Short Film: The Unbroken Thread
The latest Symphony of Science has been released, and it’s the best since the original release, A Glorious Dawn. This video features David Attenborough and Jane Goodall, as well as Carl Sagan.
Geek Media Round-Up: January 8, 2010
Art
- BibliOdyssey points the way to a selection of fascinating Victorian Infographics.
- DeviantART user The Hellish Gnome photoshop’d a Facebook page for both The Doctor and his nemesis The Master that are littered with Whoniverse details.
- Fandomania has rounded up Buffy images from around Deviant Art.
- Unreality magazine is touting this as the Greatest Laptop Decal Ever.
Film
- Interview: Wired has an article covering How Terry Gilliam Weathered Loss of Heath Ledger to Finish Fanciful Imaginarium.
- News: Robocop remake on hold. MGM wants it in 3D, director Aronofsky doesn’t.
- According to The Daily Beast, The billion-dollar success of James Cameron’s epic has Hollywood scrambling to make more films in 3-D.
- Are these The Top Ten Sci-Fi Adaptations? I’m not entirely convinced.
- CNN explains why Sherlock Holmes remains so popular after all these years.
- Every new Kick-Ass trailer is even better than the last. Check out the lastest at FirstShowing or in high definition at Yahoo.
- IFC’s The Independent Eye looks back at the Seven Lessons learned from 2009.
- Newsweek explains Why Avatar Could Out-Earn Titanic.
Zordon turns out to be a Racist
God, I hated this show. My little brother watched it every single day when he was little, and try as I might, I could never convert him to eighties cartoons. (Even though Voltron could clearly kick the Power Rangers’ collective asses.) Still, this may be the funniest video College Humor has ever released.
This Day in Geek History: January 8
1790
In his State of the Union address, United States President George Washington urges the second session of the 1st United States Congress to support the introduction of new and useful inventions from abroad and to recognize the skill and genius of US inventors. Within days, the House of Representatives will set up a committee to draft a patent statute, which George Washington will sign into law on April 10, 1790. The first patent will be granted on July 31, 1790.
1838
The first telegraph message in the US in which letters are represented by dots and dashes is transmitted. The message reads, “A patient waiter is no loser.” The message is transmitted over the system invented by Alfred Vail of Morristown, New Jersey, in September 1837.
1889
Herman Hollerith is awarded the world’s first three computer patents for his tabulating machines (US No. 395,781, -2, -3). His system is designed to record statistical data on punch cards. The information on these punch cards can be tallied by running the cards through electromagnetically-operated counters. The patents described the system’s potential use in the compilation of census statistics, for which it will be used in 1890.
1940
The Bell Labs Complex Computer, a full-scale relay calculator designed by Bell Labs engineer Dr. George Stibitz, becomes operational. The machine is capable of performing the complex arithmetic calculations necessary for circuit design. In 1937, Stibitz used flashlight bulbs, surplus relays, tin-can strips, and other bric-a-brack items to construct the K-machine, a digital calculator built on a breadboard capable of adding two bits and displaying the result. By late 1938, Bell Labs had authorized the development of a full-scale relay calculator based on the K-machine to assist in the development of wide-area telephone networks, and, by April 1939, Stibitz’s had begun the construction on the Bell Labs Complex Computer.
Read the rest of this entry » » »
Geek Quote of the Day
We ought not to forget that when physicists say a photon scattered from an electron, they are discussing that which cannot be discussed. We can see the tracks in a cloud chamber, but we cannot see an electron. Metaphors in science—although a critical part of our reasoning and discovery—should be handled with caution, and with a clear knowledge of the limits of our sensory experience of the world. We are blind people, imagining what we don’t see.
- - A Sense of the Mysterious: Science and the Human Spirit by Alan Lightman, 2005.
Link Round-Up: January 7, 2010
Resources
5 Mac apps to boost your productivity
6 Beginner Resources for learning Mac Programming – If you’re like me and are curious about learning Mac programming, you might be surprised to discover the amount of free resources to get you started.
8 Free Ways to Send Large Files Online – Gmail, Yahoo, Msn and other email providers do not allow users to send large files by email. The maximum limit in all of these email services is 20 MB – which isn’t a lot if you want to send movies, videos, or large files. Here’s a list of free ways to send large files online.
Mitto – Mitto is a safe and secure online password manager. This free Internet password storage service lets you add the passwords to all of your favorite sites in one place then logs you in to each one of them by simply clicking a button.
PicClick – A service that lets users browse eBay visually without seeing titles & descriptions. Excellent for eBay addicts interested in browsing a lot of auctions very quickly. Read the rest of this entry » » »
Geek Media Round-Up: January 7, 2010
Art
- Etsy is selling the Lipson Robotics, a line of robot sculptures created from random objects. Check out even more photos at Flickr.
- Tor.com looks at the art of The Shadow Rising ebook cover by Sam Weber.
Film
- Cinematical wonders Why Is Avatar Defying the Usual Box Office Patterns?
- FirstShowing has posted a list of IMDb’s Top 25 Movies of the Decade, starting with The Dark Knight.
- IGN looks back at the Top Alter Egos of Film, beginning with Gollum.
