An American company, Altaeros Energies, recently launched a prototype helium-shelled wind turbine that can be used at high altitudes. While the test run took place at 350ft above ground, the ultimate goal is a height of 1,000ft. Tethers send the converted power back to the ground. Compared with traditional wind turbines, the prototype garners twice as much energy, as wind is stronger at higher altitudes.
Sources: Green Tech Media, Smart Planet
Monthly Archives: April 2012
What? Me? A torturing monster?
“I cannot tell you how disgusted my former colleagues and I felt to hear ourselves labeled ‘torturers’ by the president of the United States,” when all we really did was to strap people to a board and pour water into their noses and mouths to they felt the sensation of drowning, for several hours a day every day for months, and stuff.
That is the sentiment of Jose Rodriguez’s new book, Hard Measures: How Aggressive CIA Actions After 9/11 Saved American Lives
The Gop-Spin Game
I’m trying out a new feature on The X Blog. I give you a news story and you provide the Republican Spin for the story.
In today’s story, some Pabst Blue Ribbon swigging hipster spilled frozen yogurt on the President of the United States. From the Washington Post:
During an unscheduled stop at a restaurant and bar here late Tuesday, President Obama ordered a pizza, shook hands, posed for pictures, bought some t-shirts — and got some yogurt spilled on his pants by an enthusiastic fan. … On his way to a speech to about 10,000 people at the University of Colorado, the president wiped his pants clean with a towel, made a quip about the Secret Service and said to the woman responsible for the spill: “Getting yogurt on the president, you’ve got a story to tell.”
Go …
God is not a stand up guy
Demonstration of the Double Helix
This is a proof of concept blog post. Please give it a try and let me know if it works for you!
Double Helix from the Wolfram Demonstrations Project by Sándor Kabai
Double Helix
This is a proof of concept post. Does the following thingie work for you?
Double Helix from the Wolfram Demonstrations Project by Sándor Kabai
California Cow Is Mad
The USDA has just confirmed that a dairy cow in California had bovine spungiform encephalopathy (BSE) sometimes known as “Mad Cow Disease,” which causes Creutzfeldt-Jakob, a deadly human disease affecting the brain. The animal was about to be, or was in the process of being, “rendered” … turned into glue or soap, most likely … and none of it entered the food supply. It has not been demonstrated that BSE can be transferred to humans via milk. Even so, cattle futures have dropped sharply in Chicago over the last few hours.
From Reuters:
The carcass of the cow, which the USDA said was infected by an “atypical” form of the disease, would be destroyed. The cow was not believed to have contracted the disease by eating contaminated food, the USDA added.
“There is really no concern for alarm here with regards to this animal. Both human health and animal health are protected with regards to this issue,” Clifford told reporters at a briefing at USDA headquarters.
The total number of knnown cases of cattle with BSE in mainly industrialized countries worldwide is 188,579, the vast majority, 183,841, having been in the United Kingdom during an epidemic starting in 1986. The total number of Creutzfeldt-Jakob in the same set of countries is 280, again with the vast majority (175) having been in the UK. (This does not count similar brain diseases known in some non-industrialized parts of the world.)
In the US there have been a total of 4 cattle with BSE, all between 1993 and 2008, and 4 cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob, the latter possibly associated with prior residence in the UK during the epidemic. In other words, the finding of this “Mad Cow” in California probably does not constitute any real concern, but is (appropriately) being taken seriously by authorities.
Don McLeroy on The Colbert Report
Don McLeroy is the creationist formerly on the Texas School board who tried very hard to ruin science education both in Texas and across the United States. He is an ill informed, paranoid, mean spirited dick head. He thinks humans and dinosaurs walked the earth at the same time. I repeat. He was on the Texas School Board. He also hates atheists. He doesn’t have the qualification to breath the same air the rest of us do.
Colbert has an interesting conversation with him. Below the fold because it is a little wide.
Continue reading Don McLeroy on The Colbert Report
Criminal Charges Filed in BP Oil Spill (UPDATED)
Yes, it was a crime; it was a crime against nature and against the law of the land, and now the first criminal charges are being filed, according to an exclusive report at NPR.
“The first criminal charges in connection with the BP oil spill have been filed against a former BP engineer named Kurt Mix,” NPR’s Carrie Johnson reports exclusively.
Carrie just told our Newscast unit that Mix has been charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly deleting text messages after the spill. The texts were related to the amount of oil gushing into the Gulf. Mix will make his first appearence in court today.
Update from the Washington Post:
Justice Dept. makes 1st arrest in BP oil spill; ex-engineer accused of obstruction of justice
… Kurt Mix, of Katy, Texas, was arrested on two counts of obstruction of justice.
The Justice Department says the 50-year-old Mix is accused of deleting a string of 200 text messages with a BP supervisor in October 2010 that involved internal BP information about how efforts to cap the well were failing.
Do you know who sang "The Rainbow Connection?"
DON’T ANSWER AN DON’T GOOGLE IT
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Thank you very much, that is all for now.
Scientists do not have a sense of humor.
…. or do they?
Prevent Sliding Board Fractures in Children
Holy crap!!!!
Hat tip: Charlotte
Brain Freeze Figured Out. Animated!
I hate when this happens (falling into holes department)
This is one of the hazards of being an archaeologist (it has happened to me a few times) but it is sad to see it occur with a private citizen.
The moral of the story? Don’t be talking on your cell phone when instead, you should be scanning the terrain in front of you with Ground Penetrating Radar to locate cavities that are too close to the surface.
Are you an IT Professional? Your help is needed.
This is the second of two surveys designed to assess Relative Importance of various things in your profession. This survey is for anyone who works in IT, regardless if they are in higher ed, industry, government, etc. The more folks who respond to the survey, the better the results will be! The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete.
Thank you very much.