Proven By Science

keyboards for crinoids: win-win oh wait

HARD TO GET RID OF: Europe got japanese knotweed, japan got the piano, courtesy Philipp von Siebold

LARGEST FEMALE ON EARTH: “Across Europe, there has only ever been that Siebold sample. It is a female plant (the largest female on Earth, some argue) that has never had a mate and has spread by its underground stems – rhizomes – alone.”

Where Are The Lords Of COBOL?

A brief dip into news territory for FT, as the web throws up this truly extraordinary story regarding the Californian budget negotiations. DON’T YAWN YET. It appears that Arnold Schwatzeneggar’s Republic’s have been unable to fix a budget for public spending and are running blind into the new session. The solution? Pay all state employees minimum wage until it is sorted out. Not only is this a truly bonkers idea (underpaying as an incentive - rarely works as a management strategy) but it appears to be impossible to implement. Because in other cost cutting news, they are still working on a payroll system which is programmed in COBOL - programming language TO GO of the 1970’s. … read on …

Life Imitates Tharg part 374

Can Electronic Cigarettes Beat The Smoking Ban?

“I think people need to be cautious,” warns Dr Roberta Ferrence, director of the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit. “It’s an unknown.”

“The concern is that the product will probably be promoted as something that’s safer than smoking,” she adds. “What needs to happen to make the dangers of smoking clear is for the product to be fitted with an electronic voice, perhaps one possessed of a piercing Mexican accent and a series of warning phrases such as “No no Senor Slade! Thees ees madness!”"  .

One Of Our Insects Is Missing

GASP! FEAR! London has been attacked by ALIEN INSECTS. Just like the ones in Starship Troopers, these MYSTERY BUGS have tried to infiltrate and destroy planes. When interrogated by Dr Horrible, or other staff at the Natural History Museum, the bugs just shrug and PLAY DUMB. But what are these mystery deadly bugs* and what is their agenda?

It is remarkable that these insect have no match in the 28 million species horded in the British Museum** (Natural History Kensington), but the bug itself does look a bit unimpressive. … read on …

Who Aggregates the Aggregator Aggregators?

And perhaps more importantly - who cares? If the impending closure of the obnoxiously “Web 2.0″ BBC Sound Index this Friday is any guide, the answer is pretty clear.

Oh sure, the site boasts more than 22 million “comments, posts, plays and views”, but those comments and posts are all from OTHER sites like YouTube, last.fm, iTunes, myspace, and the like. Sound Index sent automated “robot” scripts to these sites looking for the names of bands, fed what it found into some kind of magic algorithm, and produced a constantly updated list of the 1000 buzziest bands on the planet. Or well, the English-speaking planet. Probably. Slap some shiny, gumdrop-like buttons on the results, organise things with a direct rip-off of the iTunes “Coverflow” feature and hey presto.. well, what exactly? … read on …

the proof at last!: alien caught blinking

“authentic” video released today (authentic here seems to mean that YES it is indeed a video, and not for example a sellotape dispenser)

volcano and electric storm!

chaiten with lightning: i can’t get the pictures to embed, i guess they want you to click through — it’s well worth it (cf esp 12/35)

IN SALAD (of all the) NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM(s)

huntin for images of BRANES in pulp culture i came across THIS via boingboing: “In November 2006 Till Nowak created the image SALAD. For this image he created 12 digital vegetable models in 3ds max using photographic references. They were combined to become a tribute to the fantastic biomechanical creations of H.R. Giger and the vegetable portraits of Giuseppe Arcimboldo.”

full size here

A Bite of Stars, a Slug of Time, and Thou - Episode 2

Tom Ewing joins Mark Sinker and Elisha Sessions to discuss Fritz Leiber’s “A Pail of Air”, written in 1951. It’s a short story about a kid, some rugs, and an Earth so cold that helium crawls. Will it crawl onto YOU? Elisha reads from the story in case you haven’t.

Next week: Isaac Asimov - “Segregationist”

Kids Toothpaste

This morning I discovered that the new toothpaste I bought had vanished. Knowing my 1-year-old son’s love of raiding shopping bags I worked out quickly what had happened to it: the where proved more elusive, and to avoid being late I decided to nick his toothpaste. Here are my science findings as an adult using children’s toothpaste: … read on …