If the latest theory of Tom Weiler and Chui Man Ho is right, the Large Hadron Collider — the world’s largest atom smasher that started regular operation last year — could be the first machine capable of causing matter to travel backwards in time.
Continue reading… “Large Hadron Collider Could Be World’s First Time Machine”
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Creeper, the world’s first computer virus. From Creeper to Stuxnet, the last four decades saw the number of malware instances boom from 1,300 in 1990, to 50,000 in 2000, to over 200 million in 2010.
Besides sheer quantity, viruses, which were originally used as academic proof of concepts, quickly turned into geek pranks, then evolved into cybercriminal tools. By 2005, the virus scene had been monetized, and virtually all viruses were developed with the sole purpose of making money via more or less complex business models…
Continue reading… “40th Anniversary Of The Computer Virus”
Are you having a woe-is-me moment? Take a quick look at this video clip of 19-year-old Chinese girl named Zheng Guigui playing Souvenirs d’enfance by Claude Lachapelle the piano (after learning to play for only 3 years, no less!)
Continue reading… “Meet Zheng Guigui, The Fingerless Piano Player”
Space junk is a growing problem — 200,000 pieces and counting — and as the amount of earth’s orbital debris increases, so does the chance some satellite will be involved in a cosmic collision. As this would cause much gnashing of teeth and woe for the affected terrestrial parties, some researchers from NASA’s Ames Research Center have pitched the idea of removing said junk with a laser — once again proving that everything’s better with lasers…
Continue reading… “In Lasers We Trust: NASA Researches 5kW Galactic Trash Disposal System”
Solarbike specialises in electric conversion kits for bicycles. But the business’s founders, both research scientists at the University of Western Australia, have been working on a way to easily have electric bikes powered by the sun. After some trial and error, which they transparently document, they’ve arrived at reasonably affordable photovoltaic systems that allow electric bike owners to ride like a solar wind…
Continue reading… “Pedal Power Meets Photovoltaics via Solarbike”
A million bucks ain’t what it used to be. Heck, it’s not even enough to make (rich) people feel rich anymore:
Some 42 percent of the more than 1,000 millionaires surveyed by Fidelity said they did not feel wealthy.
Respondents had at least $1 million in investable assets, excluding any real estate or retirement accounts…
Continue reading… “Is A Million Bucks Enough to Make You Feel Rich?”
From German designer Jennifer Rieker comes a glue-free shoe that challenges mass consumption, via Ecouterre.
Called the “Creo Shoe Concept,” the flat-pack footwear is mailed to you in a vegetable-tanned calf leather envelope — which becomes the inner shoe — with adaptable rubber soles; a pair of footbeds, made out of cork, latex and jute; a pair of shoelaces, and directions for you to put it all together, along with the help of a local shoemaker.
Continue reading… “Glue-Free “Creo Shoe Concept” Supports Local Shoemaker”
In the summer of 2010, Foursquare’s Head of Business Development Tristan Walker and American Express’s Vice President of Global Marketing Capabilities David Wolf started talking about ways to work together to redefine loyalty for local merchants.
The fruit of their conversations is now on display in the city Austin, Texas where 60 merchants — including Whole Foods, Starwood Hotels and Stubb’s BBQ — are offering Foursquare users “spend $5, save $5″ rewards when they load the special and swipe their AmEx cards.
The pilot program started Friday and will run through Tuesday, March 15. Participating merchants have posted “Austin Unlocked” window clings to highlight their participation, and Foursquare users need only register their American Express cards to unlock this new type of special — the Loyalty Special…
Continue reading… “How Foursquare & AmEx Are Putting a Fresh Twist on Loyalty Marketing”
This picture of the Sun was taken by Alan Friedman who used a filter that lets through only a very narrow wavelength of light emitted by hydrogen, so this tracks the activity of gas on the solar surface.
He also inverts the image of the solar disk to increase contrast. Somehow this adds a three-dimensional quality to the picture, and reveals an amazing amount of texture.
Continue reading… “Jaw-Dropping Picture Of The Sun”
While many small businesses have started using Twitter in their marketing, finding the time to do it right can be a struggle. According to recent research by R2integrated, the number-one barrier to entry into social media for businesses is lack of time and resources.
Here are seven Twitter tricks from the pros that allow you to spend less time on the mechanics and more time engaging…
Continue reading… “Top 7 Ways to Save Time on Twitter”
Artist Ward Shelley’s brilliant map of the history of science fiction from 2009 is a kind of interestingness black hole whose event horizon captured me for several hours this morning as I pored over the diagram and the arguments it makes about the history and origins of science fiction. I don’t agree with every conclusion illustrated here, but thinking about them made me reconsider a lot of cherished beliefs…
Continue reading… “Wondrous, Detailed Map of the Wondrous History of Science Fiction”
Musician Michael John Blake shows us “What Pi Sounds Like” by transposing the number (out to 31 decimal places) to musical notes. A charming little ditty results.
Continue reading… “What Pi Sounds Like”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.