HAPTICS—A TOUCHING TOPIC
ROBOTS DO a great many things better than their human counterparts, but they have yet to achieve our sense of touch. “Brainy, Yes, but Far From Handy,” by John Markoff, … Continue reading
CURVES OF STEEL
IN 2007, Dennita Sewell of the Phoenix Art Museum curated an exhibition titled “Curves of Steel,” featuring 22 automobiles of world-class stature. The exhibition’s catalog is a handsome book of … Continue reading
NETWORKING ALONG KÖNIGSBERG’S SEVEN BRIDGES
“THE SEVEN Bridges of Königsberg” sounds like a romantic novel set elsewhere than Iowa. In fact, though, it’s a classic problem of mathematics, one that led to modern mathematics’ graph theory, … Continue reading
THE WRIGHT ART
REPORTS OF the first powered, heavier-than-air, controlled flight encouraged artists around the world to incorporate the Wright Brothers’ craft in their work. Even today, the Wright Flyer is the subject … Continue reading
WHAT’S THAT IN FRANCS? BUT WHICH FRANCS?
THE EURO took a lot of fun out of European travel. This less than profound thought came to me recently when sharing a tale of currency exchange with friends Kathy … Continue reading
TOOT A LOO, AMBY
HINDUSTAN MOTORS Ltd has shut down production of the Ambassador, as reported in a series of BBC News reports, August 27, 2014. It’s an event celebrated in India with mixed … Continue reading
PHILIP MARLOWE—SHAMUS EXTRAORDINAIRE
RAYMOND CHANDLER’S Philip Marlowe is almost as real to me as the real Sherlock Holmes. An epitome of the hardboiled detective, Philip Marlowe has been portrayed by Humphrey Bogart, Dick … Continue reading
COMMON CORE MATH
LET’S begin paradoxically with a summary: Old Math is rote memory and recitation of facts. New Math is rigor describing what numbers are. Common Core Math is intuition describing what … Continue reading
A TRIO OF COOKBOOKS
I’VE BEEN accumulating cookbooks since the early 1960s. Three of them surfaced recently as I looked up recipes. Talk about a diverse trio of cookbook authors! A black chef from … Continue reading
WOODSMAN, PLY THAT TREE
PLYWOOD IS the world’s first composite material. This sandwiching of wood has been around for more than 200 years. It has numerous domestic uses. Its heritage in aviation is rich; … Continue reading
