actually funny to watch these two chat while sword fighting.
I thought these lines were quite amusing:
"You've done nothing but study swordplay?"
"More pursue than study lately.. you see, I can no' find him. It's been 20 years now, I'm starting to lose confidence. I just work for Vizzini to pay the bills. There's not…
grrlscientist | May 21, 2010tags: ABC Nightline Twittercast, legalization of marijuana, NORML, Allen St. Pierre, Heritage Foundation, Brian Darling, weed, pot, drugs, twittercast, streaming video
Let's kick off Silly Saturday with an interesting ABC twittercast debate about legalization of marijuana. This video is amusing because, as one person observed, it's like watching a scientist argue with a 9-year-old about the existence of Santa Claus. [Despite the moron guest on this twittercast, I find this interesting because it suggests an alternate medium for future news casts to utilize -- twitter -- and these so-called "…
grrlscientist | May 21, 2010tags: Razorbill, Ruokki, Alca torda, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Razorbill, known in Finland as the Ruokki, Alca torda, photographed at Luonnontieteellinen keskusmuseo (University of Helsinki Museum of Natural History), Helsinki, Finland. [Fully feathered specimens]
Image: GrrlScientist, 18 May 2010 [larger view]
Canon SX100 IS.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This mystery bird lacks all plumage hints that might give you clues as to its identity, but it is showing you plenty more hints that will guide you to your ID.
22 May…
grrlscientist | May 21, 2010tags: Pay Attention to Penguins, birds, penguins, environment, global warming, ethics, climate change, Dee Boersma, TEDTalks, TED Talks, streaming video
Think of penguins as ocean sentinels, says Dee Boersma -- they're on the frontlines of sea change. Sharing stories of penguin life and culture, she suggests that we start listening to what penguins are telling us.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on…
grrlscientist | May 20, 2010tags: Richard Feynman Explains Electricity, science, physics, imagination, hot, offbeat, Electricity, jiggling atoms, physical laws, Richard Feynman, streaming video
Physicist Richard Feynman visits the dentist and wonders about the amazing phenomenon of electricity.
From the BBC TV series 'Fun to Imagine' (1983).
grrlscientist | May 20, 2010tags: art, Veistos, sculpture, travel, Helsinki, Finland, image of the day, photography,
Veistos.
I put my camera inside this outdoor sculpture and pointed it at the sky to get this image. Photographed in the Kamppi neighborhood of Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 18 May 2010 [larger view]
This is a stunning outdoor sculpture that I ran across as I was investigating museums throughout Helsinki, Finland, on International Museum Day (18 May).
grrlscientist | May 20, 2010tags: Barnacle Goose, Valkoposkihanhi, Branta leucopsis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Barnacle Goose, known in Finnish as Valkoposkihanhi, Branta leucopsis, photographed on Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: GrrlScientist, 16 May 2010 [larger view]
Canon SX100 IS.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
I photographed this lovely mystery bird a couple days ago in stunning Helsinki, Finland, can you ID the species and tell me how it got its peculiar English common name?
This goose was…
grrlscientist | May 20, 2010tags: comedy, offbeat, funny, humor, Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, streaming video
Bud Abbott & Lou Costello discuss questions for passing a police exam... with crazy results!! (much like a synopsis of internet arguments, but created in the 1940s)
grrlscientist | May 19, 2010tags: Richard Feynman Explains Magnets and 'Why?' Questions, science, physics, magnet, forces, offbeat, ice, slippery, physical laws, Richard Feynman, streaming video
Physicist Richard Feynman tries to explain to a non-scientist just how difficult it can be to answer certain questions in lay terms! A classic example of Feynman's clarity of thought, powers of explanation and intellectual honesty - his refusal to 'cheat'.
From the BBC TV series 'Fun to Imagine' (1983).
grrlscientist | May 19, 2010tags: botany, Majavankaalit, skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus, Helsinki, Finland, travel, photography, image of the day
Symplocarpus foetidus (Family: Araceae) (Majavankaalit or Skunk Cabbage)
Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 15 May 2010 [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 19, 2010tags: Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus, photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 27 April 2010 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/750s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | May 19, 2010tags: Why I'm a Weekday Vegetarian, environment, global warming, meat, vegetarianism, ethics, climate change, Graham Hill, TEDTalks, TED Talks, streaming video
We all know the arguments that being vegetarian is better for the environment and for the animals -- but in a carnivorous culture, it can be hard to make the change. Graham Hill has a powerful, pragmatic suggestion ...
The video following the TEDTalk is more interesting than the actual talk itself.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and…
grrlscientist | May 18, 2010tags: Richard Feynman Explains Rubber Bands, science, physics, imagination, hot, offbeat, rubber bands, jiggling atoms, physical laws, Richard Feynman, streaming video
Physicist Richard Feynman thinks more about the 'jiggling' of atoms, and about rubber bands and how they 'work'. "The world is a dynamic mess of jiggling things, if you look at it right", says Richard Feynman.
grrlscientist | May 18, 2010tags: What do You Remember About Mt St Helens' Violent Eruption?, volcano, Mt St Helens, earth science, earth science
Mt St Helens eruption, as photographed by NOAA GOES-3 satellite.
Image: NOAA, US Government (public domain) [larger view].
These videos provide a glimpse of what I (and other people in the area) experienced in the aftermath of the Mt St Helens explosion:
Ash that I collected off the hood of the neighbor's car:
A jar of Mt St Helens Ash from the 0832 eruption on 18 May 1980.
This explosive eruption sent ash 24,400 meters (80,000 feet) into the sky,
generated an…
grrlscientist | May 18, 2010tags: High Five Etiquette, social observation, humor, funny, silly, Tripp and Tyler, Herb Tankersleigh, streaming video
Tripp and Tyler, with the help of mentor Herb Tankersleigh, discuss the do's and don'ts of proper high-five execution.
grrlscientist | May 17, 2010tags: Richard Feynman Explains Jiggling Atoms, science, physics, imagination, hot, offbeat, fire, jiggling atoms, physical laws, Richard Feynman, streaming video
Physicist Richard Feynman talks more about jiggling atoms and heat, and about what fire is.
From the BBC TV series 'Fun to Imagine' (1983).
grrlscientist | May 17, 2010tags: Merellinen näkymä, Helsinki, Finland, travel, photography, image of the day
Merellinen näkymä (nautical scene)
Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 15 May 2010 [larger view].
grrlscientist | May 17, 2010tags: Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, photographed Wisconsin. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Bardiac, 15 May 2010 [larger view].
Canon Eos, 70x300 zoom + 2x.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This bird is remarkable among all its family members for one of its special features, can you tell me what that feature is?
The Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius, is the smallest North American species of icterid blackbird. Due to their small size and…
grrlscientist | May 17, 2010tags: The Free Hugs Campaign in Finland, Helsinki, free hugs, silly, humor, funny, offbeat, weird, life, Finland, Helsinki, streaming video
The Finnish winter is long, dark and difficult for many people. So a group of Helsinki residents started a free hugs campaign to cheer people up. A group calling themselves, "FreeHugs Finland" had been promoting for this day on the internet and over 30 huggers showed up! During a couple of hours over 1000 people in Helsinki got a hug and one woman told me it saved her day! [Music: "Lonely" by Unity]
This video was taken in Helsinki, Finland on 2 December…
grrlscientist | May 16, 2010tags: Richard Feynman Explains Jiggling Atoms, science, physics, imagination, hot, offbeat, cold, jiggling atoms, physical laws, Richard Feynman, streaming video
Physicist Richard Feynman thinks aloud about atoms and how they jiggle, and how we perceive that jiggling as 'hot' and 'cold'.
From the BBC TV series 'Fun to Imagine' (1983).