This blog is dead.

Long live the new (micro)blog: Science and Pies

Particle Accelerator TO HELL!

"Scientists, Freemasons: same thing".

I didn't realise we were in a different dimension to space?

This guy is both scary and hilarious. What is strange matter? Why it's Nephilim flesh and Satan of course!

I KNEW physicists were black hearted necromancers, now here's the proof

Chris Morris, Brian Cox and CERN

Listen to a man who used to play keyboards for D:Ream chat to Chris Morris about CERN, particle physics and relativistic mechanics here. I love the internet.

Me blogging habits

I'm rubbish at blogging. I don't do it nearly as much as I expected I would when I registered this site back in 2005, and what I do write isn't all that entertaining. As such I'm moving all the dull, sciencey type posts to the Null Hypothesis blog (see the side bar for the link, as I cannot be bothered to make the link, though I realise that it would have taken fewer key strokes than this little aside would have). Now about 6 people can read my well interesting thoughts on such scintillating topics bibliogrpahic software, rather than just the two of you who sometimes glace this way.

However, don't you worry. Big Up Science is enduring. I'm going to concentrate on Science (capital S) and its collision with the pop culture which pervades our lives, or summat.

It's a brave new world. Maybe my spelling will improve. Only time will tell...

(Old) Science Singles: Jack Johnsons

It's time for your semi-regular does of music reviews though a tenuous scientific lens.



Science?"If I had eyes", sings Jack Johnson, "then I would be living on the surface", for you see young Jack is a blind cave fish.

The review bit: Yawn

GeekPop '08

Now listen up you two, the good folks over at the Null Hypothesis are doing a GeekPop science music festival podcast type thing. Check it! It's got Jonny Berliner and the Amateur Transplants on it, which is no bad thing.
Also is no bad thing is that a tune cobbled together by three members of my band (excluding the singer lady and drummer, rather key people) was sent to them too late. You are spared the horror of my, ahem, singing .

Science Singles: Late feb 2008

There has been muttering that my choices for these reviews have been too obscure. So in order to rectify this, I'm now picking reviews from the home of all that's popular, youth and hip: the BBC Radio 1 playlist, and the A-List at that. You have been warned

What's It Gonna Be by H Two O Feat. Platinum




Science? H₂O will lead to the oxidation of many metals. Leave an iron bolt out in the rain for long enough and it will become encrusted with rust as negative hydroxide ions react with the positive Iron ions ( Fe²⁺) to form the iron oxides that make up rust. Platinum however won't oxidise with water and so doesn't easily corrode, a property which gives platinum it's high value.
For a two-step speed garage crew, H Two O is a pretty good name. However, I wouldn't collaborate with a group called Platinum. H Two O and Platinum don't react. I'd want my speed garage hits to be under a moniker that sounds vibrant and exciting. H Two O Featuring Iron is a bit better, but evocative of rust, corrosion and death. What you want is H Two O featuring some exciting alkali metal. Like Caesium. Yeah, H Two O featuring Caesium, that' be skill.

Is it any good? Oh no. Please no. Is this what gets played on day time radio 1? I thought speed garage died with DJ Luck and MC Neat. What happened? No one sent me the memo.

Next!

We Are Scientists with After Hours

Science? I'm a scientist. In about 10 minutes it'll be "after hours" in my lab. I won't be here though. I'll be in the pub. We Are Scientists are not scientists though, which is a shame. More rock stars should be scientists. I bet Brain Cox would never sing "Time means nothing".
Is it any good? This the acceptable face of safe and slightly dull US indie rock and roll. Take notes The Killers, you could learn a thing or two.

Rock Star Scientist Update

Black hearted necromancer Brian Cox played keyboards with D:Ream. (What is it with these physic bods called Brian?)

That's a solid gold rock star scientist FACT!

Mexican Lemons prevent road death: that's a solid gold fact

Solid gold factarama: graphs never lie. Not ever.

Answers in Genesis... the journal!

http://www.answersingenesis.org/arj [via badscience.net]

The articles that are up at the moment do appear to be lacking in references to other (non-crazy talk) papers.

On the plus side, it does appear to be open access...

Evolution proved to be just plain wrong

The evidence is overwhelming. [via b3ta.com]

Paper space plane

I know this prime fodder for the achingly hip life-style geek blogs, but check this out: http://www.pinktentacle.com/2008/01/origami-spaceplane-to-launch-from-space-station/

If anyone wants to do the maths in order to calculate how fast this thing is going to get as it enters the atmosphere, then feel free to add it to the comments. Though I'm not sure this will be possible, what without knowing the weight of the thing and all. Erm, terminal velocity, how does that work again? Blasted physics...

The usual "get a proper job, this is a waste of money" twunts are making themselves known in the comments of the above link. As if all the knowledge learnt by the development, design and manufactuing of the "paper" plane will then be instantly forgotten and never used in anything they, the self imposed auditors of worth, deem useful.

I make top ten

Improbably, some thing I wrote has made a top ten of 2007 list.
http://www.null-hypothesis.co.uk/science/strange-but-true/item/top_ten_null_articles_2007

I think it's singificant that it was the first thing I ever wrote for them: beginners luck and all that.