Wed
May
5
ejd
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--
Only this and nothing more."
(EA Poe)
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--
Only this and nothing more."
(EA Poe)
Sat
Sep
5
Astronauts Take a Break From Busy Space Mission
The 13 astronauts aboard the International Space Station and shuttle Discovery took some time off Friday.
Wed
Aug
12
Warum nicht?
Das britische Verlagshaus Albertas startet ein einjähriges Experiment. In einer Reprint-Reihe werden Blätter von 1933 bis 1945 neu aufgelegt. Historiker vertrauen auf die demokratische Urteilskraft der Leser.
Tue
Aug
11
:-(
I received notification today (11 Aug 2009) that I was selected as one of the winners of the USA green card lottery. I almost fell on my knees in gratitude. My heart was pounding. It felt like someone had thrown a lifeline to me. I danced all the way home.
Then I looked at the date.
I won LAST year.
The notification was sent on the 18th of May 2008, and only got here today. It took 15 months for the South African Post Office to deliver it to me. Take perhaps a month off for it to get here from the USA.
My lifeline turned out to be a soggy doughnut.
Sat
Aug
8
Space Invaders
Most of Earth’s clouds get their start in deep space. That’s the surprising conclusion from a team of researchers who argue that interstellar cosmic rays collide with water molecules in our atmosphere to form overcast skies.
As common as clouds are on Earth, the processes that produce them are not well understood. Scientists think particles of dust or pollen can serve as nuclei for water droplets, which in turn gather by the trillions into clouds. That would help explain how clouds form over urban areas: Fine particles called aerosols are emitted from the exhaust pipes of millions of vehicles and work their way into the atmosphere, where they are thought to attract water molecules. But it doesn’t explain how clouds formed in preindustrial society—or how they form today over vast stretches of rainforest and ocean.
That’s where cosmic rays come in. The idea goes like this: High-speed cosmic ray particles—protons and neutrons of still-mysterious origins that travel at nearly the speed of light—collide with water molecules in the atmosphere, stripping away electrons from those molecules and converting them into electrically charged ions. The ions then begin attracting other water molecules, which eventually form clouds.
