sciencepunk | October 1, 2009
Researchers have submitted a paper for publication (read preprint) detailing how to use WiFi to see through walls. The system works by measuring interference between nodes of wireless devices. When someone walks through the field, the change in resistance is detected and plotted by a central computer. Ars technica reports:
The basic idea behind the work is the assumption that transmissions between any two IEEE 802.15.4 devices travel within an ellipse centered on a straight line between those points. It's not possible to know which path a given transmission took, as different paths will…
sciencepunk | October 1, 2009Blogging is on the back burner at the moment as I'm currently relying on pay-per-mb internet. It's like the dark days of dial-up. Anyway, in the mean time, enjoy this weird apple, which appears to be a chimera (the result of two genetically different individuals fusing very early on in development).
There are lots of examples of this strange mutation around - take a look at this half-blue lobster, for example. Some humans are chimeras - the result of non-identical twins fusing in womb. Their organs can have different origins - skin might have a different DNA makeup to their reproductive…
sciencepunk | September 27, 2009From New Scientist:
Iranian photographer Babak Tafreshi has won the 2009 Lennart Nilsson scientific photography prize. According to the award panel, his images "reclaim a night sky that most modern people have lost"
sciencepunk | September 22, 2009
Charity Sense About Science are running a campaign to stop libel laws silencing legitimate scientific debate in the UK. Currently producer and author Simon Singh is facing a £100,000 legal bill for an article he wrote questioning the effectiveness of chiropractic treatments. Many others like him have been forced to withdraw criticisms of pharmaceutical companies and other organisations after being threatened with legal action. Sense About Science are preparing a report on these cases, and need your help:
Hello allAs some of you will be aware we've had some fantastic news for our Keep…
sciencepunk | September 10, 2009Vanessa of NatureBreak.org came back from Belize with an unwelcome hitch-hiker - a parasitic botfly larvae that had burrowed into her scalp. So she did what any great blogger would do: made a very well-produced video showing its eviction. Not for the squeamish!
via BoingBoing
sciencepunk | September 8, 2009
These days I get excited when I see any big science news story break because I know it's only a matter of time before it appears in delightfully skewed fashion on the Save Your Breath for Running Ponies blog. Combining a love all all things sciencey with offbeat lifestyle advice, Running Ponies is how I want my science news reported. Here's their coverage of this week's haul of new species discovered in Papua New Guinea, including the 3-foot-long Bosavi Woolly Rat:
So you might be feeling a little bit bewildered right now, Bosavi Woolly Rat, having never seen people before and now all of a…
sciencepunk | September 8, 2009It's with some sadness that I announce the last day of prize-winning here at SciencePunk. As well as the final in this series of reward-based thought experiments, it's also the day in which I will decide the five winners of loot bags, so if you haven't added your two cents yet, now would be a good time.
Thank you also for all your fantastic input over the last week or so, it's been a real treat. I had fun. Did you have fun? I hope so.
With theatres rolling out the red carpet for celebrities at the 9 première tonight, I got to thinking about the cast behind the voices of the stitchpunks.…
sciencepunk | September 7, 2009Welcome to the penultimate chance to win an exclusive coffee table book filled with high-quality prints from the Tim Burton-produced Shane-Acker created animation 9. As far as I know, it can't be bought in shops, and your best chance to win one of the highly limited (999) copies is here at SciencePunk. We've already had plenty of winners, maybe the next one will be you?
After discussing the morality of the mechanical monsters that pursue the stitchpunks throughout the film, I thought that maybe some of you didn't want to be a stitchpunk at all. Perhaps you are a fierce and forceful soul,…
sciencepunk | September 7, 2009Thanks to Morbid Anatomy for this fantastic mashup: Ernest Haeckal's highly-celebrated engravings from Artforms of Nature turned into mutant beauty using a fractal generator.
More images available from sub blue
sciencepunk | September 6, 2009Monday is another chance for all of you to win a prize! There are two books remaining, and two more chances to win. So without further ado, read on to find out how...
One of the first exclusives shared with SciencePunk were original design sketches for the Fabrication Machine, the monster at the heart of Shane Acker's tale. A machine with intellect but no soul, it is responsible for building the Chancellor's war machines before it turns against its masters.
But what makes the Fabrication Machine evil per se? Sure, it wiped out the entire human race, but in effect it was simply…
sciencepunk | September 5, 2009Thanks to everyone who has taken part in the competition so far. We already have five lucky winners, we need four more! Don't forget there's also a separate contest going on at this entry, with five more prize packs to win. Wow, blog whoring is fun!
The input so far has been top quality, and I hope you'll keep it up. So, onto the next question. Read on to find out how you can get your hands on a limited edition 9 book.
During my interview with Shane Acker, he outlined the different stichpunks, describing how the characters were based on different aspects of the Scientist's psyche (from…
sciencepunk | September 4, 2009Many thanks to everyone for their wonderful, thoughtful and altogether delightful ideas on what memories we should store for a post-apocalyptic world.
Now, in case you're some knuckle-dragging moron who can't follow links or scroll down the page, or worse, a freakin' newbie, let me explain:
I got a whole load of these books. They ain't your regular yawn splash science textbooks! These are some fine glossy coffee table books, containing stills and things from the Tim-Burton-produced Shane-Acker-created animated feature 9 starring Jennifer Connelly and also a bunch of other people I don't have…
sciencepunk | September 4, 2009Icon magazine presents The Termite Pavillion, a sculpture designed by wildlife recordist Chris Watson in collaboration with Softroom Architects, Freeform Engineering, Atelier One, and Haberdashery London. Based on a scan of a Namibian termite mound, It was created for Pestival, a weekend-long celebration of insects at London's South Bank.
sciencepunk | September 3, 2009It's time to win another prize!
You know the score - I give you a starter topic, you wax lyrical, someone wins a prize! It's like Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, but with less questions and a smaller budget. You might call it Who Wants to Win a Sweet-Ass Coffee Table Book?.
Yesterday's winner, as chosen by the random echoes of the Big Bang, was Mike. Congratulations, Mike!
Now that I've got you all thinking about post-human intelligence, it's time to find out how you can win a prize!
For those of you who haven't been following the Scientist's fin-de-monde postings from Facebook, here's a…
sciencepunk | September 2, 2009Another day means another prize to win!
In my continuing efforts to bring you, dear readers, the finest in merchandising loot there is to offer, I have given you the chance to win shoes, bags of goodies, and high-quality coffee table books.
How do you get your hands on this lucre? Read on...
Look, look, this is what you could win today:
A special book filled with glossy images and crew quotes! Readers Simon and Juuro have already won their copies! Seven more to go! In all, SciencePunk controls 1% of the entire stock of these books, as they're limited to just 999 copies. Take that, De…
sciencepunk | September 1, 2009See below:
Dear skeptical bloggers, podcasters, and keen supporters of skepticism,Inspired by the annual The Open Laboratory, the Skeptical Blog Anthology is a printed anthology of blog posts voted the very best of 2009, managed by the Young Australian Skeptics in conjunction with the Critical Teaching Education Group (CTEG).Entries for the Skeptical Blog Anthology can be submitted to the Young Australian Skeptics Website at http://www.youngausskeptics.com/anthology/The anthology is an attempt to bring a greater awareness of the skeptical content on blog sites and showcase some of the range…
sciencepunk | September 1, 2009Music-science crossover special! The lovely people at Jemsite, a repository for all your Ibanez JEM guitar and related musical needs, have been featuring a run of science bloggers on their blog.
Since clearly music is the only thing that comes close to the awesomeness of science, I was more than happy to take part!
Do you think music can help teach science or help students learn science?Without a doubt. I've already been lucky enough to hear fantastic lectures on the neurology of music from scientists such as Giana Cassidy and Jessica Grahn. Music is a phenomenally integral part our…
sciencepunk | September 1, 2009It's time to win another prize! Every day from now until the 9th, someone will win a fabulous limited edition companion book to the upcoming animated feature 9! It's a fabulous addition to your coffee table. Only 999 copies made! Marvel at glorious stills from the film and read comments from the film crew. Be the envy of your friends, etc etc.
Yesterday's winner, selected by the cool capriciousness of random.org, was Simon. Simon wins the prize!
If you want to win today's prize, read on...
If you're a winner, this is what the delivery will look like:
It's bigger than it looks. That's a…
sciencepunk | August 31, 2009
This September, NOVA will launch a brand-new web-only series, The Secret Life of Scientists, highlighting two science and engineering stars every month:
In a selection of three to six short, punchy films, each person describes his or her passions both within and outside of science. The site will also include opportunities to interact directly with the scientists through "questions & answers," sharing stories, and bonus video that digs deep into each scientist's work and life to reveal more about who these thinkers are as people.Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, The Secret Life of…
sciencepunk | August 31, 2009Is 9, the new Tim Burton produced animated feature, anti science?
This the question that has been troubling me since before I was approached by the film makers to feature content on SciencePunk. And it's also the reason I accepted - hoping that in payment I could pose that question to the man behind it all, director and creator of the 9 world, Shane Acker.
Why would I think such a thing? Watch the trailer below carefully (just tune out the annoying VJ at the start).
Did you catch that, chums? "Science has turned against us" Whatever does that mean? It's nice to see that for once, a…