Author Topic: Interesting Non-Game Stuff (Read 48184 times)

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #25 on:** August 24, 2006, 10:48:35 PM »

Come now. Next you'll say that the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign are behind this alleged cover up.

Murometz · « **Reply #26 on:** August 24, 2006, 10:52:29 PM »

no more years

Dozus · « **Reply #27 on:** August 25, 2006, 06:28:58 AM »

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #28 on:** August 25, 2006, 07:18:40 PM »

Oh, that's awesome.

Murometz · « **Reply #29 on:** September 08, 2006, 01:45:03 PM »

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/09/060905-eagle-human.html

Birds were NOT our friends

manfred · « **Reply #30 on:** September 09, 2006, 10:02:40 AM »

The future is finally here!

Now we can have our own personal one person helicopter. For some meager $30,000 anyone of us can fly.

Woot!

Ancient Gamer · « **Reply #31 on:** September 10, 2006, 12:01:03 PM »

Well, 30 minute flight time isn't enough to get my to work.
Dang.

manfred · « **Reply #32 on:** September 18, 2006, 03:19:42 AM »

Puffy Planet Poses Pretty Puzzle

The universe is always good for another mystery. While large gaseous planets (Juputer, Uranus and the like) have usually a smaller density than smaller rocky planets, this specimen is even 'lighter' than usual. "In other words, it's lighter than a giant ball of cork! Just like Saturn, it would float in a bathtub if you could find a tub big enough to hold it, but it would float almost three times higher."

The mathematical models, that describe large gaseous planets well, are now at a loss, so more ideas are being sought. It will be interesting to know the hypothesis that will explain them.

Pariah · « **Reply #33 on:** October 10, 2006, 07:40:59 PM »

Step 1 for flesh wounds - ~~Apply direct pressure~~ Apply Gel

Self-assembling gel stops bleeding in seconds

Strolen · « **Reply #34 on:** November 10, 2006, 05:51:10 PM »

Do you dream of Electric Sheep?

A screensaver program. You may download or create new "sheep" and let users choose whether it prospers or slowly dissappears. A voting system using the up and down keys allow you to vote for the current screensaver. Those that gain enough up sheep remain living and those that don't will eventually die and not be downloaded automatically by anybody.

Screensaver will automatically download or you can download from their online sheep catalog.

Fractals are fun!

manfred · « **Reply #35 on:** December 16, 2006, 06:01:31 AM »

3000 years old dam put into operation again.

Built by the Hittites some 3240 years ago, once cleared it came complete with an antique purifying pool to make the water drinkable, as well as irrigation channels. The dam wall of stone and natural clay was built in a way that experts say strikingly resembles modern-day construction techniques.

"Up to now, this area was merely a swamp and the water was wasted... Our people could not irrigate their fields," said the mayor of the village. "But now they can, thanks to the Hittite dam that has returned to its original function."

Can you say the old things are still good enough today?

Dozus · « **Reply #36 on:** February 02, 2007, 04:08:48 PM »

Roman descendants found in China?

As the critic at the bottom of the article suggests, even if they are descended from Crassus' army, they may not be of Latin stock. The post-Marian Reforms Roman army recruited from non-citizens in the provinces, so they could be from anywhere in Europe. Still, a fascinating possibility. They're certainly descendents of some non-Chinese race, the question is whom.

manfred · « **Reply #37 on:** February 13, 2007, 09:04:26 AM »

Crystals 'helped Viking sailors'

It is theorised, that the Vikings used a crystal called sunstone for navigation. The freshly researched secret is that even in (some) foggy and cloudy conditions can the crystal polarize sunlight - and so show where the sun really is, even if not visible on the sky.

And it wasn't even magic.

valadaar · « **Reply #38 on:** February 13, 2007, 10:06:48 AM »

That's just too cool for words!

manfred · « **Reply #39 on:** March 08, 2007, 09:48:35 AM »

This is really a bit off topic, but Non-Game Stuff, so:


Myths about the developing world

Perhaps not exactly myths, but misconceptions and the way statistics can be wrongly grasped. Luckily the man presenting it makes it much more fun than it sounds! It is actually entertaining.

Murometz · « **Reply #40 on:** March 08, 2007, 02:17:36 PM »

The Rules Of Bureaucracy

1. Preserve thyself.

2. It is easier to fix the blame than to fix the problem.

3. A penny saved is an oversight.

4. Information deteriorates upward.

5. The first 90% of the task takes 90% of the time; the last 10% takes the other 90%.

6. Experience is what you get just after you need it.

7. For any given large, complex, hard-to-understand, expensive problem, there exists at least one short, simple, easy, cheap wrong answer.

8. Anything that can be changed will be, until time runs out.

9. To err is human; to shrug is civil service.

10. There's never enough time to do it right, but there's always enough time to do it over.

Murometz · « **Reply #41 on:** March 27, 2007, 05:17:32 PM »

http://www.archaeology.org/0703/abstracts/antikythera.html

Ancient Gamer · « **Reply #42 on:** March 27, 2007, 06:44:48 PM »

Strolen: Perhaps you should include headers to make the linking system work inside the forum too?

Strolen · « **Reply #43 on:** March 28, 2007, 04:41:15 PM »

It works just fine if you don't put the brackets around it.

I don't like modifying the actual forum code because then the automated updates won't work.

Murometz · « **Reply #44 on:** April 05, 2007, 10:05:22 PM »

http://thirdeyedumb.com/2007/04/egg_stacker.html

BEHOLD! The Amazing Egg Stacker! Bow thee down in Reverance!

(do you think this guy would like omelettes?)

On a seperate note...WE NEED A STROLEN BUS OF OUR OWN!!! OH GOD DO WE EVER!!!!

http://thirdeyedumb.com/2007/04/bus_advertising.html

manfred · « **Reply #45 on:** April 24, 2007, 10:25:51 AM »

First habitable Earth like planet outside Solar System discovered

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that's the news of today.

The planet has a radius only 50 percent larger than Earth and is very likely to contain liquid water on its surface.

“We have estimated that the mean temperature of this super-Earth lies between 0 and 40 degrees Celsius, and water would thus be liquid,” said Stéphane Udry from the Geneva Observatory, Switzerland and lead-author of the paper in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

“Moreover, its radius should be only 1.5 times the Earth’s radius, and models predict that the planet should be either rocky – like our Earth – or covered with oceans,” he said.

“Liquid water is critical to life as we know it and because of its temperature and relative proximity, this planet will most probably be a very important target of the future space missions dedicated to the search for extra-terrestrial life. On the treasure map of the Universe, one would be tempted to mark this planet with an X,” added Xavier Delfosse, a member of the team from Grenoble University, France.

According to the research team, the host star, Gliese 581, is among the 100 closest stars to us, located only 20.5 light-years away in the constellation Libra (“the Scales”).

Dozus · « **Reply #46 on:** April 24, 2007, 02:37:36 PM »

Quick!! We must settle it and exploit the resources! Drill for oil, mine for gold!

Murometz · « **Reply #47 on:** April 24, 2007, 02:45:58 PM »

we live in interesting times.

Wulfhere · « **Reply #48 on:** April 24, 2007, 05:35:29 PM »

Quote from: Dozus on April 24, 2007, 02:37:36 PM

Quick!! We must settle it and exploit the resources! Drill for oil, mine for gold!

Earth First! We can strip mine the other planets later!

Strolen · « **Reply #49 on:** April 24, 2007, 06:02:10 PM »

He who controls the spice controls the universe!!