M. Pax's Blog, page 97
February 14, 2012
Spider Goats
As amusing as the idea is of goats dangling from spinnerets in barns, reality doesn't go that far. Not yet. Spider silk is attractive as a material because it is tough, elastic, strong and adhesive; tougher than Kevlar and stronger … Continue reading →
February 10, 2012
Weird Science
Thanks to Maurice Mitchell and the Geek Twins for honoring my blog with their first ever Weird Science Award. I'm quite flattered. Science has always fascinated me and was always among my best subjects in school. My other favorites were … Continue reading →
February 7, 2012
The Serial
Also known as chapter plays, serials were often based off of pulp magazine fiction. Broken down into episodes or 'chapters', these shorter features would play before the main movie. They always ended with a cliff hangar, the hero or heroine … Continue reading →
February 3, 2012
Cloaking Finds its Way into Reality
I'm sure by now you've heard of the experiment producing a successful time cloak. Moti Fridman and colleagues, at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, created a hole in time using the temporal equivalent of an invisibility cloak. Invisibility cloaks are … Continue reading →
January 31, 2012
Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child
Just finished reading Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child. It's a fast-paced read with a lot of action. Lots of death and mayhem. A good, solid thriller with some science fiction, myth and paranormal thrown in. I did like it, but … Continue reading →
January 27, 2012
Celestial Bauble
A young pulsar in the remains of a supernova located in the Small Magellanic Cloud, or SMC. Discovered by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton. The first time a definite pulsar–a spinning, ultra-dense star–has been found in a supernova … Continue reading →
January 24, 2012
The Infinite Worlds of HG Wells
I stumbled on this gem while looking for holiday entertainment. It received really great reviews, so I decided to take a chance on it. The Husband Unit wasn't sure he wanted to watch it at all. It was fabulous, however, … Continue reading →
January 20, 2012
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Set in an alternative 1985 England, The Eyre Affair is a mystery with time travel, gadgets, literary crime, and plenty of literary jokes and references. I was most intrigued by the ability to enter a book. Since seeing Gumby as … Continue reading →
January 17, 2012
The Off Season is so Looong
I really started missing the observatory last week. I wished to stand on the summit of Pine Mountain and watch the sun set, to breathe in air and quiet, hearing only the rustles of wind and the hum of Earth, … Continue reading →
January 13, 2012
Hyperdrive, BBC Science Fiction Television Series
Hyperdrive orginally aired in 2006 and 2007 on the BBC. I've enjoyed it on Netflix. It's silly, it's not something I have to think about and it makes me laugh. So, it's great entertainment. After a long day, it's nice … Continue reading →
