Simanaitis Says

On cars, old, new and future; science & technology; vintage airplanes, computer flight simulation of them; Sherlockiana; our English language; travel; and other stuff

Category Archives: Sci-Tech

ENGLISH CLERGY—ONE, A ROGUE; ANOTHER, A SCIENTIST PART 3

THE STUDENT Thomas Espin was highly motivated by viewing the Great Comet of 1874. Even in 1888 when appointed the vicar of Tow Law, in England’s northern County Durham, he … Continue reading →

February 7, 2019 · 1 Comment

ENGLISH CLERGY—ONE, A ROGUE; ANOTHER, A SCIENTIST PART 2

YESTERDAY, WE encountered a real rogue of an English prelate. Today and tomorrow in Parts 2 and 3, we meet another member of the English clergy, one who was honored … Continue reading →

February 6, 2019 · Leave a comment

PLAGIARISM AT INTEGRITY MEETING

TODAY’S IRONY AWARD at SimanaitisSays honors actions described in the borrowed headline above. It sounds like something in a Tom Lehrer song. However, the headline appeared in the January 18, … Continue reading →

January 31, 2019 · 2 Comments

ON SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM—AND MY FACEBOOK IDENTITY

THE ECONOMIC TERM “surveillance capitalism” is new to me, but it reminds me that Big Tech has developed an insidious business model—the selling of us. That is, forget the jazz … Continue reading →

January 28, 2019 · 3 Comments

SEVERAL MATHEMATICAL ETYMOLOGIES

WORDS IN MATHEMATICS have precise meanings. No surprise, this. And sometimes their etymologies have good tales to tell. Let’s look at “theorem,” and two of its related terms, “corollary” and … Continue reading →

January 23, 2019 · 2 Comments

“HEY, BRO,” SAID THE SAGEBRUSH

IT MAY SOUND unscientific, but in SCIENCE magazine, January 4, 2019, Elizabeth Pennisi asks, ”Do Plants Favor Their Kin?” In fact, recent research suggests that individual plants may well help … Continue reading →

January 15, 2019 · Leave a comment

THE STATE(S) OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY

AN ARTICLE IN The New York Times, December 24, 2018, by Nadja Popovich, asks “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” Alas, its graphics seem not to be reproducible here. Instead, … Continue reading →

January 2, 2019 · 2 Comments

PROGRAMMIC ADVERTISING—BENEFICIAL OR A BANE?

HOW DO YOU feel about programmic advertising? At this point I am of two minds, though I’m occasionally creeped-out when my computer or cellphone seems to know what I really, … Continue reading →

December 28, 2018 · 8 Comments

BEGONE, YE AULD SOD

ELIMINATING PEAT from the Irish energy picture sounds more than a little heretical. But even Ireland’s Bord na Móna, its state-owned peat harvesting and energy company, is in favor of … Continue reading →

December 26, 2018 · 1 Comment

IS THAT WHAT’S TROUBLING YOU, BUNKIE? PART 2

AS RECENTLY AS yesterday here at SimanaitisSays, I cited Ann Gibbons’ Science magazine article “Why 536 was ‘the worst year to be alive.’ ” What with one thing and another, … Continue reading →

December 10, 2018 · 2 Comments