Reality-Based Engineering: 2006/08

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Darksyde Post On Pluto And Dark Matter

Dark Matter Is Real!??!?! Holy Crap!

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Solver of Poincare Conjecture Declines Award

There was apparently some speculation as to whether he would accet the award for solving the Conjecture. In layman's terms (well, from the BBC):

The riddle had perplexed mathematicians since it was first posited by Frenchman Henri Poincare in 1904.

It is a central question in topology, the study of the geometrical properties of objects that do not change when they are stretched, distorted or shrunk.

The hollow shell of the surface of the Earth is what topologists call a two-dimensional sphere. If one were to encircle it with a lasso of string, it could be pulled tight to a point.

On the surface of a doughnut however, a lasso passing through the hole in the centre cannot be shrunk to a point without cutting through the surface.

More dimensions

Since the 19th Century, mathematicians have known that the sphere is the only enclosed two-dimensional space with this property. But they were uncertain about objects with more dimensions.

The Poincare Conjecture says that a three-dimensional sphere is the only enclosed three-dimensional space with no holes. But proof of the conjecture has so far eluded mathematicians.

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NPR had a thing on this this morning...here's the link to the audio.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Schrub's Nutty Presser

I've heard more than one person say this was a wacko press conference for different reasons. There's a video if you follow the links...

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Electromagnetic Force Weaker Than Thought

Basic science is cool.

As in the economy with food and energy prices going up and industrial production slipping, to go along with weak jobs numbers. I'm sure I'll follow up with more links to the usual suspects discussing this news as time allows...

Friday, August 04, 2006

Conyers Report

I have to read this, but it's big.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Corporate Profits Up Up Up; Wages Falling

No wonder people think Bush sucks at running the economy...

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Welcome to another team member!

Welcome to Lemon-Lyman, who as he sees fit will be chiming in on whatever political or media events are going on. And really whatever he wants... :) Lemon-Lyman is a technical guy, but his background is widly different than mine or The Gumbinator's, so he will be able to provide insight from a different angle.

Speaking of angle and to rip us back into raw basic engineering stuff, here's a wikipedia article on what I'm working on these days -capillary action- which is of course one of Einstein's first serious papers he published in 1905. I believe that it was actually the first one.