Scientists (astronomers and astrophysicists, actually) announced last week that a star in a heretofore unknown galaxy exploded about 7.5 billion years ago. The light from the explosion finally reached earth last Wednesday, about 2:12 a.m. (presumably EDT). The exploding star, situated about half way to the edge of the known universe, was the brightest gamma… Continue reading If a star explodes and no one sees it, is it visible?
Author: BH
Welcome to the Uncanny Valley
On the Wired blog Danger Room I found this YouTube video of a new four-legged robot designed as a transport device. I can’t put my finger on exactly why I find this so creepy. I guess it’s the “uncanny valley.”
Ta: the early weeks
We’ve been remiss, I think, in baby-related posting. So here, by way of partial recompense, is the first series of ultrasounds of the soon-to-be-born Ta. These pictures, from Ta’s 35th week, feature the most the most recognizable features. In the more recent ones, the little kid is too large to fit in the ultrasound’s field… Continue reading Ta: the early weeks
Cold cereal
As many know, we’re having our first child sometime in early April. I think ours might be the first baby built entirely out of cold cereal. I haven’t calculated the numbers, but we–and by ‘we’ I mean ‘Hilary’–goes through about three or four bowls a day, maybe five or six boxes a week. Is this… Continue reading Cold cereal
Depressing news from flotsam experts
This really is depressing: Apparently there are continent-sized pools of plastic trash accumulating in eddies in the Pacific Ocean. The ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ or ‘trash vortex’ may contain 100 million tons of stuff; one-fifth of it has fallen or been tossed off of ships and oil-drilling platforms , the rest of has been dumped… Continue reading Depressing news from flotsam experts