M.A.W.B. Squad

Catching Up

A month since my last post and you guys haven't given up on me?  Careful, that almost left me speechless.  Then we'd be in a real pickle.  Me all choked up you havent forgotten the glory days, but unable to tell you that I appreciate it.  It's a delicate balance.

So here's some stuff that hopefully you haven't already seen in 100 other places.

-  The M4 project has cracked the Enigma code used by Germany in WWII.  Even better, you can download their application and help them out.

-  This Apple household was underwhelmed with the big meeting announcements yesterday of the iPod Hi-Fi and the Intel Mac Mini.  (The boy's iPod is busted and he's considering either a new one or a PSP.  Leaning towards the PSP.) I am interested to see that the MacBook Pro, (spits 'cause the name just sucks), is shipping.  One thing that never gets old though is making fun of Microsoft.

-  I've got a mouse friend running around the office.  So far he's smart enough to evade the traps.  Coincidentally, the Boy's field mouse that he dumped out of the boat in the barn died this week.  Maybe I'll get him to build something like this to catch our visitor.

-  We're definitely going to need to hire these folks to put all the tricksies into the MAWB compound.

-  While I was tucked away at the undisclosed location MAWB Squad passed its one year anniversary on February 16th.  To celebrate, I rescued the domain name yesterday.

-  On a more serious note, apparently the Flight 93 Crescent memorial isn't dead.  Check Gall and Wormwood here and here.

Cold Fusion Redux?

Via the Guardian:

It seems too good to be true: a new source of near-limitless power that costs virtually nothing, uses tiny amounts of water as its fuel and produces next to no waste. If that does not sound radical enough, how about this: the principle behind the source turns modern physics on its head.

Randell Mills, a Harvard University medic who also studied electrical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, claims to have built a prototype power source that generates up to 1,000 times more heat than conventional fuel. Independent scientists claim to have verified the experiments and Dr Mills says that his company, Blacklight Power, has tens of millions of dollars in investment lined up to bring the idea to market. And he claims to be just months away from unveiling his creation.

As someone who lost their innocence with the cold fusion announcement, ("Why would they lie?" I asked.), announcements like this, while intriguing, also activate my skeptics radar.  This story seems different as it does have some peer review backing it up. 

As someone who believes that technology will continue to keep pace with our needs, I find myself Wanting To Believe.  The next discovery that will solve the world's fuel problems is always just around the corner, and usually not the corner we expect to be hiding it.  Could this be the one?  Only time will tell.

Zombie Worms

It would be a great band name, no?  It gets better:

Adrian Glover and Thomas Dahlgren tell the journal the new species has been named Osedax mucofloris, which literally means "bone-eating snot-flower".

Bone-eating snot-flower.  There's a name only a mother could love. 

"But, Hans, what shall we name it!" 
"We'll call it bone-eating snot flower, Franz!"

Anyway, they found some off Sweden.

Cool Science Pics

Here

What Do You Get....

when you cross a goat and a spider?  A stronger bulletproof vest.

Lots to say today, but not until later after I conquer some of the work on my desk.

Flying Reptiles: (subtitled What Would We Do Without Scientists?)

The BBC has this article on Pterosaurs. (Tell the truth.  They came up with that spelling after a long night playing in the chemical lab fumes, right?  A fine example a scientific humor.) Most of these spiels are nothing more than wild speculation based on some discovery or another. In this case new discoveries "suggest" that some flying reptiles had wingspans of up to 60 feet. Are you ready for some serious scientific commentary on the subject?

"One of the reasons they were so big may have been because they just kept on growing," speculated Dr Martill.

Shaaazam! I feel so honored to have lived in the presence of such genius.

Turtles Hatching 2005

Presenting another M.A.W.B. science project, Turtle Hatching 2005.  It's all there for your viewing pleasure, from laying the eggs, to release into the wild.  Fun for kids of all ages!  (There's also a link to this photo album on the lower right sidebar.)

Also offered for your viewing pleasure, the Turtle Hatching Quicktime movie:

Download THatch.mov

I can't figure out how to get these things to play in the post, so I guess you'll have to download it.  What?  We're busy being conservative environmentalists!  I haven't noticed any of our liberal friends saving nature lately.

Octopus vs. Shark

If you follow this link, and watch the second video on the page, subtitled Shark vs. Octopus, you'll see a clip of the show Nature.  Go ahead and watch it.  We'll be here when you get back.

Will We Run Out of Oil?

Follow the links provided by King of SCSU for the answer.

Sea Monster

Reported found in China.  However, Bigfoot evidence didn't pan out.