When Gadgets Lose Their Magic

When Gadgets Lose Their Magic

Over at Wired, read about gadgets losing their luster: When Arthur C. Clarke went to the great geosynchronous orbit in the sky last year, he left behind a huge legacy, not least of which was a quote…
The Internet, in "New Scientist", part 7

The Internet, in "New Scientist", part 7

Part 7 of my series of comments on the New Scientist magazine series “Eight things you didn’t know about the internet” goes into the “carbon footprint” of the Internet: “Is the net hurting the…
The Internet, in "New Scientist", parts 5 and 6

The Internet, in "New Scientist", parts 5 and 6

For the next installment in my series of comments on the New Scientist magazine series “Eight things you didn’t know about the internet”, we have two for one. Actually, not really: I’m going to skip…
Say Goodbye to the Printed Textbook....

Say Goodbye to the Printed Textbook....

I remember distinctly lugging a backpack of textbooks across the frozen tundra of Michigan State University in January. On many occasions, the weight of the backpack was enough to send me skidding…
The Internet, in "New Scientist", part 4

The Internet, in "New Scientist", part 4

On to part 4 in my series of comments on the New Scientist magazine series “Eight things you didn’t know about the internet”: “Is there only one internet?”, by Ben Crystall. As with all the questions…
Most awesome of awesome light displays

Most awesome of awesome light displays

Stephanie wrote about Tetris teaching us about self-assembly and solubility in this article. For a less academic but no less awesome Tetris-related enjoyment, check out the video below (or click this…