Author: Josh Witten

http://www.thefinchandpea.com

F is for Ferrolic

Ferrolic uses magnets, “Ferro Fluid1“, and the unpredictability/non-intuitive behavior of fluid dynamics2 to tell you the present things like the time in hynoptically beautiful ways.

Because the fluid behaves in an unpredictable way, it is possible to give the bodies, perceived in the Ferrolic display, a strong reference to living creatures. It is this livelihood that enables Ferrolic to show a meaningful narrative such as having the creatures play tag. In addition the natural flow of the material, Ferrolic can be used to form recognisable shapes and written characters. – Ferrolic

1From the Latin words for “iron” and “ewww, that’s damp”.
2Depending on whom you ask.

HT: Rob Beschizza at BoingBoing

Science for the People: Animal Weapons

sftpThis week, Science for the People is talking about weapons: both the ones that evolve in nature, and those created by humanity. We’ll talk about the arms races that spur the development of horns and claws, warships and nuclear weapons, with Doug Emlen, Professor in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Montana, and author of Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle.

*Josh provides research help to Science for the People and is, therefore, completely biased.

Vote Jill

by Michael R. Hall
by Michael R. Hall

Not only was the Kickstarter campaign for JILL TRENT, SCIENCE SLEUTH #1 successful, just as your favorite deity intended…Not only was D.M. Higgins, the generalissimo of JILL TRENT, SCIENCE SLEUTH #1, kind enough to include The Frogger and Punkface MacGruder in the book’s dedication…Not only is the comic fantastic and inspiring to my daughters (see illustrations below). Not only was JILL TRENT, SCIENCE SLEUTH #1 so successful that they are making JILL TRENT, SCIENCE SLEUTH #2…

But JILL TRENT, SCIENCE SLEUTH #1 is also in the running for a Geekie Award in the Comics & Graphic Novels division. You can vote for them once per day until the voting closes on 31 August. You could choose to vote for another contender, but we cannot promise that Daisy Smythe won’t find you…

IT Witten (All Rights Reserved)
ET Witten (All Rights Reserved)
Jill Trent Inspired
IT Witten (All Rights Reserved)

People’s Republic of Science

sftpNo one does the long form science interview like Science for the People does the long form science interview*. If you have time to listen to Science for the People, then you have time to complete the mere ten questions that make up the Science for the People Listener Survey (if you want, you can save time by skipping the credits where they say I am marginally useful).

Think of it as your civic obligation to keep great science programming coming at your earholes – like voting, except that here your opinion actually matters.

*Probabilistically speaking, this is quite likely to be literally true.

There is No Dark Side

dscovrepicmoontransitfullAccording to NASA, this shot of the far side of the Moon was captured by the Deep Space Climate Observer Satellite as it orbited a million miles above Earth. The “dark side” of the Moon is only figuratively “dark”.

I also feel like the realization that the “dark side” of the Moon has become progressively less mysterious since humanity’s first imaging of it in 1959 kind of ruins the conceit of isolation in Moon for me.

HT: David Grinspoon