Monday 31 January 2011

London to Brighton by train

Interesting comparison, the 1953 version besides the 1980's:

Atomic disguise makes helium look like hydrogen - physics-math - 28 January 2011 - New Scientist

Atomic disguise makes helium look like hydrogen
Atomic disguise makes helium look like hydrogen - physics-math - 28 January 2011 - New Scientist

18:37 28 January 2011 by Kate McAlpine

In a feat of modern-day alchemy, atom tinkerers have fooled hydrogen atoms into accepting a helium atom as one of their own. The camouflaged atom behaves chemically like hydrogen, but has four times the mass of normal hydrogen, allowing predictions for how atomic mass affects reaction rates to be put to the test.

Monday 24 January 2011

Friday 21 January 2011

Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway

Interesting article on Wikipedia (quite a lot of which I'm responsible for...especially the map) about the railway line between Pontypridd and Llantrisant as well as the "Barry Railway" branch:

Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway

Additionally some fantastic pictures of Tonteg Halt and Junction. This was the post 1930 Tonteg Halt station after track rationalisation between Tonteg and Treforest High Level and Llantwit Road, the former Tonteg Halt was further down Maes Mawr road.

Thursday 20 January 2011

P=NP ?

Interesting posting about a solution to the 3-SAT problem which might indicate P=NP.

Paper on Arxiv:

Non-Orthodox Combinatorial Models Based on Discordant Structures

Authors: V. F. Romanov

Monday 10 January 2011

Coelho Gives Away His Books - Newsweek

Very good article at Newsweek on how to deal with piracy...

Coelho Gives Away His Books - Newsweek

Confirming the fact that theless restrictions on usage, the more people will willingly pay instead of pirating it.

Same applies to software, hardware, whatever. If you make it difficult for the legitimate user/owner/reader/listener to use then they will use the priated version. Music and Film companies take note.

Tuesday 4 January 2011

The Open University...

...remeber those lectures broadcast late at night on the BBC? Here's a comedy version to bring back some memories:



Of course, this might be completely incomprehensible from a historical and humourous perspective to probably most of the universe.

Must admit Huw Laurie's lecture sounds extremely authentic