Coelacanths, though to have been extinct for 70 million years until one was hooked by fishermen in 1938, appear to be struggling to find suitable breeding habitats as the oceans warm. It's tragic that, having survived so long as a species, coelacanths now face extinction at the hands of a bunch of jumped-up apes who don't have the collective wit and wisdom to realise what they're doing and put a stop to it.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Nappy-eating Mushrooms, sort of
Landfill dumps annoy me because they feel like the wrong solution, storing our problems in the ground to be addressed by future generations rather than dealing with our own rubbish. Disposable nappies are apparently difficult to dispose of but a scientist in Mexico has found that Oyster Mushrooms are pretty good at breaking down the cellulose in the nappies, shortening their lifespan considerably. More details linked below.
Oyster Mushrooms Can Break Down Disposable Diapers in 4 Months
http://www.inhabitots.com/oyster-mushrooms-can-break-down-disposable-diapers-in-4-months/
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Photographing the cathedral
Apparently the Church authorities don't like you taking photographs of
the inside of their "holy" building (God gets upset, or something) so
you have to be a bit sneaky (they have scary people watching for
illicit image-making and other trivial rule-breaking). I would
obviously never break the rules just to take a photo but after paying
almost £15 for entrance I was a little aggrieved to discover the
photographic prohibition.
inner dome of St Paul's, almost as if the photographer were sitting in
the Whispering Gallery waiting for his wife to return from the Stone
Gallery some twenty metres above. Almost.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Physics and the Immortality of the Soul
I have never felt that the argument that we have "an immortal soul" was very good (polite, or not so polite, ridicule is my normal response to any suggestion that souls exist) but seldom has the argument against it been put as coherently as in the post linked below. http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=physics-and-the-immortalit... Who would have thought Dirac's equation (about which, I admit, I know essentially nothing) could be used to such entertainingly devastating effect?
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Before and After: Joplin, Missouri
Grim photos of Missouri, before and after a visit from a tornado. http://tumblr.thedailywh.at/post/5804379989/before-and-after-of-the-day-misso...
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Rapture: Harold Camping issues new apocalypse date
"I've been mocked and scoffed and cursed at," said Jeff Hopkins, a retired TV producer in New York state who spent some of his savings customising his car to showcase Mr Camping's warning.
"It's like getting slapped in the face."
via bbc.co.uk
Apparently the Lord has spared us and we've got another five months. Cool, and not the rantings of a deranged priest.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Barack Obama: US 'would repeat Bin Laden raid'
"Our job is to secure the United States" he told the BBC's Andrew Marr during a wide-ranging interview.
"We are very respectful of the sovereignty of Pakistan. But we cannot allow someone who is actively planning to kill our people or our allies' people. We can't allow those kind of active plans to come to fruition without us taking some action."
via bbc.co.uk
Security is one thing but raiding a sovereign state to murder a citizen of a third country is not something with which I am comfortable. The world may be safer without Bin Laden but this was not the way to do it and it demeans the US Government and people when these tactics are used.
Why have a judiciary, laws and a constitution if you're going to bend or break the rules (Guantanamo is another example) whenever things get a bit sticky? The rules have to apply to everyone and a country that disregards human rights and circumvents its own laws for the sake of expediency has lost its way.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
US still subsidising oil companies
I know the Americans like cheap oil but pumping more than $7b a year into their hugely profitable and environmentally disastrous energy companies whilst cutting expenditure elsewhere seems like a strange thing to do.
Rep. Jeff Duncan denies he voted for Big Oil subsidies, then gets flustered trying to justify the money
http://climateprogress.org/2011/05/21/rep-jeff-duncan-denies-he-voted-for-big-oil-subsidies-then-gets-flustered-trying-to-justify-the-money/
Famous Scenes, Obscured - Part II
This is the view of St. Paul's Cathedral from Peckham Rye Common. It's a little tricky to make out the dome but if you look carefully you will see it peeking out from between the trees.
Breakfast at Cafe in the Rye
Beautiful morning, black coffee and fried breakfast in the sun,
listening to the parakeets of South London screech from the trees.
Hype 1.0
If I had to create animated HTML 5 applications this might be the tool I'd use. As I don't, I won't be buying it. http://tumultco.com/hype/
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Google Unveils Brilliant Android-Controlled LED Light Bulb
Controlling your lighting with your phone? I'm not convinced that a phone would provide a particularly good user experience if used to control lights (it would almost always be easier just to operate the wall switch) but maybe an Android-powered smart-remote could find a niche.
Anyone got a ton of cash and fancy developing one? I'll help.
Google Unveils Brilliant Android-Controlled LED Light Bulb
http://inhabitat.com/google-unveils-brilliant-android-controlled-led-light-bulb/
Saturday, May 14, 2011
'Vertical street' collects rainwater
Vertical street with trees. Like it.
One Per Cent: Green Machine: 'Vertical street' collects rainwater
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2011/05/vertical-street-uses-latest-in.html
Quote of the Day
Prime Minister David Cameron at a Downing Street reception for religious leaders David Cameron seems like a smart bloke and I don't think it's likely that he would fall for the "religious = moral" argument (I could be wrong, but let's give him the benefit of the doubt), which can only really mean that he's brown-nosing religious types to win their votes. Pretty grim, either way. |
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Syria tanks 'shell' protest city of Homs
Tanks have been shelling Syria's third biggest city, Homs, as security forces continue their crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests, reports say.
via bbc.co.uk
Outrageous. What sort of Government shells its own cities?
Monday, May 09, 2011
Peckham Rye Park
I'm bored, waiting for the bus, so here are some early morning photos
of Peckham Rye Park.
of Peckham Rye Park.
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Nuisance phone calls from Everest
At some point in the dim and distant past I made the mistake of contacting Everest to request a sales brochure. Ever since they have plagued me with nuisance phone calls, despite being told several times that I was not even slightly interested in their products; the last time I spoke to them (November 2010, I believe) I told them that I no longer owned a house into which their products could be installed but still they call.
As you can see from the record of their calls below, April was a relatively quiet month after a ridiculous March but it looks like they've started up again in May. I have now emailed their chairman, Simon Jarman, to ask him to end these calls because they're starting to annoy me. Updates to follow.
7th May 2011
10:19
6th May 2011
15:59
4th May 2011
17:52
3rd May 2011
16:24
20th April 2011
10:11
18th April 2011
10:48
15th April 2011
15:33
30th March 2011
14:08
24th March 2011
10:06
23rd March 2011
18:50
17:59
15:50
22nd March 2011
15:21
21st March 2011
10:33
18th March 2011
18:22
17th March 2011
14:35
10:38
15th March 2011
14:04
15:07
14th March 2011
17:39
09:27
12th March 2011
11:09
11th March 2011
18:33
17:50
15:25
13:38
09:50
8th March 2011
14:44
2nd March 2011
14:36
10:48
1st March 2011
15:06
21st February 2011
16:09
18th February 2011
10:46
Friday, May 06, 2011
Fancy a BlackBerry PlayBook? Neither do I
Entertaining, if not entirely positive review of the BlackBerry PlayBook. The most telling comment is at the end:
"My friend has not asked for the tablet back (he got it for free at a conference)."
Not quite the ringing endorsement I suspect BlackBerry were hoping for.
Teens Sue States to Protect Climate
Nice idea but I can't see it working.
Teens Sue States to Protect Climate, Declare Atmosphere a Public Trust
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/05/teens-sue-states-protect-climate-atmosphere-public-trust.php
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
One bloke gridlocks Peckham
The idiot in the lorry was trying to reverse his vehicle down a narrow
street, blocking the exit from Peckham High Street and causing a huge
tailback. The photo doesn't show the dozen or so double-deckers
stacked up on their way to South London Excitement (Nunhead, Crystal
Palace, East Dulwich) but they were there, just to the left of the
frame.
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Monday, May 02, 2011
Grass-Covered School
While we are on the theme of innovative school architecture, here is a Dutch design for a green school. Very different from the earlier Australian design but still interesting.
Schools shape their pupils and it would be interesting to know to what extent the architecture can contribute to the shaping. Does good architecture help produce environmentally and socially aware students?
NL Architects Unveil Knokke-Heist School Blanketed With a Green Roof Knokke Heist School
http://inhabitat.com/nl-architects-unveil-knokke-heist-school-blanketed-with-a-green-roof/knokke-heist-school-1/?extend=1
Sydney Pre-Fab School Sports Naturally Cooled Amoeba-like Facade
All the schools I attended were brick or block monstrosities, too cold in the winter, too hot in the summer, ugly, uncomfortable and poorly designed. Not all schools are like that, of course, and here is an example From Sydney; looks great.
Sydney Pre-Fab School Sports Naturally Cooled Amoeba-like Facade |
http://inhabitat.com/sydney-pre-fab-school-sports-naturally-cooled-amoeba-like-facade/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)