Random
catdynamics | May 2, 2007The question is: who gets to choose my null hypothesis?
Chad asks whether there are "reasons" for being an atheist.
This is an axiomatically incorrect question: the bigger question is what is the null hypothesis?
Do we assume that there is a God and that she has some attributes, until evidence to the contrary is presented?
Or, do we assume that there is no such thing as a God, until some evidence to the effect is presented?
It would certainly seem simpler, ab initio, to start with the premise of No God, until and unless there is positive evidence to the contrary.
A counter-argument would be…
catdynamics | May 2, 2007One One Zero Two
Instant cult classic
9D 74 E3 5B D8
41 56 C5 63 56
It is almost as if Information Itself wants To Be Free
Eight Eight Cee One
Take away One
and then you are Done
Someone quick and smart already got the t-shirt
catdynamics | April 29, 2007is it just me, or is it becoming genuinely hard to find a finite priced trans-atlantic flight this summer?
to anywhere over the pond. I've done a fair bit of travel on these routes over the years and I don't ever remember prices this high or schedules this constrained
catdynamics | April 27, 2007Russia has suspended its compliance with the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe over the issue of US forward based missile defence systems
This is brilliant!
US foreign policy is an incoherent mess.
But, now it has been reduced to a "previously known problem"!
I expect an analytic solution will be derived any year know, probably in a small old house on an isolated island in the Atlantic.
catdynamics | April 26, 2007Early stormy friday, and we ask the Omniscient iPod to prognosticate
What will we hear from the early COROT discovery announcement due any day now?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Aids - Yellowman
The Crossing: Louie, Louie - Toots & The Maytals
The Crown: Peaches - Stranglers
The Root: Fiskurinn Hennar Stínu Haukar
The Past: Sárt er að missa - Utangarðsmenn
The Future: The Saturday Boy - Billy Bragg
The Questioner: Di Provenza il mar - La Traviata
The House: Tangó - Utangarðsmenn
The Inside: Ready to Run (live) - Dixie Chicks
The Outcome: Metropolis - the Pogues
The…
catdynamics | April 23, 2007do minor errors ruin good books?
I feel very churlish being annoyed that Spin's author got
M41 mixed up with
M31
There were other errors, but this one was jarring.
Good book though, fun read.
catdynamics | April 20, 2007Oh, mighty iPod, it is a sunny, scary friday, and we ask hubmly:
is dark energy really bad for astronomy?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The SDM riff
The Covering: Lullaby of London - Pogues
The Crossing: Pearly Dewdrops' Drops - Cocteau Twins
The Crown: There's No One Like Me
The Root: Í Grænni Lautu
The Past: Take Down the Union Jack - Billy Bragg
The Future: Like Soldiers Do - Billy Bragg
The Questioner: Colpito qui m'avete - Pavarotti
The House: Mr Parmacist - The Fall
The Inside: Recitar!... Vesti la giubba - Pavarotti
The Outcome: One Better Day - Madness
So, not good, eh?
As…
catdynamics | April 18, 2007The humble 35mm film is rapidly vanishing, vanquished by ever improving digital cameras.
But, in the process we're losing an invaluable resource:
the humble film canister!
These used to flood the world by the hundreds of millions each year, taken for granted, ever present.
Now, they are a vanishing species. Selling for $0.05 EACH in large lots on eBay (I kid you not!)
These things are useful! For everything from storing beads, to making alka seltzer rockets!
K-12 outreach for the sciences could collapse.
Hundreds of thousands of kids might become delinquent with boredom.
There are…
catdynamics | April 13, 2007USS Reagan is headed home
Pulled into Pearl Harbour this week.
The Y Ranter calls non-war this new moon
Alex at FoE tells us what you need to bomb Iran
Counting is a very powerful approach to reality.
New moon is April 17th, the US Air Force's main advantage against a foe like Iran is stealth.
Best time to strike is late night/early morning.
So, all things being equal, the few days right after new moon are their time - otherwise those expensive stealth planes risk being silhouetted against a waning moon.
To do the sort of strike that is being bandied about, requires serious assembly of…
catdynamics | April 12, 2007In view of the weather, we ask the iPod: wazzup iPod? Anything exciting coming our way?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
Traveling lite edition...
The Covering: Mars Ultras, You'll Never Make the Station (liv) - Half Man, Half Biscuit
The Crossing: Science Friction - XTC
The Crown: Bright Lights - Special AKA
The Root: Damaged Goods - Gang of Four
The Past: Henry Kissinger - Monty Python
The Future: Shut Up - Madness
The Questioner: Decomposing Composers - Monty Python
The House: Wibbleton to Wobbleton
The Inside: Hey Diddle Diddle, the Cat and the Fiddle
The Outcome: Come Go With Me…
catdynamics | April 10, 2007Björk held an outdoor concert monday night to introduce her new album, Volta
I wasn't there, of course, but word is that it was good. Very good.
Sounds like some of the songs are as good as her best work, and (not having heard it yet) the album may be excellent, and different, again.
That'd be good.
Album is out next month, first single is available as a download right now.
(Yup, it is up on iTunes, just checked).
YouTube snippet
No pirate video from last nights concert, yet.
catdynamics | April 9, 2007An ode to Princeton Professors:
Don't try this at home...
Rumour of War
There are soldiers marching on the common today
They were there again this evening
They paced up and down like sea birds on the ground
Before the storm clouds gathering
I must buy whatever tinned food is left on the shelves
They are testing the air raid sirens
They've filled up the blood banks and emptied the beds
At the hospital and the asylum
I saw a man build a shelter in his garden today
And we stood there idly chatting
He said: "No, no I don't think war will come"
Yet still he carried on digging
Everything in my life…
catdynamics | April 9, 2007Uwe Reinhardt, the James Madison Professor of Political Economy at Princeton makes a bold suggestion in the Daily Princetonian:
Bomb Iceland!
In lieu of bombing Iran.
It is true that it'd be easier (easier still if the US had not broken its bilateral treaty with Iceland and abandoned its air base there), and it makes almost as much sense.
It'd probably be cheaper; at least in the short run.
But here is where he goes too far!
"If we unleashed Shock and Awe in Reykjavik, we would generously compensate Iceland to the tune of, say, 275 percent of that country's $14 billion 2006 GDP -- a mere…
catdynamics | April 9, 2007The aircraft carrier USS Reagan and its Carrier Strike Group have concluded 7th fleet operations
Question is: which way did they head when they left; east, back home to San Diego; or, west to the 5th fleet area of operations?
It has been a short tour if they go back home. I hope they have a good prompt trip back to the US.
Hey, the 5th fleet now does podcasts!
The Stennis has backed out of the gulf and is providing air support to Afghan forces.
Also in the news, HMS Sir Bedivere brings a new platoon of Royal Marines to HMS Cornwall.
Hope they are more careful with that batch.
catdynamics | April 7, 2007"like a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summertime"
The LA Times' John Kenney reports:
"...The F-14s flew by low. Each of us activated our earpieces and hand-held mini walkie-talkies, agreed on a frequency, and I slowed the car to 15 mph as Carol and the boys opened the doors and rolled out, taking cover under shrubbery near the Bibb lettuce stand (the boys love salad!)."
Typical journamalisms!
I mean, everybodyyyy knows that the F-14 was retired from service last year.
The only people still flying F-14s are the Iranian Air Force...
Oh, my god, you don't suppose they got Indiana…
catdynamics | April 6, 2007Oh Good, Friday it is then.
By special request, here in the urban area in which the true scientific miracle of the oracular omniscience of the iPod was first revealed, we ask a burning question:
which of the Beyond Einstein missions will fly first?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: I dreamed I saw Phil Ochs Last Night - Billy Bragg
The Crossing: Sigga Gamla - Edda
The Crown: Recitativo
The Root: Lagið sem hefði átt að vera leikið - Spilverk Þjóðanna
The Past: Young Lust - Pink Floyd
The Future: Wishing the Days Away - Billy Bragg
The Questioner: Life During Wartime (live) -…
catdynamics | April 3, 2007Iran claims Bushehr nuclear power station is "logistically complete"
That means it is ready to be loaded with fuel and ought to be just a turn-key from being operational.
Russia is reportedly holding back fuel for 2 months, pending UN process.
Iran claims it has paid Russia in full and wants the fuel delivered now.
Iran is also noting that Russia's delay validated its push to do its own uranium enrichment, with some justification, although it is a bit of a catch-22.
Further, Iran announced its intent to tender for another power station, 2GW this time.
There are conflicting reports about…
catdynamics | April 1, 2007I think I finally figured what is going on with Iran and the hostages and the nuclear fuel and the aircraft carriers...
it is a very elaborate google bomb.
You wouldn't believe the number of hits Ahmadinejad has been getting (he needs to break the technorati top 1000 to really be in money I think, still a bit of a niche market - needs a bit of controversy to get over that last threshold)
Oh, and don't believe "Operation Bite"
I mean please! That just sucks. No, it bites.
The Pentagon can do way better than that, personally I'm holding out for "Operation Rising Sun"
Much more upbeat, kinda…
catdynamics | April 1, 2007I don't know which is more annoying - seeing blue & maize clad athletes carrying another enormous trophy away from Penn State on the plane (well, two, actually, apparently, for men and women's gymnasts); or the fact that it even crossed my mind to care what team won a sports competition...
There are real benefits to being at a university where you know sports don't matter at all, ever.
As for the guy who was disappointed when I sat next to him instead of one of the female gymnasts: he was wearing an OSU sweater, she was UoM - ain't gonna happen...
I was also reminded of why I never fly…