Friday, October 24, 2008

Friday Links!

This has to be one of my favorite stories ever. As it turns out, the ideal rhythm for CPR corresponds to the beat of the Bee Gee's song "Stayin' Alive." 103 beats a minute, in case you're wondering (thanks to Julian Bell for the link).

From Sirius (more from her later), a link to a story about Tennis for Two, a videogame which predated Pong--by 14 years!

From George Paci, a link to something that I never thought would happen: commercially viable applications for buckypaper. What is buckypaper, you ask? Here's a description:
Buckypaper is made from tube-shaped carbon molecules 50,000 times thinner than a human hair...Buckypaper is 10 times lighter but potentially 500 times stronger than steel when sheets of it are stacked and pressed together to form a composite. Unlike conventional composite materials, though, it conducts electricity like copper or silicon and disperses heat like steel or brass.

Also from George, a link to a laser harp, and it's every bit as cool as it sounds.

Ever wanted to decorate your basement with a Sharpie pen? Well, if you do, I hope it looks as incredible as this.

From Sirius, a link to a story about Ronald Mallett, a physics professor who has been considering the details of time travel for over fifty years. And incredibly, he appears to be making progress. Also, a link to news that the Japanese government has finally approved maglev trains as future replacements for bullet trains. Oh, and they can reach speeds of 500kph. Finally, a link to a story about a forgotten science experiment from the 1950's that may help explain the origins of life.

Yes, it's a chimp. On a Segway.

From Damn Interesting, a fascinating story about the most polluted spot in history.

From the Edwin Garcia Links Machine, a link to the bacon tuxedo, and yes, it smells like bacon (the picture is a classic). Next, a fascinating link about a generational gap in dreaming. It seems that if you were raised in the era of black-and-white t.v., you're much more likely to dream in monochrome. Then there's the news of the discovery of a new state of matter, a "quasi three-dimensional electron cystal" that may (again) extend the lifespan of Moore's Law.

From Greg, and it's one of the coolest Halloween ideas I've ever seen, a link to the Hallowindow, and you need to watch the video.

From Jesse Leimkuehler, a link to a spectacular photograph of Saturn's rings. Also, a link to the long-overdue honoring of the Apollo 7 flight crew.

Two excellent links from Francis Cermak. First, a story about what may have happened to an infamous Civil War submarine. Next, a link to the discovery of the tomb of Marcus Nonius Macrinus (allegedly the inspiration for the character of Maximus Decimus Meridius in Ridley Scott's "Gladiator").

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