Homely Scientist

You might think finding more planets out there in space would be easy right?  Just look for them.  Not really.  In the great scheme of things, planets are pretty small.  So once you get to the outer reaches of even our solar system you have to look for the indicators of planets.  Things like effects on orbits and something passing in front of something larger.  Huh?  When a planet passes in front of its star, well that can be seen.  Kinda.  If the planet is big enough.
Since the confirmation of the discovery of the first exoplanet in 1995, more than …read more

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Ah so much science over the holidays.  Cooking, assembly of toys, the psycho-dymanics of families.  I’m going to try to take it easy over the holidays.  Yes, I know, I know.  Regardless, while you are doing your post-holiday shopping (aka gift returns), keep an eye out for sales on LED Christmas lights.  They are great.  No, awesome.  They use a fraction of the electricity of regular lights.  Don’t break as easily and don’t get hot.
In the meantime, happy holidays everyone!
Tags: LED lights

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I’m into the weather.  I’m hoping Santa brings me a wireless home weather station this year so I can totally geek out on the weather (and see if I can out forecast the weather reports).  One thing I’m always looking for is live weather data.  Satellite data, radar, everything.  Well thanks to this site I found via LifeHacker, I think I’m part-way to getting my weather data fix.

WeatherBonk is a Google Maps mashup pulling in map data with other weather data like radar images.  The Canadian coverage it’s perfect, but hey I saw that, yes it is raining outside.
Go take …read more

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Science of course.  Now, the fastest way, and absolutely not recommended, is to use a CO2 fire extinguisher and blast the can of pop.  That will chill it like nobodies business, but … let’s skip that one and try something a) safer and b) easier.  It’s as easy as ice, water and the magic ingredient … salt.
I saw this on a Mythbusters episode but LifeHacker just posted about it recently.  Truth be told, the Mythbusters episode chilled beer, not pop.  Regardless the principle here is the same.  Okay water will chill things, water is an awesome conductor of heat.  Okay …read more

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From Living the Scientific Life comes a reminder that anti-depressants aren’t little wonder pills that make you happy, they are real, powerful, medications that change your neurochemistry.  I should know, I’ve been taking SSRIs (a class of antidepressants like Paxil, Celexa, Effexor) since 2004, a little over two years now.  There are risks that go with the (substantial) benefits:

A recent government report tells how antidepressants can actually increase the risk of suicidal behavior for people up to age 24. It plans new warning labels and says users of all ages should be closely monitored.

Now if there is one thing I’ve …read more

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Via Doc Searles, looks like we’re in for a blow … the Earth that is, and the blow … radiation from solar storms:

Sunspot 930 has just unleashed another big solar flare, an X3-class explosion at 0240 UT on Dec. 13th.

As a result of the blast, a radiation storm is underway. Based on the energy and number of solar protons streaming past Earth, NOAA ranks the storm as category S2: satellites may experience some glitches and reboots, but astronauts are in no danger.

The explosion probably hurled a coronal mass ejection toward Earth. (Confirmation from SOHO is still pending.) Sky watchers should …read more

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Scot send this to me … from Kottke.org on frozen beer.

I learned something terrific yesterday: if you take a really cold but still liquid beer out of the freezer and open it, the beer will freeze within seconds. The freezing trick also works if instead of opening the beer, you give the unopened bottle a sharp rap. The reasons I’ve found online for why the trick works varies slightly for the two cases. According to Daryl Taylor’s site for science teachers, opening the bottle changes the pressure in the bottle and thus lowers the temperature:

Jason didn’t believe that the ideal …read more

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Remember Space 1999?  That show where the Moon gets blown out of it’s orbit so it and Moonbase Alpha go hurtling across the galaxy?  Oh yeah, I was a big fan as a kid.  Well maybe it will become a reality after all.  Hopefully not the Moon blowing out of orbit part (man that would wreak havoc on the Earth!), but the Moonbase part.  NASA announced a plan to have a moonbase by 2020 and position it (likely) on the South Pole of the Moon.

The plan unveiled by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration this week envisages a manned base …read more

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Science and food.  Food science.  Science food.  There are so many things I could write about.  We’ve got the science of making beer, wine, and spirits (the science and study of the origins of beers is very interesting).  Then there is stuff like what happens to a turkey when you brine it (that’s a salt, sugar, water mixture that the bird is immersed in).  But what I really want to talk about is bread.  Specifically pizza.  I’ve been making pizza from scratch for as long as I can remember (yes, even as a kid).  Hey I even did the opening …read more

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A rather disturbing piece of news has been making the rounds on the Canadian newswires lately.  What is it, you ask?  Hockey could hurt your hearing.  What?  Yes.  A couple researchers at the Univ. of Alberta went to some Oilers games during the last Stanley Cup playoff season.  They found that on average the noise generated by fans was at unsafe levels.  Like, you should leave after a couple minutes or wear ear plugs unsafe.  Like, as loud as a jet engine loud.
Yikes!
Hat trick tip to Dust my broom.
Tags: hockey, deafness, hearing loss

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