One of my degrees focused on energy management, but that came after I started big light displays, which I won't give up. So sue me.
We conserve all the rest of the year, but there's something that lights up inside when I see lights outside.
I posted some pictures on my personal blog that I'd like to share with folks here. Enjoy!
In December, 2007, Mathemagian Arthur Benjamin put on quite a show at TED. I was looking for a microphone in his ear, but didn't see it, and there frankly wasn't enough time for him to cheat. As the show went on, he look more and more legit and increasingly impressive. At the 11:20 mark, he talked out the process going through his head as his did his on-the-fly calculations, and he revealed that he uses a word/number system to do his magic. It was a phenomenal wrap-up to his show. Arthur Benjamin is a math professor during the day (at Harvey Mudd College). He has written and lectured extensively on math agility and mental math.
Keith Barry is quite entertaining in a dramatic way. I don't understand how he did these brain tricks, but I'd like to know.
Warning - Science Geekery ahead! Am I the only person in the world who gets that we can control for Boyle's Law? While reading a (Science Fiction) book, by a very respected author*, I encountered a scene where a character brews some coffee. Yum! I love coffee! But my delightful anticipation was immediately spoiled by the character's complaints about how the low ambient pressure makes for lukewarm coffee! Seriously? Have people never heard of these amazing newfangled devices called pressure cookers? Heck, Europeans have had little stovetop espresso makers for many many years, that are essentially little one-shot pressure cookers! With the correct setup such equipment can produce strong, hot coffee regardless of the ambient pressure! Whenever I come across such obvious stupidity it kills the story for me. Get the little details right, people! Let me enjoy my stories and enjoy my coffee (regardless of ambient)! * in defense of the Author, he is an older American, so can be excused for not really understanding the difference between coffee and the pale brown caffeinated beverage that shares that name in the States.
I have to admit, I enjoy reading about the gaming scene (I live my geek vicariously). I was therefore delighted/amazed/surprised/dumbfounded to read about a new MMO game called The Bible Online warning - extremely slow server The site describes the game as follows
<The Bible Online: Ch1. The Heroes> is based on the first book of the Bible, Genesis. Players can meet and play the real heroes of Genesis, Abraham and his descendants. The game is designed for users to actually experience the Book of Genesis by fulfilling quests of Abraham, which is based on the true stories of the Genesis. As a MMORTS, players are to lead their tribe, build buildings, maintain resources and engage in warfare with other tribes. However, players do not stay in one place, but will go on a quest to go to the Promised Land. Players will lead Abraham’s tribe from Ur to Haran and finally to Canaan.Most game sites are very excited, but confidently expect the game to be 'adult only' due to the graphic nature of the sex, violence, and general debauchery inherent in the source material. [H/T - Destructoid and Penny Arcade]