Simanaitis Says

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Category Archives: Sci-Tech

SCIENTIFIC METAPHORS

ADVANCEMENTS IN SCIENCE PROFIT from explanatory metaphors. For instance, hydrogen’s promiscuity explains why its universal abundance doesn’t promote its being the slam-dunk of energy production. There’s lots of hydrogen, but … Continue reading

June 10, 2023 · Leave a comment

APPRECIATING MATERIALS

LEARNING THAT NOTRE DAME RESTORATION was featuring medieval craftsmanship prompted pal and regular reader Bob Storck to share a similar tale from a classic barn raising: “I learned,” he wrote, … Continue reading

June 7, 2023 · Leave a comment

A.I. GIGO

IT’S A TIME-HONORED TRADITION of computer programming: Garbage In/Garbage Out. And, all its hallucinations included, modern Artificial Intelligence is nothing more than high-falutin computer programming. Here are tidbits on recent … Continue reading

June 6, 2023 · 2 Comments

ROCKING WALLS MAY SURVIVE THE BIG ONE

AS REPORTED IN The San Diego Union-Tribune, May 9, 2023, Gary Robbins writes, “10-story Tower Survives Fake Earthquake in Possible Boon for Tall Wood Structures.” UCSD’s Large-scale Shaker Table. The … Continue reading

June 5, 2023 · 5 Comments

OL’ BLUE-EYES, JACK BENNY, ME, AND THOSE SIMILARLY ENDOWED

GEE, I NEVER REALIZED how rare blue eyes are. We make up only eight percent of the world’s population, according to AucklandEye. Here are other tidbits gleaned from this source, … Continue reading

May 29, 2023 · 2 Comments

CAN IT! BUT KEEP THE OPENER

I RECENTLY CAME UPON an interesting item, coincidentally enough at the Interesting Facts website: “Canned Food Was Invented Before the Can Opener.”  This, in turn, led me into follow up … Continue reading

May 24, 2023 · 1 Comment

WIND AND THE U.K.

ESME STALLARD WRITES in BBC NEWS, May 11, 2023, “Wind is Main Source of UK Electricity for the First Time.” This is part of a trend noted in our country: … Continue reading

May 23, 2023 · Leave a comment

FORMULA 1 PROPULSION EXPERTISE

MODERN FORMULA 1 is anything but traditional Formula Libre. In 1934–1937, for instance, regulations did little more than limit car weight to a maximum 750 kg (roughly 1650 lb). By … Continue reading

May 15, 2023 · 1 Comment

ON PURE SCIENCE

WE USTA JOKE, SORTA, that applied mathematics was done only behind a locked office door. Pure mathematics reigned. Two recent findings suggest that pure science is still alive and well. … Continue reading

May 9, 2023 · Leave a comment

BALTO AND KENWOOD—HERO OF NOME, GODDOG OF INNES IRELAND, RESPECTIVELY

“IN 1925,” ELIZABETH PENNISI RECOUNTS IN AAAS Science, April 27, 2023, “a sled dog named Balto made headlines around the world when he braved fierce winds, a raging blizzard, and … Continue reading

May 8, 2023 · Leave a comment