This sounds weird in words – and even weirder in tones! Apparently the Battery Maritime Building in New York has been ‘wired for sound’ so that its effects can be ‘played’ like a musical instrument. In the cavernous, 9,000 square foot Great Hall of the former lower Manhattan ferry terminal, sits the man who once… Continue reading Playing a building???
Tag: Amazing
They made things to last in those days
I got a nice warm fuzzy from a story in the Daily Mail yesterday. The last time Teddy Bacon saw his expensive gold watch it was sinking down into the harbour in Gibraltar. That was in 1941, and the watch had slipped off his wrist when Lieutenant Bacon threw a line to shore from his… Continue reading They made things to last in those days
Roadrunner – from fringe to mainstream
A few months ago, I posted here about a couple of scientists who’d adapted Playstation consoles to serve as computers – number-crunchers – for their work. Now we learn of Roadrunner, a new supercomputer that’s cracked the one-petaflop ‘boundary’ – over one thousand trillion calculations per second. For those interested in the supercomputing technicalities, there’s… Continue reading Roadrunner – from fringe to mainstream
Sonar’s come a long way
I’ve been fascinated to discover the advances in high-resolution imaging sonar that have come along over the past few years. My interest was sparked by the recent discoveries of the wrecks of HMS Hunter in a Norwegian fjord, and HMAS Sydney off Australia. Both were located by sonar, and have been photographed. Having blogged about… Continue reading Sonar’s come a long way
When landing a plane resembles a demolition derby
I was amazed (and amused) to see reports of one light aircraft landing on top of one another near Dallas, TX. For a learner pilot, it is embarrassing enough that you have brought your plane in to land on top of another aircraft that was on the runway. But when that other plane belongs to… Continue reading When landing a plane resembles a demolition derby
The ‘green’, electric bra???
This boggles my mind. The Triumph International lingerie maker has unveiled its latest ‘advance’ in Japan. Ladies, take your battle for the environment a little closer to your heart with a solar-powered bra that can generate enough electric energy to charge a mobile phone or an iPod. Lingerie maker Triumph International Japan Ltd unveiled its… Continue reading The ‘green’, electric bra???
Farewell to a true heroine
The word ‘hero’ is grossly misused today. Sports figures who score a thrilling goal or touchdown; public figures who use their position in the spotlight to advance a particular charity or cause; these and many others are called ‘heroes’. They’re not. A real heroine has just left us. If you want to know what true… Continue reading Farewell to a true heroine
Controlling your computer – with your thoughts
Emotiv Systems of Australia has come up with something very interesting. According to a news report: Emotiv Systems, founded by four Australian scientists in 2003, will release the $US299 EPOC headset on the US market this year. Featuring 16 sensors that measure electrical impulses from the brain, the headset – which plugs into the PC’s… Continue reading Controlling your computer – with your thoughts
Platypus, platypus, wherefore art thou platypus?
Shakespeare might object, but it seems an appropriate headline! The platypus has always amazed me. The darn thing is a furry mammal, but lays eggs like a reptile; produces milk like a cow, but doesn’t have teats or nipples, its young feeding through a glandular patch on its skin; males have poisonous venom in spurs… Continue reading Platypus, platypus, wherefore art thou platypus?
The fish that can do it all!
Dr. Dean Pomerleau claims to have developed a kit that can be used to teach any fish to do tricks. I was a bit sceptical at first, but the video below seems to bear out his claims. Personally, though, I think I’d have more fun with a dog . . . Peter