Anti-Theft Lunch Bag

The problem: People stealing your sandwiches from a communal refrigerator.

The solution: Make your food look spoiled!

http://designyoutrust.com/2008/09/16/anti-theft-lunch-bag/

Duck! Asteroid skims past Earth today

Newly discovered asteroid 2009 QK9 will pass at 4.3 lunar distances today. That's just over 1 million miles or 1.6M kilometers; a hair's-breadth, by astronomical standards. (Anything within 10 lunar-orbit diameters is considered noteworthy.)

Approximate diameter:	98 meters (H=22.685) [football-field size]
Closest Earth approach:	4.33 LD at 0401 UTC on 30 Aug. - Note: JPL reports an approach uncertainty of 20 minutes.
Inside ten LD of Earth:	27 Aug. until 1 Sept.
Data based on:	JPL SSD orbit solution #1 downloaded yesterday based on 21 observations spanning 1 day
Optical observation:	observed from 7 locations during 1.5932 days discovered at 0612 UTC on 21 Aug. by LINEAR last observed at 2026 UTC yesterday by Guidestar Obs.
Link:	JPL Small-Body Database

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/

http://www.hohmanntransfer.com/index.html

So what is reptile dysfunction?

"The guy on TV said he has it and I KNOW he isn't a reptile." A friend was asked this question by her 10-yr-old son...

For real: Zombie epidemiology

Zombies are part of the zeitgeist and a common meme online: A Google search on "zombie" turns up 37.5 million hits!

So I guess it was only a matter of time before zombies turned up in scientific literature: "Infectious Diseases Modelling Research Progress" contains a paper by Canadian scientists who used the fictional parameters of a zombie invasion to produce a model of a generic, lethal, rapidly spreading infection. "The researchers say the exercise could help scientists model the spread of unfamiliar diseases through human populations."

Unfamiliar? Google's 37.5 million hits suggests otherwise!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8206280.stm

http://www.google.com/search?q=zombie
http://images.google.com/images?q=zombie

Clarke's Monolith Found On Saturn

OK, not exactly. But Saturn is at its equinox now, and small heretofore-invisible 3D structures in the rings are literally coming to light. The Cassini spacecraft has waited 15 years to take pictures like these; the first time human eyes have ever seen these objects and structures.

For example:

SATURN EQUINOX PICTURE: Mystery Object Pierces a Ring



A small moon (Daphnis) and its wake through the rings:
Saturn's equinox: Daphnis' shadow and wake



Edge-lit knots and bumps:
Revelations in Saturn's rings continue as equinox approaches




Cassini spacecraft imaging site:
http://ciclops.org/index.php

DNA 'organises itself' on silicon

This is pretty amazing: Using a scaffold of DNA to create nanostructures for use in electronic components. they call it "DNA origami."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8204906.stm

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v440/n7082/abs/nature04586.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA_origami

Epic Elemental Phenomena

"Epic" is currently a fad word, rapidly losing impact through overuse. (e.g. epic+fail) But the photos on the site below truly deserve the word:

For example:







Lots more:
82 Epic Elemental Phenomena

Drawing with breadcrumbs

Most GPS units have some kind of "breadcrumb" feature that tracks where you've been. Almost as soon as consumer GPSs appeared, creative types began using the breadcrumbing to draw invisible glyphs on the landscape, "painting" with their movements.

Some are crude:



Some are literal:



Some are funny (at least, if you used to play Space Invaders):




More examples:

http://images.google.com/images?q=gps%20drawing

http://www.gpsdrawing.com/
http://www.gpsdrawing.com/gallery.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/20/fashion/20GPS.html?_r=2&src=twt&twt=nytimes

It's National "Go Topless" Day

Really!

In New York, Venice Beach, Chicago, Miami Beach, Columbus, Austin, Portland, San Francisco and elsewhere, "in honor of Women's Equality Day," GoTopless.Org is holding what they hope will be mass protests. Why, they ask, is it OK for guys to go topless--- even guys with "moobs" larger than some womens'--- but it's illegal for women to do the same?

Don't click if the sight of skin offends you:
http://gotopless.org/

Test Your Brain

A collection of various online tests and empirical experiments:

http://www.testmybrain.org/?page=home

Best Science Visualization Videos of 2009

You could spend some time on these--- I know I did!

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/visualizations/

There's no such thing as a file you can't delete

Sooner or later, almost every PC user runs into a situation where some file or folder resists all normal methods of deletion. I regularly receive e-mails from readers asking me what they should do in this situation. As part of the solution, I described how to remove "undeletable" malware in my Dec. 4, 2008, WindowsSecrets.Com column.

The question comes up so often that it's worth providing a "once and for all" answer. A recent e-mail from reader David Henderson serves as my jumping-off point. David asks specifically about GPS software files, but the same issue can occur with all types of files in all versions of Windows:

"I recently updated my GPS map files from Garmin. After I finished, I uninstalled the Garmin program. I now have Garmin files remaining that can't be deleted. I even tried a command-line delete, with no success. Please tell me how to get rid of these files."

The most common reason for undeletable files is that they're marked as "in use" — even if they really aren't. Windows won't remove a file that it thinks is currently open, because the operating system is attempting to avoid instability.

Alternatively, some software — either by accident or through bad design — create files with nonstandard, invalid names or other attributes that Windows can't handle. Some malware does this deliberately, making the infected files difficult to clear out.

A fuller explanation, with links to the software I recommend for deleting supposedly "undeletable" files, is the top topic in my current weekly WindowsSecrets.com column.

The other items this week include:

• Fix 'unknown device' errors in Device Manager
  
• Identify an external drive's format type
  
• Use the best tool to convert WMA/MP3 audio files

Access to these items is by a kind of honor-system principle: You decide what the content is worth, and whatever you decide to pay lets you in to *all* the paid-edition content (not just my column) for a full year.

Full info (you start by signing up for the spam-proof free version) here:
http://windowssecrets.com/

Thanks for checking it out!

collected put-downs and come-backs...

... from various sources:

Here are some, um, useful phrases to copy and paste.

• Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.

• The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.

• I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.

• Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.

• I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don't care.

• I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.

• What am I? Flypaper for freaks!?

• I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.

• I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.

• I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.

• It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off.

• Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.

• No, my powers can only be used for good.

• How about never? Is never good for you?

• I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to worship me.

• You sound reasonable...Time to up my medication.

• I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.

• I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...

• I don't work here. I'm a consultant.

• Who me? I just wander from room to room.

• My toys! My toys! I can't do this job without my toys!

• It might look like I'm doing nothing, but at the cellular level I'm really quite busy.

• At least I have a positive attitude about my destructive habits.

• You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.

• I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.

• Someday, we'll look back on this, laugh nervously and change the subject.

Google's "suggested searches" get weird

Star Trek Holodeck, for real

Ultra Cool Holography: Lets Users "Touch" Virtual Objects

Researchers at the University of Tokyo led by Hiroyuki Shinoda have developed a display that lets users "touch" objects that appear to float in space in front of them. The virtual objects appear in mid-air via an LCD and a concave mirror, and a bank of aimed ultrasonic emitters creates the sensation of touching the objects.

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/08/revolutionary-holography-lets-users-touch-virtual-objects-video.html

Can you hear me mmmmmmph!

http://tinyurl.com/qmwbzg

Email time travel, sort of.

"FutureMe" is a service that lets you send a time-delayed email to yourself at any date in the future. People from all over the world use the site. Messages can be marked as private, or visible to all.

The public messages range from funny to sad; perceptive to dumb; poignant to mundane.

Random examples:

Dear FutureMe, So, where are you now? Can you believe that you are thirty already? I'm still coming to terms with the fact that I'm nearly 27, time passes faster the older you get, I don't care what Einstien says! I hope you are better now, do you remember how bad things got? Let me tell you how sorry I am for what I'm doing to you at the moment. I know that I shouldn't hurt myself, but I can't help it.

Hey man
This is the 13 year old you.
happy birthday.
Did you get your business degree?
harvard?
princeton?
lake washington technical?
Well on my end i am working hard to get in Emily Hisler's pants. Did i?

Dear FutureMe, it's me fro the past. i know you can recognize me but can you relate with me? how u doing? i'll be join your second office tommorrow. i have butterflies in my stomach. tell me what is goin to happen tommorrow? p.s: did fiona answer our message?

Dear FutureMe, Happy 25th birthday! How does it feel to be a quarter century old? Have you found someone yet? You always said you wanted to get married before 26...is it gonna happen?

Dear FutureMe, I hope by now i have gotten over my fear of not being good enough for my husband.

Dear Jacob, This is Stephanie, of course. Right now I next to you in our little tiny apt. I just finished going shopping with you and J. Swish at Kroger. I know I was cranky, and you aptly made fun of my PMS. But, I was beating you up, and you liked it. Anyway, I just want to let you know that I love you. I always will.

Dear FutureMe, It's okay to cry today. I still love you. - You.

http://www.futureme.org/

Free fall, anyone?

I've tried skydiving from a plane, and liked it. Here's a tower-based variation, sort of like bungee jumping without a bungee:

http://www.extremeworld.com/attractions/terminal_velocity/

It's called scad diving in Europe:
http://scad-diving.blogspot.com/

Anyone try this yet? Is it worthwhile?

Free utilities make Windows smaller, faster

It's Thursday, so there's a new "LangaList Plus" column posted at WindowsSecrets.Com.

If small and fast is what you want, several free programs let you remove unnecessary Windows components to improve your system's performance and reliability. That's the in-depth topic this week: Put your Windows installation on a diet!

Also in this column:

• Free! Twice the disk space
  
  
• Why won't Media Player minimize properly?
  
  
• Floppy-based upgrades on floppyless PCs

Access to the above content is almost free: You pay only what you think the WindowsSecrets newsletter is worth (there's no set fee--- you decide); whatever you pay that once gets you access to all the paid content, including my columns, for an entire year.

Want to have a question answered in that column? Use the "contact" info at the end of the column to send in questions you might like me to try answering. And you can also rate the content to let me know how I'm doing.

More info: https://windowssecrets.com/

Thanks for your support!

Test your perceptions

I don't know why I'm on a perception/illusion kick lately, but what the heck:

Here's one of my favorites: the spinning woman illusion. I tend to start by seeing her spin clockwise, but if I concentrate on her lower foot and work upwards, I can see a counter-clockwise spin, too. (The image has no intrinsic spin; it's symmetrical in both directions, so the "spin" we see is an illusion imposed by our brains.)

http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2008/10/casual_fridays_tk421_why_cant.php

The same page has a nice 3D "magic eye" illusion, too: An image of a doberman, facing right. Can you see it?

Perseid meteor shower tonight

For those of us living on the north half of the planet, the annual Perseid meteor shower is the most comfortable display of celestial fireworks, the warm summer nights making for easy viewing. (December's Geminids have a higher average count-per-hour, but winter skygazing calls for a special kind of astronomical dedication.)

Meteor showers happen when the earth passes through the orbital path of a comet: When a comet approaches the relatively toasty regions of the solar system, where we live, the comet's icy core evaporates and erodes, literally leaving a trail of dust and gravel. When the earth intersects the comet's orbit, this cometary debris hits our atmosphere like so many bugs on a windshield, and we see "shooting stars" as the debris burns up from friction with the air. It's a pretty show.

Tonight's the night for the Perseids!

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090810-perseid-meteor-shower.html

http://www.google.com/search?q=perseids

Interesting comparison

You've heard all the hype about Google vs Bing vs Yahoo. "Blindsearch" is an automatic side-by-side taste test. You enter your search, and it presents results from all three search engines side by side, and stripped of any branding information. You see which set of results comes closest to what you want, and can cast a blind vote for that search engine. With each new search, the positions of the search engine results are shuffled so that, for example, Google won't always be the first results shown.

http://blindsearch.fejus.com/

Dunno if it'll change anyone's mind, but it's an interesting experiment.

(PS: The author of the site compiled the votes after half a million searches. The results are posted here: http://delicategeniusblog.com/?p=839 )

The "most most human of all the expressions"

Why do humans blush? We're the only animal that does. Darwin called blushing "the most peculiar and the most human of all the expressions," but was unable to explain its purpose.

Some theories:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327200.700-10-mysteries-of-you-blushing.html

Diagnose and repair network-connection glitches

Reader Sergio Geralnik encountered a mysterious Web-traffic jam:

"My wife's computer suddenly can't hit any Web sites. Any program that tries to communicate via http: using port 80 is getting communication errors. All the other computers using this router and the same Internet connection work fine. I've tried scanning for viruses and malware, but nothing has come up. Any suggestions?"

A step-by-step troubleshooting guide is the top topic in my current weekly WindowsSecrets.com column.

The other items this week include:

• Tracking down the source of XP freezes
  
• What is WSE 3.0, and how did it get on my PC?
  
• How to handle .docx and other "Open XML" files

Access to these items is by a kind of honor-system principle: You decide what the content is worth, and whatever you decide to pay lets you in to *all* the paid-edition content (not just my column) for a full year.

Full info (you start by signing up for the spam-proof free version) here:
http://windowssecrets.com/

Thanks for checking it out!

More proof: Seeing isn't believing

This isn't an optical illusion, exactly. But in a way, it's even stranger.

Turns out our sense of time is altered depending on whether we're looking right or left.

Our only way of knowing the world around us is through our senses, and those same senses are proving to be incredibly unreliable. Bizarre!

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2009/07/time-travel-available-to-all.html

Not sure what this is about...

...but it looks cool, at least for a minute or so.

http://www.buraku.com/

This is so warped, it's wonderful

It's a pillow made of red velour.

They claim that it is a project that was inspired when loved ones sleeping by you are in a moment of complete stillness, making you wonder of their wellness. In this morbid interpretation, they combined both fear and humor into one comforting pillow.

I won't spoil the surprise. Just click and scroll down to the pix!

http://tinyurl.com/dbm4aw

I thought the tin man needed a *heart!*

It's a parent's solemn duty...

... to embarrass the kids as often as possible.

This guy takes the job seriously.