Daily Archives: March 18, 2008
Learning the bash shell, continued
I started this discussion a while back, and not it is time to continue it.The Bourne Again Shell, bash, is the default command-line shell in Ubuntu and many *nix (Unix, Linux, etc.) systems. You can think of the shell as the most direct way to get into your operating system, and you can think of shell scripts (‘programs’ in essence) as macros that can automate computerized tasks. Continue reading Learning the bash shell, continued
The Shape of Life 1
Stay tuned, more coming.This episode 8 of the PBS series in six bite sized parts
Arthur Clarke is Dead
Arthur Clarke, author of a number of important science fiction books, member of the British Interplanetary Society, co-inventor of marvelous technologies, and accomplished scuba diver, has died at the age of 90, in his long time home of Sri Lanka.My favorite book of his was Childhood’s End, which I read when I was about 12. I remember almost nothing about it, but somehow it impressed me. Ha. I just read Dave Bacon’s post on Clarke, at The Quantum Pontiff … Yes, Dave, I have exactly the same feeling:
Although I learned to cringe at some of Clarke’s writing as I grew older, I have very distinct and fond memories of reading “Childhood’s End” and “Rendezvous with Rama.” (Like all such memories, I dread rereading these for fear of losing my even now foggy recollections of the joy these books brought me.)
Well said.Clark said in an interview many years ago that the reason he lived in Sri Lanka is because it is one of the two spots on the earth over which dead and dying satellites tended to congregate (owing to some gravitational anomaly).Here is the web site of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation.
Gene Genie Carnival
The Gene Genie Blog Carnival is up and running at DNADirect Talk. Please go check it out.The next Gene Genie Carnival will be hosted here, at this blog (the one you are reading right now, this one). Please send me your entries! You can use the blog submission form or email them directly to me (with something like “Gene Genie Submission” in the subject line).
Robot Update
First we have the latest on the space robot:
Space Robot Flexes Arms for First Time from PhysOrg.com
(AP) — Astronauts flexed the giant arms of the international space station’s new robot for the first time, testing the brakes and maneuvering the appendages into position for a Monday night spacewalk.[…]
Then, we have this: Continue reading Robot Update
Plant Evolution and Biology Carnival
… known as Berry Go Round …. will happen here on or abouts the 25th of March. Please get me your posts on plant evolution and biology stuff!You can email me here.
Gnome 2.22
Gnome 2.22 was just released (a few days ago). This is not the big-bang major overhaul type of release we have just seen with KDE, but it is worth nothing. Continue reading Gnome 2.22
The REAL reason we use Linux
We tell people we use Linux because it’s secure. Or because it’s free, because it’s customizable, because it’s free (the other meaning), because it has excellent community support…But all of that is just marketing bullshit. We tell that to non-Linuxers because they wouldn’t understand the real reason. And when we say those false reasons enough, we might even start to believe them ourselves.But deep underneath, the real reason remains.We use Linux because …
Minnesotans: Rally Around the Bell Museum!
There are plans to build a new Bell Museum. The plans are fantastic, and we need this. But the State has to float a bond to pay for it. Things are happening in the Legislature right now, and if you want to support the Bell, you need to take action right now.Visit this site and do whatever it says. Quick, before it is too late!!!!
I think therefore I … am a curmudgeon
SciBarCamp is a gathering of scientists and others, in an effort to create connections across diverse interests, and, wherever possible, annoy the heck out of Larry Moran. Continue reading I think therefore I … am a curmudgeon