Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Numanuma
This guy singing and dancing made me happy. But this entire classroom doing it makes me very very happy.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Carl Sagan - A Mini Biography
Dr. Carl Sagan
Founder and First President of The Planetary Society
Carl Sagan played a leading role in the American space program since its inception. He was a consultant and adviser to NASA beginning in the 1950s, he briefed the Apollo astronauts before their flights to the Moon, and was an experimenter on the Mariner, Viking, Voyager, and Galileo expeditions to the planets. He helped solve the mysteries of the high temperature of Venus (a massive greenhouse effect), the seasonal changes on Mars (windblown dust) and the reddish haze of Titan (complex organic molecules).
For his work, Dr. Sagan received the NASA Medals for Exceptional Scientific Achievement and for Distinguished Public Service twice, as well as the NASA Apollo Achievement Award.
Asteroid 2709 Sagan is named after him. He was also given the John F. Kennedy Astronautics Award of the American Astronautical Society, the Explorers Club 75th Anniversary Award, the Konstantin Tsiolokovsky Medal of the Soviet Cosmonautics Federation, and the Masursky Award of the American Astronomical Society:
"...for his extraordinary contributions to the development of planetary science... As a scientist trained in both astronomy and biology, Dr. Sagan made seminal contributions to the study of planetary atmospheres, planetary surfaces, the history of the Earth, and exobiology. Many of the most productive planetary scientists working today are his present and former students and associates." He is also the 1994 recipient of the Public Welfare Medal, the highest award of the National Academy of Sciences for "distinguished contributions in the application of science to the public welfare."
This award reads as follows:
"Carl Sagan has been enormously successful in communicating the wonder and importance of science. His ability to capture the imagination of millions and to explain difficult concepts in understandable terms is a magnificent achievement."
Dr. Sagan served as Chairman of the Division of Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society, as President of the Planetology Section of the American Geophysical Union, and as Chairman of the Astronomy Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
For 12 years he was Editor in Chief of Icarus, the leading professional journal devoted to planetary research. He was the co-founder and first President of The Planetary Society and a Distinguished Visiting Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.
A Pulitzer Prize winner, Dr. Sagan was the author of many bestsellers, including Cosmos, which became the best-selling science book ever published in the English language. The accompanying Emmy and Peabody award-winning television series has been seen by 500 million people in 60 countries. He received 20 honorary degrees from American colleges and universities for his contributions to science, literature, education, and the preservation of the environment.
At the time of his death on December 20, 1996, he served as the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University. Dr. Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark was released by Random House in March 1996. A collection of writings called Billions and Billions was published posthumously. He was co-producer and co-writer of the acclaimed Warner Brothers movie Contact, based on his novel.
From the Planetary Societies website
Founder and First President of The Planetary Society
Carl Sagan played a leading role in the American space program since its inception. He was a consultant and adviser to NASA beginning in the 1950s, he briefed the Apollo astronauts before their flights to the Moon, and was an experimenter on the Mariner, Viking, Voyager, and Galileo expeditions to the planets. He helped solve the mysteries of the high temperature of Venus (a massive greenhouse effect), the seasonal changes on Mars (windblown dust) and the reddish haze of Titan (complex organic molecules).
For his work, Dr. Sagan received the NASA Medals for Exceptional Scientific Achievement and for Distinguished Public Service twice, as well as the NASA Apollo Achievement Award.
Asteroid 2709 Sagan is named after him. He was also given the John F. Kennedy Astronautics Award of the American Astronautical Society, the Explorers Club 75th Anniversary Award, the Konstantin Tsiolokovsky Medal of the Soviet Cosmonautics Federation, and the Masursky Award of the American Astronomical Society:
"...for his extraordinary contributions to the development of planetary science... As a scientist trained in both astronomy and biology, Dr. Sagan made seminal contributions to the study of planetary atmospheres, planetary surfaces, the history of the Earth, and exobiology. Many of the most productive planetary scientists working today are his present and former students and associates." He is also the 1994 recipient of the Public Welfare Medal, the highest award of the National Academy of Sciences for "distinguished contributions in the application of science to the public welfare."
This award reads as follows:
"Carl Sagan has been enormously successful in communicating the wonder and importance of science. His ability to capture the imagination of millions and to explain difficult concepts in understandable terms is a magnificent achievement."
Dr. Sagan served as Chairman of the Division of Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society, as President of the Planetology Section of the American Geophysical Union, and as Chairman of the Astronomy Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
For 12 years he was Editor in Chief of Icarus, the leading professional journal devoted to planetary research. He was the co-founder and first President of The Planetary Society and a Distinguished Visiting Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.
A Pulitzer Prize winner, Dr. Sagan was the author of many bestsellers, including Cosmos, which became the best-selling science book ever published in the English language. The accompanying Emmy and Peabody award-winning television series has been seen by 500 million people in 60 countries. He received 20 honorary degrees from American colleges and universities for his contributions to science, literature, education, and the preservation of the environment.
At the time of his death on December 20, 1996, he served as the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University. Dr. Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark was released by Random House in March 1996. A collection of writings called Billions and Billions was published posthumously. He was co-producer and co-writer of the acclaimed Warner Brothers movie Contact, based on his novel.
From the Planetary Societies website
Arthur C Clarke - A Mini Biography
Arthur C Clarke was born in Minehead, Somerset in 1917. He attended Huish's Grammar School in Taunton where, at the age of 11, he bought his first science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories – a purchase that was to change his life. It set him off on a journey that saw him become one of the world's most celebrated science fiction writers.
Before he was to attain literary fame however, he spent time in the real world. While working as a radar instructor and technician with the RAF, he suggested that such technology could be used to enable instant worldwide communications. He published his theory in the magazine Wireless World, under the title Extra-Terrestrial Relays. That was in 1945, and today, over a century later, the communication satellites that Clarke envisioned are central to the global communication network. Clarke is often asked if he's sorry he didn't patent the communications satellite to which he recently replied: 'I'm not sure I could have done, but in any event I am fond of saying 'a patent is a licence to be sued.''
His satellite theory is considered to have been so important that the original paper is housed in the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. It has won Clarke many prestigious awards over the years, such as the Marconi International Fellowship Award for scientific achievement and the Lindbergh Award for technological advancement. The International Astronomical Union even call the 42,000 kilometre satellite orbit position 'Clarke Orbit' in his honour – he was the first to recognize the potential usefulness of this position for orbiting satellites.
In 1945 Clarke also published his first sci-fi story, Rescue Party, in the magazine Astounding Science. He continued his education at King's College, London though and went on to receive a first class honours degree in Physics and Mathematics. The same college later made him a Fellow.In 1945 Clarke also published his first sci-fi story, Rescue Party, in the magazine Astounding Science. He continued his education at King's College, London though and went on to receive a first class honours degree in Physics and Mathematics. The same college later made him a Fellow.
In 1948 Clarke became Assistant Editor of Physics Abstracts at the Institution of Electrical Engineers. He said 'All of the world's leading scientific journals passed over my desk, and I had to mark the ones that appeared important.' For a science fiction writer like Clarke, it was a dream job.
In 1952 Clarke published the novel Exploration of Space – it became a best-seller. A year later, he published Childhood's End, a novel involving an alien occupation of Earth. It quickly became a classic and many still believe it to be his finest work.
Space odyssey
In 1964 Clarke met Stanley Kubrick, the director of Dr Strangelove. Kubrick wanted to make a science fiction movie and, with Clarke's agreement, decided to use one of Clarke's earlier short stories, The Sentinel (1948), as a model. They began working on a screenplay together. The result was the film classic 2001: A Space Odyssey, released in 1968. A few months later Clarke also released the novel.
The film is seen by many as a masterpiece. The two men received an Oscar nomination for the screenplay. The opening sequence, involving ape-like humans and a mysterious black monolith, was recently voted the second greatest science fiction moment of all time (closely behind Darth Vader's parental confession to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars). Even Nasa acknowledged the film. When the Apollo 8 crew landed on the Moon, they said they were 'tempted to radio back the discovery of a large black monolith.'
In 2001: A Space Odyssey, Clarke foresaw space stations, laptops and e-mail and a sentient super-computer (called HAL 9000). And while this last creation is not yet a reality, Clarke has been proven correct more than once and with the continuing advances in artificial intelligence his vision may yet come true.
2001: A Space Odyssey is also notable for another of Clarke's great foresights. In the novel, the space travellers use Jupiter as a 'gravitational slingshot' to boost their ship towards the outer solar system. Eleven years later, Voyager II used just this technology as it passed Neptune. He wasn't always right, however. In the 1951 story The Sands of Mars he stated 'there are no mountains on Mars', a claim he later came to regret.
Clarke also wrote three sequels to his 2001 classic – 2010: Odyssey Two (1982), 2061: Odyssey Three (1986) and 3001: The Final Odyssey (1996). He was involved in making the film of 2010, with director Peter Hyams. He even took a cameo role. But the movie failed to reproduce the success of the first film.
More accolades
Clarke became so respected in the field of science that he was asked by CBS to co-broadcast the Apollo 11, 12 and 15 lunar missions, with newsman Walter Cronkite and astronaut Wally Schirra. It was the Apollo 11 mission that carried the first men to the Moon, in 1969.
In addition to his prolific writing he has made many TV and radio appearances. His 1980s TV series on strange phenomena around the world, Mysterious World and World of Strange Powers, were global successes.
The accolades came thick and fast. He was named Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America in 1986. He won the Hugo Award twice and also the Nebula Award, both are received in recognition of achievement in science fiction. Perhaps most impressively he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his 1945 paper Extra-Terrestrial Relays. He was also awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) from Queen Elizabeth II in 1998.
Clarke today
Clarke has lived in Sri Lanka since 1956, where until recently, he spent much of his time indulging his passion for diving. Unfortunately, since the 1980s he has been heavily affected by post-polio syndrome and is now wheelchair-bound.
He is still active in scientific debate, however, and in 2001 he spoke at the Wernher von Braun Memorial Lecture series held at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. He stated his belief that new images of Mars clearly showed the red planet had vegetation on it: 'Something is actually moving and changing with the seasons.' Whether he is correct or not remains to be seen, but it is clear that despite old age and sickness, the great brain behind communications satellites, Childhood's End and 2001: A Space Odyssey is still hard at work.
Find out more at these websites:
Arthur C Clarke
www.lsi.usp.br/~rbianchi/clarke
Fan-based site dedicated to the science fiction author, with views and information on his life and work.
Arthur C Clarke
www.kirjasto.sci.fi/aclarke.htm
A short biography of the writer, including a comprehensive list of his best known works.
The Sir Arthur C Clarke Institute for Telecommunications and Information www.clarkeinstitute.com
Website of institute whose mission is 'to seek to solve 21st century problems through electronic networking of leading researchers and educators around the globe.'
Before he was to attain literary fame however, he spent time in the real world. While working as a radar instructor and technician with the RAF, he suggested that such technology could be used to enable instant worldwide communications. He published his theory in the magazine Wireless World, under the title Extra-Terrestrial Relays. That was in 1945, and today, over a century later, the communication satellites that Clarke envisioned are central to the global communication network. Clarke is often asked if he's sorry he didn't patent the communications satellite to which he recently replied: 'I'm not sure I could have done, but in any event I am fond of saying 'a patent is a licence to be sued.''
His satellite theory is considered to have been so important that the original paper is housed in the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. It has won Clarke many prestigious awards over the years, such as the Marconi International Fellowship Award for scientific achievement and the Lindbergh Award for technological advancement. The International Astronomical Union even call the 42,000 kilometre satellite orbit position 'Clarke Orbit' in his honour – he was the first to recognize the potential usefulness of this position for orbiting satellites.
In 1945 Clarke also published his first sci-fi story, Rescue Party, in the magazine Astounding Science. He continued his education at King's College, London though and went on to receive a first class honours degree in Physics and Mathematics. The same college later made him a Fellow.In 1945 Clarke also published his first sci-fi story, Rescue Party, in the magazine Astounding Science. He continued his education at King's College, London though and went on to receive a first class honours degree in Physics and Mathematics. The same college later made him a Fellow.
In 1948 Clarke became Assistant Editor of Physics Abstracts at the Institution of Electrical Engineers. He said 'All of the world's leading scientific journals passed over my desk, and I had to mark the ones that appeared important.' For a science fiction writer like Clarke, it was a dream job.
In 1952 Clarke published the novel Exploration of Space – it became a best-seller. A year later, he published Childhood's End, a novel involving an alien occupation of Earth. It quickly became a classic and many still believe it to be his finest work.
Space odyssey
In 1964 Clarke met Stanley Kubrick, the director of Dr Strangelove. Kubrick wanted to make a science fiction movie and, with Clarke's agreement, decided to use one of Clarke's earlier short stories, The Sentinel (1948), as a model. They began working on a screenplay together. The result was the film classic 2001: A Space Odyssey, released in 1968. A few months later Clarke also released the novel.
The film is seen by many as a masterpiece. The two men received an Oscar nomination for the screenplay. The opening sequence, involving ape-like humans and a mysterious black monolith, was recently voted the second greatest science fiction moment of all time (closely behind Darth Vader's parental confession to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars). Even Nasa acknowledged the film. When the Apollo 8 crew landed on the Moon, they said they were 'tempted to radio back the discovery of a large black monolith.'
In 2001: A Space Odyssey, Clarke foresaw space stations, laptops and e-mail and a sentient super-computer (called HAL 9000). And while this last creation is not yet a reality, Clarke has been proven correct more than once and with the continuing advances in artificial intelligence his vision may yet come true.
2001: A Space Odyssey is also notable for another of Clarke's great foresights. In the novel, the space travellers use Jupiter as a 'gravitational slingshot' to boost their ship towards the outer solar system. Eleven years later, Voyager II used just this technology as it passed Neptune. He wasn't always right, however. In the 1951 story The Sands of Mars he stated 'there are no mountains on Mars', a claim he later came to regret.
Clarke also wrote three sequels to his 2001 classic – 2010: Odyssey Two (1982), 2061: Odyssey Three (1986) and 3001: The Final Odyssey (1996). He was involved in making the film of 2010, with director Peter Hyams. He even took a cameo role. But the movie failed to reproduce the success of the first film.
More accolades
Clarke became so respected in the field of science that he was asked by CBS to co-broadcast the Apollo 11, 12 and 15 lunar missions, with newsman Walter Cronkite and astronaut Wally Schirra. It was the Apollo 11 mission that carried the first men to the Moon, in 1969.
In addition to his prolific writing he has made many TV and radio appearances. His 1980s TV series on strange phenomena around the world, Mysterious World and World of Strange Powers, were global successes.
The accolades came thick and fast. He was named Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America in 1986. He won the Hugo Award twice and also the Nebula Award, both are received in recognition of achievement in science fiction. Perhaps most impressively he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his 1945 paper Extra-Terrestrial Relays. He was also awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) from Queen Elizabeth II in 1998.
Clarke today
Clarke has lived in Sri Lanka since 1956, where until recently, he spent much of his time indulging his passion for diving. Unfortunately, since the 1980s he has been heavily affected by post-polio syndrome and is now wheelchair-bound.
He is still active in scientific debate, however, and in 2001 he spoke at the Wernher von Braun Memorial Lecture series held at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. He stated his belief that new images of Mars clearly showed the red planet had vegetation on it: 'Something is actually moving and changing with the seasons.' Whether he is correct or not remains to be seen, but it is clear that despite old age and sickness, the great brain behind communications satellites, Childhood's End and 2001: A Space Odyssey is still hard at work.
Find out more at these websites:
Arthur C Clarke
www.lsi.usp.br/~rbianchi/clarke
Fan-based site dedicated to the science fiction author, with views and information on his life and work.
Arthur C Clarke
www.kirjasto.sci.fi/aclarke.htm
A short biography of the writer, including a comprehensive list of his best known works.
The Sir Arthur C Clarke Institute for Telecommunications and Information www.clarkeinstitute.com
Website of institute whose mission is 'to seek to solve 21st century problems through electronic networking of leading researchers and educators around the globe.'
Monday, February 14, 2005
Friday, February 11, 2005
Image Puzzle
I found this wicked image puzzle, which is about to inspire me to do my own.
I'll post comments with the pages as I manage to work them out.
I'll post comments with the pages as I manage to work them out.
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
BBC Newsnight email - Alistair Campbell
Is just got this email newsletter from the bbc newsnight team, here's the start of it,
============================================================
NEWSNIGHT - TUESDAY 8 FEBRUARY 22:30 GMT - BBC TWO ============================================================
------------------------------------------------------------
FROM KATE McANDREW, PROGRAMME PRODUCER
------------------------------------------------------------
Hello,
"Now f**k off and cover something important you tw*ts!"
Last night's advice in a misdirected e-mail to the Newsnight team from Alastair Campbell, the former Downing Street Communications Director.
Tonight, we're taking his advice and covering something important.
============================================================
NEWSNIGHT - TUESDAY 8 FEBRUARY 22:30 GMT - BBC TWO ============================================================
------------------------------------------------------------
FROM KATE McANDREW, PROGRAMME PRODUCER
------------------------------------------------------------
Hello,
"Now f**k off and cover something important you tw*ts!"
Last night's advice in a misdirected e-mail to the Newsnight team from Alastair Campbell, the former Downing Street Communications Director.
Tonight, we're taking his advice and covering something important.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
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