Interesting Stuff Thread

Sarky

No, other people call me a scientist. I go along with it in case they stop paying me >_>

sephir0th

Sarky wrote: »

No, other people call me a scientist. I go along with it in case they stop paying me >_>

So you're basically the opposite of JC

Sarky

Nor completely :eek: :pac: :cool:

PopePalpatine

sephir0th wrote: »

So you're basically the opposite of JC

I think J C considers himself a "scientist" because he did some dodgy course on the Internet that sent him out a certificate that "qualifies" him as a scientist.

I have many things to say about him which would probably get me banned.

Hotblack Desiato

Deleted User wrote: »

Just out of interest, is anyone else still using the old boards layout? I hate that 16:9 seems to be the default for computer screens these days and the hanging headers that are all the rage now make browsing feel like looking through a letterbox.

Yeah, me. At least they changed the new one (I never sign into boards at work, but have a look at weather forecasts threads etc. sometimes, so see the new theme then) so that the stupid floating header goes away if you make the window narrower than 1024 pixels.

Reading text that goes all or most of the way across the screen is just wrong, WRONG I tell you. Newspapers use columns for a reason. It makes text much more readable. Well designed websites don't just allow text to flow all across the screen as the window gets wider and wider, they limit it and/or allow the user to make the window as narrow as they want without breaking the design. I prefer 800-850 px wide for normal reading on boards

And if I'm following a match thread (on auto-reload every 1 or 2 mins) I want to be able to read unrelated threads in one browser window 750-800px wide, and still be able to see updates to the match thread in the other window.

As you say, stuff on websites that wastes vertical space is unforgivably stupid. Most people are forced to use 16:9 or 16:10 screens these days, many laptops have only 800 vertical pixels or even fewer, so vertical space is always at a premium.

Hotblack Desiato

Wonder how many levels of 'visual feedback loop' we can get? :pac:


Mighty impressive cock btw Banna...


Are you sure that's not a bong, Robin??

robindch

ninja900 wrote: »

Are you sure that's not a bong, Robin??

A bong needs an inside. That's a Klein Bottle which doesn't have one. Klein Bottles are produced by Cliff Stoll -- he of The Cuckoo's Egg fame -- and are available exclusively from here:

http://www.kleinbottle.com/

robindch

robindch wrote: »

A bong needs an inside. That's a Klein Bottle which doesn't have one. Klein Bottles are produced by Cliff Stoll -- he of The Cuckoo's Egg fame -- and are available exclusively from here:

http://www.kleinbottle.com/

Very cool! I've just bought one. Happy Christmas, me.

Hotblack Desiato

Single-surfaced object just ordered :pac:

Turtwig

Pfft... I'll see your fancy bottle and raise you a Gömböc.:)

Jernal

Jernal wrote: »

Pfft... I'll see your fancy bottle and raise you a Gömböc.:)

I've wanted one ever since I first stumbled across them. Can they be bought for a reasonable price? Time to go and find out.

Hotblack Desiato

It appears that the shell shape of some turtles (which have limbs too short to be much help in righting themselves) is close to a gomboc. Don't tell the intelligent design folks :pac:

(Isn't wikipedia great, I'd never head of that half an hour ago and now I can post about it as if I know something )

Hotblack Desiato

gvn wrote: »

I've wanted one ever since I first stumbled across them. Can they be bought for a reasonable price? Time to go and find out.

You need to think of your neighbours, a gomboc can be quite noisy especially during mating season.

You need to have plenty of space for them to exercise, and enclosed with strong wire mesh to prevent their escape.

It's generally thought best to keep only either convex gombocs or concave gombocs, unless you want lots of tiny little gombocs, and bloody fights between the convex gombocs to establish superiority.

Good luck with your exotic pet

Hotblack Desiato

Meine eine Kleine.. bottle.. is on its way!

MrPudding

The drink [non-alcoholic] of champions.








MrP

MrPudding

gvn wrote: »

I've wanted one ever since I first stumbled across them. Can they be bought for a reasonable price? Time to go and find out.

It looks like from €149 up to pretty much whatever you want...

http://www.gomboc-shop.com/app/urwfilter/main/do/index.html

MrP

ShooterSF

My addition (stemming from Mr. Pudding's post)



It's my tippe top. For anyone who doesn't know them, you spin it and using some crazy physics it turns over onto it's handle. You can see a demo on it's wiki page but be warned it's not a cool metallic one

Turtwig

WTF is it with you guys and having so many tabs open??:eek:

ShooterSF

They are temporary bookmarks. I need them all until chrome crashes and I find I didn't actually need them at all.

Genghiz Cohen

Take the pain away...

Bannasidhe

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

Take the pain away...

.
A&A = Home of the manicured nails.

General Relativity

Bannasidhe wrote: »

.
A&A = Home of the manicured nails.

More like;

Genghiz Cohen

Bannasidhe wrote: »

.
A&A = Home of the manicured nails.

I actually bite my nails.
I've been trying to stop.

That said, the name of my ArmA2 group is Gael Lords, so maybe me and the guys should go get looked after...

robindch

Looks like this old favourite will need to be updated. Slightly. Christians weigh in at 32%, islamics at 23% and unaffiliated at a world-record high of 16%:



http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1218/breaking36.html

Irish Times wrote:

Christians are by far the most numerous among people who claim a religious identity, according to a international study.

The Pew Research Centre’s 'Forum on Religion & Public Life', conducted in 250 countries during 2010, found that there were 2.2 billion Christians in the world, some 32 per cent of its population. Based on analysis of more than 2,500 censuses, surveys and population registers in 230 countries, the study found that the next such largest grouping were Muslims at 1.6 billion (23 per cent).

They are followed by the 1.1 billion worldwide, or 16 per cent, who have no religious affiliation and are about equal in size to the world’s Catholic population. Next to these are the one billion Hindus (15 per cent), almost 500 million Buddhists (7 per cent) and 14 million Jews (0.2 per cent).

A further 400 million people (6 per cent) practice various folk or traditional religions, including African traditional religions, Chinese folk religions, Native American religions and Australian aboriginal religion An estimated 58 million people, slightly less than one per cent of the world’s population, belong to other religions, including the Baha’i faith, Jainism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Taoism, Tenrikyo, Wicca and Zoroastrianism.

More than eight-in-10 people worldwide identify with a religious group, according to the study. It estimates that there are 5.8 billion religiously affiliated adults and children around the world, representing 84 per cent of the 2010 world population of 6.9 billion.

Corkfeen

I wasn't sure where would be the most suitable place for this but the Westboro Baptist Church made it onto Irish radio.... :eek:

Excerpts from interview: http://www.joe.ie/news-politics/current-affairs/audio-did-you-hear-what-the-westboro-baptist-church-called-irish-people-last-night-shocking-stuff-0031838-1

The entire interview(Starts at around 3.30 mark) : http://classichits.ie/niall-boylan-at-night-17-12-2012/

She's a bit mad........

PopePalpatine

Corkfeen wrote: »

I wasn't sure where would be the most suitable place for this but the Westboro Baptist Church made it onto Irish radio.... :eek:

Excerpts from interview: http://www.joe.ie/news-politics/current-affairs/audio-did-you-hear-what-the-westboro-baptist-church-called-irish-people-last-night-shocking-stuff-0031838-1

The entire interview(Starts at around 3.30 mark) : http://classichits.ie/niall-boylan-at-night-17-12-2012/

As if there could be anything else than some I-moan-a Institute patsy appearing on Matt Cooper, saying that women would fake being suicidal in order to obtain abortions. :mad:

Are we going with "unaffiliated" now? It's better than miscellaneous, sick of being lumped in with the hindus.

recedite

robindch wrote: »

Looks like this old favourite will need to be updated. Slightly.

That Pie Chart is waaay out....

Bannasidhe

recedite wrote: »

That Pie Chart is waaay out....

Yeah - no way are there that many Smith's fans around.


:pac:



I'll get me coat.

cyberwolf77

http://listverse.com/2012/12/15/top-10-reasons-science-is-another-religion/

sephir0th

^^

Turtwig

cyberwolf77 wrote: »

http://listverse.com/2012/12/15/top-10-reasons-science-is-another-religion/

Proof if ever it was needed that people who possess PhD's can still be ignorant and idiotic on various topics.

Chuck Stone

cyberwolf77 wrote: »

http://listverse.com/2012/12/15/top-10-reasons-science-is-another-religion/

A load of bollocks tbh.

cyberwolf77

Jernal wrote: »

Proof if ever it was needed that people who possess PhD's can still be ignorant and idiotic on various topics.

I know someone with two advanced degrees in mathematics who needs help changing the bulb in an outside light fixture. I can do it in under a minute

cyberwolf77

Chuck Stone wrote: »

A load of bollocks tbh.

My theory is that someone wrote it as a piss-take

shizz

cyberwolf77 wrote: »

My theory is that someone wrote it as a piss-take

But sure its only a theory!

Bannasidhe

Jernal wrote: »

Proof if ever it was needed that people who possess PhD's can still be ignorant and idiotic on various topics.

Formula One for example - in my world that consists of Vrooom, wheeeerrrrrrrvroom, wheerrrrrrrvroooommvroooom, whe...VERROOOM....! CRASH!!!!! *change channel*

PopePalpatine

Bannasidhe wrote: »

Formula One for example - in my world that consists of Vrooom, wheeeerrrrrrrvroom, wheerrrrrrrvroooommvroooom, whe...VERROOOM....! CRASH!!!!! *change channel*

Blasphemer! :mad:

ShooterSF

Who changes the channel at the good part?!

Bannasidhe

ShooterSF wrote: »

Who changes the channel at the good part?!

The person who has to attack brother to get the remote so there is a bit of a time delay.

CerebralCortex

cyberwolf77 wrote: »

I know someone with two advanced degrees in mathematics who needs help changing the bulb in an outside light fixture. I can do it in under a minute

Is he missing his fingers?

Sarky

Well, it's no great secret that mathematicians are all crazy.

fitz0

MIT discovers a new state of matter, a new kind of magnetism


Researchers at MIT have discovered a new state of matter with a new kind of magnetism. This new state, called a quantum spin liquid (QSL), could lead to significant advances in data storage. QSLs also exhibit a quantum phenomenon called long-range entanglement, which could lead to new types of communications systems, and more.

Generally, when we talk about magnetism’s role in the realm of technology, there are just two types: Ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. Ferromagnetism has been known about for centuries, and is the underlying force behind your compass’s spinning needle or the permanent bar magnets you played with at school. In ferromagnets, the spin (i.e. charge) of every electron is aligned in the same direction, causing two distinct poles. In antiferromagnets, neighboring electrons point in the opposite direction, causing the object to have zero net magnetism (pictured below). In combination with ferromagnets, antiferromagnets are used to create spin valves: the magnetic sensors used in hard drive heads.

In the case of quantum spin liquids, the material is a solid crystal — but the internal magnetic state is constantly in flux. The magnetic orientations of the electrons (their magnetic moment) fluctuate as they interact with other nearby electrons. “But there is a strong interaction between them, and due to quantum effects, they don’t lock in place,” says Young Lee, senior author of the research. It is these strong interactions that apparently allow for long-range quantum entanglement.

The existence of QSLs has been theorized since 1987, but until now no one has succeeded in actually finding one. In MIT’s case, the researchers spent 10 months growing a tiny sliver of herbertsmithite (pictured above) — a material that was suspected to be a QSL, but which had never been properly investigated. (Bonus points if you can guess who herbertsmithite is named after.) Using neutron scattering — firing a beam of neutrons at a material to analyze its structure — the researchers found that the herbertsmithite was indeed a QSL.

Moving forward, Lee says that the discovery of QSLs could lead to advances in data storage (new forms of magnetic storage) and communications (long-range entanglement). Lee also seems to think that QSLs could lead us towards higher-temperature superconductors — i.e. materials that superconduct under relatively normal conditions, rather than -200C.

Really, though, the most exciting thing about quantum spin liquids is that they’re completely new, and thus we ultimately have no idea how they might eventually affect our world. “We have to get a more comprehensive understanding of the big picture,” Lee says. “There is no theory that describes everything that we’re seeing.”

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/143782-mit-discovers-a-new-state-of-matter-a-new-kind-of-magnetism

cyberwolf77

CerebralCortex wrote: »

Is he missing his fingers?

Nope, she has all her fingers

Hotblack Desiato

Zing!

Nodin

A planet with conditions that could support life orbits a twin neighbour of the sun visible to the naked eye, scientists have revealed.
The world is one of five thought to be circling Tau Ceti, a star just 12 light years away that is almost identical to the sun.
Astronomers estimate the Tau Ceti planets to be two to six times bigger than Earth. One of them, with five times the Earth's mass, lies in the star's "habitable zone".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/dec/19/habitable-planet-discovered-tau-ceti

sponsoredwalk

http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/massey-archives/1977/11/07/massey-lectures-1977-myth-and-meaning/

Ever since the rise of science and the science and the scientific method in the 17th century, we have rejected mythology as the product of superstitious and primitive minds. Only now are we coming to a fuller appreciation of the nature and role of myth in human history. In these five lectures Claude Lévi Strauss, one of the world's greatest living thinkers, offers the insights of a lifetime spent interpreting myths and trying to discover their significance for human understanding.

Hotblack Desiato

sponsoredwalk wrote: »

http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/massey-archives/1977/11/07/massey-lectures-1977-myth-and-meaning/

In these five lectures Claude Lévi Strauss, one of the world's greatest living thinkers, offers the insights of a lifetime spent interpreting myths and trying to discover their significance for human understanding.

He's going to tell us it's all in the jeans, right?

Hotblack Desiato

Nodin wrote: »

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/dec/19/habitable-planet-discovered-tau-ceti

A planet with conditions that could support life orbits a twin neighbour of the sun visible to the naked eye, scientists have revealed.
The world is one of five thought to be circling Tau Ceti, a star just 12 light years away that is almost identical to the sun.
Astronomers estimate the Tau Ceti planets to be two to six times bigger than Earth. One of them, with five times the Earth's mass, lies in the star's "habitable zone".

What if it does have a habitable planet...
With sentient life..
Who have decided upon their own creation myth and god...
Who created the universe and incarnated himself in whose image, again?!?

We now know that regarding the earth as the centre of the universe is stupid.
Similarly I contend that regarding the fate of humanity as of any consequence whatsoever to the universe is stupid.
Message to Christians - get over yourselves - your god didn't create the vastness of the observable universe just so he could watch you masturbate.

pauldla

ninja900 wrote: »

Message to Christians - get over yourselves - your god didn't create the vastness of the observable universe just so he could watch you masturbate.

But maybe that's exactly why god created the universe...he must get bored at times. Eternity must get tiresome, even for the omnipotent.