Tag Archives: SlashDot

Focus fusion’s first “pinch”

Posted on October 18, 2009 | Comments Off on Focus fusion’s first “pinch”

This looks promising. The dream of a fusion reactor in every basement. Or, at least, in the backyard.

Comments Off on Focus fusion’s first “pinch”

Posted in Science/Engineering

Tagged , , , ,

Fuel pump repairs? Blame ethanol.

Posted on May 26, 2009 | Comments Off on Fuel pump repairs? Blame ethanol.

"…there’s no telling how many motorists across the nation have had to pay for fuel pumps, or fuel systems, that ethanol damaged. Most were probably unaware of the real culprit behind the breakdown, because virtually no repair shop tests the level of ethanol in the gasoline when these fuel system problems occur."

Not even Lexus drivers are immune. Big Corn’s also worse than Big Oil when it comes to pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere–and guess who’s known that all along? Why Big Agriculture and Big Government, of course.

Via Slashdot.

Comments Off on Fuel pump repairs? Blame ethanol.

Posted in Scribbles

Tagged , , , ,

Swine time

Posted on April 28, 2009 | Comments Off on Swine time

While Twitter’s no-context modus lends itself to enhancing panic, Google’s swine flu map does the opposite. It shows that, so far, much of the "worry" is overblown. Not quite as much as it was in 1976, but still close.

Via Slashdot.

Comments Off on Swine time

Posted in South of the Border

Tagged , , ,

2007 Darwin Awards

Posted on January 12, 2008 | Comments Off on 2007 Darwin Awards

More tales from the shallow end of the gene pool where people die splashing through "an astounding misapplication of judgement." The second one is from Texas. This is evolution at work, folks. See it now.

Via Slashdot 

Comments Off on 2007 Darwin Awards

Posted in Scribbles

Tagged , , ,

Pump up the bass?

Posted on August 23, 2007 | Comments Off on Pump up the bass?

There may be no need. Looks like the record companies are already doing it for you:

"From the mid 1980s to now, the average loudness of CDs increased by a factor of 10, and the peaks of songs are now one-tenth of what they used to be."

Comments Off on Pump up the bass?

Posted in Scribbles

Tagged ,

Earth’s hum

Posted on February 16, 2007 | Comments Off on Earth’s hum

"The hum is a low rumble continually present in the ground even when there are no earthquakes happening, but is detectable only by very sensitive seismometers. Its frequency is near 10 millihertz, below the range of human hearing."

And new evidence suggests it is caused by ocean waves, causing a thump, thump on the seabed.

Via Slashdot 

Comments Off on Earth’s hum

Posted in Science/Engineering

Tagged , ,

Explorer 7 not so hot

Posted on October 24, 2006 | Comments Off on Explorer 7 not so hot

I downloaded the new IE7 edition in hopes that it might be faster than Firefox. It is, somewhat, but has other quirks. For one thing the favorites can’t be easily loaded from Firefox, and the IE7 homepage is stuck and can’t be changed. I’ve tried every way I can think of. What a piece of sh***!

The Browser Den review is more complimentary but also discovers enough quirks to make switching back to it from Firefox not worth the trouble.

Via SlashDot 

Comments Off on Explorer 7 not so hot

Posted in Scribbles

Tagged , , ,