View source for Interesting Things

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My blog on idiosyncratically interesting things...
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==== plop ====
[[image:oil.jpg|320 px]]
more beautiful images [http://www.sciam.com/includes/gallery_pop.cfm?file=721D7D3A-E7F2-99DF-34810694D5886C2A here].
==== Perl versus Life ====
[http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/10/06/176226 Craig Venter] has announced that his team have created, for the first time, a synthetic chromosome from lab chemicals. To quote Ventor, "We are going from reading our genetic code to the ability to write it." commenting on that quote, someone at slashdot wrote, "at least it is easier to read than Perl."

==== skycar ====
[[image:Moller-skycar.jpg|320 px]]

i guess like a lot of kids, the idea of a flying car caught my imagination. [http://www.moller.com/skyc.htm the moller skycar] is getting us close.

==== man of plastic ====
[http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6084 Plastic as strong as steel] based on nanotech. Interesting implications for vehicles, protection. To quote: "The scientists solved a problem that has confounded engineers and scientists for decades: Individual nano-size building blocks such as nanotubes, nanosheets and nanorods are ultrastrong. But larger materials made out of bonded nano-size building blocks were comparatively weak. Until now.

'When you tried to build something you can hold in your arms, scientists had difficulties transferring the strength of individual nanosheets or nanotubes to the entire material," Kotov said. "We've demonstrated that one can achieve almost ideal transfer of stress between nanosheets and a polymer matrix.'

The researchers created this new composite plastic with a machine they developed that builds materials one nanoscale layer after another.

The robotic machine consists of an arm that hovers over a wheel of vials of different liquids. In this case, the arm held a piece of glass about the size of a stick of gum on which it built the new material. The arm dipped the glass into the glue-like polymer solution and then into a liquid that was a dispersion of clay nanosheets. After those layers dried, the process repeated. It took 300 layers of each the glue-like polymer and the clay nanosheets to create a piece of this material as thick as a piece of plastic wrap."

==== pimp my mac and e-macs ====
i switched to a macbook in Dec 2006. i don't think i could go back to a Win laptop. this is my first Apple product and i like their attention to good design--both in the physical and the software. os/x and the apps are good. i'm an emacs guy (vi is evil), and one of the improvements i discovered was the ability to update a keybindings file to create emacs bindings that influences all UI apps (that use the common Cocoa framework): ~/Library/KeyBindings/DefaultKeyBinding.dict. For example:

<code><pre> 
{
  "~f"="moveWordForward:";
  "~b"="moveWordBackward:";
  /* etc. */
}
</pre></code> 

See [http://www.gnufoo.org/macosx/ here] for details, for example. 

For Windows folks, an easier and more powerful solution is the installable XKeymacs app [http://www.cam.hi-ho.ne.jp/oishi/indexen.html here].

==== bird brains ====
Recent [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070926140836.htm research] suggests that birds 'see' magnetic fields. Studies investigating what parts of a migratory bird´s brain are active when the birds use their magnetic compass showed that the cryptochrome-containing neurons in the eye and a forebrain region are highly active during processing of magnetic compass information in migratory birds.

==== causal loops and systems dynamics ====
Many of the groups I serve with don't have a concrete tool to explore and discuss what's going on in their organizations, in terms of the dynamics of the system. Most of us have been well-trained in '''details''' analysis and management, but not '''dynamics''' analysis. Getting together at a whiteboard and sketching causal loop diagrams can help. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causal_loop_diagram see].

[[image:causal-loop-1.jpg|320 px]]

==== don quixote ====
i've been reading Cervantes' Don Quixote, downloaded to my laptop from the [http://www.gutenberg.org Project Gutenberg] site of many free older books. The translator's notes are a fascinating insight into the historical context of his critical parody. Translated with skill, Cervantes is revealed as an exquisitely gifted writer. He can shape a character rich with implication in few sentences. Don't miss this wonderful classic story.

==== ratbots. boyfriends next? ====
The [http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1961000/1961798.stm RatBots] are here. Are husbands and boyfriends next?
            
==== toast and tcp/ip ====            
Finally, the intelligent convergence of [http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1264000/1264205.stm toast, Java, and TCP]. I knew computers were useful for something.

[[image:toast.jpg|320 px]]
            
==== wave particles ====            
Even after all these years, the strange nature of reality and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave-particle_duality wave-particle duality],
as illustrated in the 2-slit experiment, remains amazing. Its not
really “particles” down there... both "waves" and "particles" are just
metaphors for a quantum micro-level reality that doesn't conform to our
intuitions of how the macro-level world works.
            
==== baby boys ====            
I found this fascinating: Did you know that after World War I, after so
many million males had been killed, that for some time women in the
related countries gave birth to significantly more males than females?
As though nature had a way to re-balance. How could that work? Recent
research (I can't find the link now...) shows that women are less
likely to give birth to males when there is stress, probably because
males were more of an evolutionary risk (more likely to get killed).
The relationship to the WWI story doesn't make sense yet, but broadly
it suggests links between a women's perception of the environment and
sex selection.
            
==== biofeedback girlfriends ====            
I wonder what will happen if they attach a biofeedback system to men's
performance with their lovers using [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4111360.stm this] device?

==== cold fusion ====            
From the cold fusion department: [http://www.blacklightpower.com/ Hydrinos]. The botton line
is that it is claimed to be a way to generate energy based on a
different theory of quantum mechanics, in which electrons are like
bubble clouds that can be shrunk, releasing energy in the extreme
ultraviolet (black light) spectrum. You may think this is hockum, but
the scientist Randell Mills publishes in peer-reviewed journals, and
NASA recently completed a [http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0250/baard.php  hands-on]
investigation of his work and repeated his experiments--and NASA
sees an energy effect as well.
                        
==== ignoble ====           
Why do shower curtains billow inwards? A PhD thesis on the sociology of
Canadian donut shops? All this and more honored by the [http://improbable.com/ Ignoble Awards]. Very
fun reading.
                        
==== darwin ====            
The  [http://www.darwinawards.com/ Darwin Awards]
commemorate those who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from
it in really stupid ways, like the Houston guy who played Russian
Roulette with a semiautomatic pistol.

==== pots ====            
I recently visited an Egyptian exhibit at the museum and learned
something fascinating: they really really liked pottery back then.
            
==== green ====           
Green tea seems to be ridiculously good for you. A [http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7776384%255E1702,00.html recent] study showed strong results that drinking it reduced the risk of prostate
cancer in men by 2/3! That is an extraordinarily strong effect. A key
active chemical is Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) and there is now [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3257237.stm evidence] EGCG
stops HIV binding to cells. A variety of [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3125469.stm studies] show
it is correlated with lower rates of various cancers, reduces the risk
of rheumatoid arthritis and lowers cholesterol levels. 
             
==== alpha-lipoic acid ====            
In addition to research showing that taking acetyl-L-carnitine and
alpha-lipoic acid is associated with improved cognitive function, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3145223.stm new research]
shows that the protein creatine (used by body builders) is associated
with improved memory and intelligence. 

==== influential ==== 
[http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8158 This] is arguably going to one of the top five most widespread influential technologies over the next 20 years. 

==== beauty ====
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/sci_nat_visions_of_science_/html/1.stm Visions] of our world.

[[image:paperclip.jpg|320 px]]

==== prostrate ====
If you care about prostate cancer, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4284382.stm new research] suggests you should drink pomegranate juice or eat the fruit. 

==== legacy code ====
Lots of my clients have masses of legacy code (usually C), with questions about how to apply test-driven development with it, refactor it, and so forth. I recommend [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0131177052/qid=1128077868/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-3875534-8020161?v=glance&amp;s=books Working Effectively with Legacy Code] by Michael Feathers. 

==== Kay gets Turing ====
In the 1980s I used to develop in Smalltalk (Ruby folks -- nothing really new in Ruby). I've always been a huge fan of [http://www.smalltalk.org/alankay.html Alan Kay], a seminal
figure in computer science, and along with [http://www.squeakland.org/community/biography/ingalls.html Dan Ingalls], the creator of Smalltalk, which influenced me deeply. Kay
won the highest award in computer science, the [http://www.acm.org/awards/taward.html Turing Award] in 2003 (and the Kyoto prize); here's a [http://www.cs.uni.edu/%7Ewallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2004-11.html#e2004-11-06T21_03_42.htm summary] of his speech. If you don't know his contributions and vision for computing, please take a look. These days he's involved in [http://www.opencroquet.org OpenCroquet] an OSS visionary next-generation 3D immersive networked collaborative computing platform. I only wish it was built with Java rather than [http://www.squeak.org Squeak] (a Smalltalk dialect),
because putting aside all technical and religious language arguments, i bet it would simply get more interest and support.

==== d ====
[http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&amp;article=UPI-1-20050831-19535800-bc-us-prostategrowth.xml Researchers]
say low doses of activated vitamin D and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., Vioxx), taken together, can slow the
growth of prostate cancer cells.

==== hydrogen ====
If you predict an hydrogen economy boom, it might be [http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&amp;articleID=000EE96B-C0B8-1314-80B883414B7F0000 time]
to invest in rhenium stocks. And if you didn't know, the [http://www.hydrogen.gov USA govt] is investing strategically
for a hydrogen economy, and the USA stands to be a major technology provider-winner. 

==== olive oil ====
Yet [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4204076.stm another]
reason to eat uncooked olive oil.

==== priceline ====
I've never had the time or location-flexibility to try [http://travel.priceline.com priceline.com]. Recently i
thought
i'd try and started with (i thought) an unlikely extreme experiment: I
asked for a
4-star hotel in London for a week at $75 a night. Got it! Hilton
Kensington--good location an hotel.
Normal rates start at $200/night. I'm impressed. I've also rented a car
at 1/2 normal rate using  [http://www.wheelsabroad.com/ wheelsabroad.com].

==== organic ====           
For 30 years, I've bought organic produce when it's relatively
affordable. Not for my own health (though a study of pesticides and
antibiotics in traditional farming should give pause for thought), but
rather to support organic farmers, as I've felt (without strong
evidence) that it's just a better, sustainable approach. Now a
recent study from Oxford indicates it's also better for biodiversity.
To  [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4740609.stm quote]: "The
organic farms were found to contain 85% more plant species, 33% more
bats, 17% more spiders and 5% more birds."

==== what did you say? ====            
Senility finally kicking in? Eat Indian food. Here’s [http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1668000/1668932.stm why]. Dont forget.

==== wonderful ====
This is a  [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4511511.stm wonderful]
story.
            
==== java pathfinder ====            
Are you involved with a Java-based multithreaded highly-concurrent
application (e.g., servers, telecomm switches)? If so, you know that
testing for bugs related to concurrency (e.g., deadlock) is HARD. NASA
has a solution. They have just released as OSS a cool and sophisticated
testing tool,  [http://javapathfinder.sourceforge.net Java Pathfinder], that they have built and used for years (yes, NASA uses
Java, including on the Mars rovers). Pathfinder is special JVM that
systematically explores all potential execution paths of a program to
find violations of properties like deadlocks or unhandled exceptions.
This is difficult, powerful testing, so tell your friends.
            
==== cold fusion ====
[http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/83/i18/8318notw6.html Cold fusion strikes again]! This time it's almost certainly real, and has
passed close scrutiny. Bad news? Probably only good enough to generate
neutrons, not to power a house. 
            
==== babies ====            
Earlier I wrote about the interesting fact that women after WW I gave
birth to more females than males, but scientists didn't if it occured
at conception or by miscarriages. Now we have more clues. After the
9/11 attack, a similar pattern arose in the USA, and researchers have
discovered that the difference is not in sex variations at conception,
but a greater rate of miscarriages of males when the mother is in a
stressed environment, presumably because males are worse best for the
tribe. 
            
==== acupuncture ====            
An example of well-crafted careful experiments to show if an
alternative medical
therapy works, in this case accupuncture. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4493011.stm Is it] just a
placebo effect, or something more? 

==== exploding toads ====            
Some stories just beg to be read: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4486247.stm Mystery] of German
exploding toads. ... (update) News flash: [http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_30-4-2005_pg9_3 Mystery] solved.
            
==== suspended mice ====             
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4469793.stm This] story didn't get major attention, but I predict it will if it works on
humans: Scientists have, for the first time, achieved a state of near
suspended animation in mice, using air laced with 80 parts per million
of hydrogen sulphide. Huge implications for space travel, medical
delays, parents of teenagers, ...
            
==== savant ====            
Some things really inspire my sense of wonder and beauty and mystery in
this universe: wave-particule duality in quantum physics, high heels,
and extraordinary
savant mental abilities, as in the case of  [http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,,1409903,00.html Daniel Tammet].  Like some other autistic savants, he can do amazing
feats: recall Pi to 22,514 digits, multiply ridiculously large numbers
in an instant, speak 7 languages... What is unique about Mr. Tammet is
that he is the only autistic that can clearly describe his inner mental
processes, and this gives us a window onto other dimensions of mind.
There are several fascinating aspects of his story. One is that his
powers arose after a head injury and then the onset of epilepsy.
Obviously it suggests that different parts of the brain had to become
engaged in "math" for example, but in ways most of us can't fathom. To
quote: “Since his epileptic fit, he
has been able to see numbers as shapes, colours and textures. The
number two, for instance, is a motion, and five is a clap of thunder.
"When I multiply numbers together, I see two shapes. The image starts
to change and evolve, and a third shape emerges. That's the answer.
It's mental imagery. It's like maths without having to think.” I
think his injury+change story suggests we all have potential for such
radically different mental behaviors. But more deeply, the wonder for
me is that it's so "outside of the box" compared to how i do math and
hints at profound wonders in our minds. It is not impossible to imagine
that scientists will someday unlock a way to such
transformations--without having to hit our heads against the wall.
            
==== dbc ====            
[http://archive.eiffel.com/doc/manuals/technology/contract/ Design-by-contract]
(DBC) is worth knowing, especially for safety-critical and
fault-tolerant applications. Although commonly associated with the
Eiffel OO language and Bertrand Meyer, the roots are much older. They
start with another Bertrand--Bertrand Russells “Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy”,
which introduced the great [http://research.microsoft.com/%7Ethoare/ Dr. Tony Hoare] to the idea of axiomatic theory and assertions (pre- and post-conditions)
while he was developing an ALGOL-60 compiler in the 1960s. In 1974 at
the IBM Lab in Vienna a PL/1 compiler was being developed, and the
researchers desired an unambiguous formal specification of the
language. Out of this need VD, the Vienna Definition Language, was born
by Peter Lucas. VDL borrowed the pre- and post-condition assertion form
earlier explored by Hoare and Russel. Various solutions have been
created for Java, and i'm intrigued by a recent, elegant OSS solution: [http://www.contract4j.org/ Contract4J], that uses Java 5
attributes and AspectJ behind the scenes.
            
==== dbc and dry ====
Speaking of DBC, unit tests that are testing DBC assertions should
avoid their own duplicating "assertTrue" assertions. No point in
duplicating a test! Which reminds me of my favoriate basic SW
engineering principle, from Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas: Remain [http://www.artima.com/intv/dry.html DRY]. So much pain and
suffering in software can be traced to not remaining DRY at every level.
            
==== mad scientists ====            
The USA military is moving seriously closer
to using [http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/10930585.htm fighting]
robots. And of course, in what could be a quote straight out of a
science-fiction movie on robots-gone-mad: “They dont get hungry,” said Gordon
Johnson of the Pentagons Joint Forces Command. “Theyre not afraid.
They dont forget their orders. They dont care if the guy next to them
has just been shot. Will they do a better job than humans? Yes.” The first generation are just remote-controlled, but surely it is only
a matter of time before autonomous robots
are used. I feel that when  [http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/051297weber.html Deep] Blue beat Kasparov in 1997, it was a computing milestone; and when
the first autonomous robot kills a human, it will be another (sad)
milestone. Mark my words: We will then see police robots somewhere in
the world. 
            
==== crud ====           
In the 1970s we built CRUD apps with 4GLs such as [http://www.informationbuilders.com/products/index.html Focus],
a popular mainframe 4GL. The speed of development was faster than using
imperative
3GLs, even OO imperative 3GLs such as Java or Smalltalk. The essence of
the difference is <span style="font-style: italic; declarative vs.
imperative programming (what vs. how). I believe iterative and
agile methods
are the right solution for the human/social dimension of development
efficiency, but that the next order-of-magnitude efficiency must come
from the technical solution of 4GLs--declarative programming and
specialized domain languages. I know there are some Java-based OSS
declarative 4GL languages for CRUD web apps, but don't have a good
sense of the best of breed, or where the momentum is. If you know,
please  [mailto:craig@craiglarman.com contact me]. 

==== grey matter in women ====            
Interesting [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050121100142.htm story]:
Research shows that men have 6.5 times more grey matter (we can call it
'processing' matter) in the brain than women related to general
intelligence, while women have 10 times more 'white' matter
(connections and networking of the grey matter) than men. Both sexes
have equal general intelligence levels, showing that alternate
architectures can lead to similar capacity. Of course, the parallel to
electronic computing is clear. 

==== statistical diets ====            
Recent diet [http://www.pcrm.org/news/archive050105.html study]: Four
popular diets were tested/comparied with four random groups over two
years: Ornish (a relatively low-fat vegetarian diet), Atkins (a
relatively high-fat, high-protein diet), Weight Watchers, and the
Zone diet. Conclusions? One key conclusion was relevant to software
practices: More influential in losing weight than the particular diet
was simply sticking to it. Diet
results? Ornish dieters had the best results in terms of
losing weight (3.3kg), and Atkins the worst (2.1kg); Likewise for
lowering "bad" LDL cholesteral: Ornish dropped 12.6%, but Atkins 7.1%.
But another conclusion was also important to software: Some diets were
more followed than others. The "stickiness" of a development practice
is VERY important. For example, test-driven development has caught on
largely because developers really see a quick, useful payoff. 
            
==== suspicious ====            
This following science news item did not make a big splash, but I
wonder if it might eventually have a profound social effect? Scientists
at Temple University have discovered some relatively simple [http://www.voanews.com/english/2004-12-02-voa61.cfm brain]
activity patterns in lying versus truth telling, using functional
MRI. Five activated areas of the brain were found to be unique to the "lie" condition, and
two areas were unique to the "truth" condition. If a larger study
corroborates this, consider the implications for law enforcement and
suspicious girlfriends!

| style="padding-left:1em;" |
==== very fun ====
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmZyB_ghpa0 this] has got to be one of the most amazing things i've seen this year.

==== light at the end of the tunnel? ====
[http://www.nanosolar.com/ Nanosolar] is perhaps the leading edge solar tech company in the world, with VC from google, etc. They have recently [http://www.celsias.com/2007/11/23/nanosolars-breakthrough-technology-solar-now-cheaper-than-coal/ announced] readiness to start mass production of a new generation of solar photovoltaics, The Power Sheet, which is estimated at 30 cents (usd) per watt -- cheaper than coal. could be significant. [http://www.popsci.com/popsci/flat/bown/2007/green/item_59.html Popular Science magazine] named it the the most significant innovation of 2007.

==== Kindle ignites e-paper interest? ====
[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FI73MA/ref=amb_link_5438222_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=browse&pf_rd_r=1A9P7QG5KPGYAMJCA4NH&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=331432401&pf_rd_i=133141011 Kindle] is the new e-book reader from Amazon. Uses e-paper, can read in the sun, wireless connection to the mobile phone network (for free) to download books, newspapers and magazines (in less than 1 minute), easy book buying via the Kindle device via Amazon (wirelessly), no need to connect it to a computer, ... 

interesting to see if this becomes popular...

==== System Weinberg ====
Systems thinking emphasizes learning to see the dynamics of systems interactions and the subtle, multiple indirect causes of things, and focusing on systems-level global optimization rather than local sub-optimizations. It has long been part of my system of thought and i encourage folks to read seminal books such as [http://www.amazon.com/Fifth-Discipline-Peter-M-Senge/dp/0385260954 The Fifth Discipline]. In the software world, [http://www.geraldmweinberg.com/ Gerry Weinberg] has long been a favorite author and "consultant's consultant." Some know about systems thinking but don't know that he wrote (in 1991) [http://www.amazon.com/Quality-Software-Management-Systems-Thinking/dp/0932633226 Systems Thinking], a great education on how to think more clearly from a systems perspective, understand the causal loops we see in the software domain and organizational patterns. Recommended.

==== he's radio - active ====
an ex-radio engineer has invented a device based on radio waves to fight cancer. some researchers are very impressed. the operational mechanism is not stated, but on looking at a picture, i see the words "therm med" labelled on the device, so i'm guessing the radio waves heat the cancer area. [http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/CancerPreventionAndTreatment/story?id=3810892&page=1 see here].

==== google robot in your cerebellum ====
Only 11% of USA [http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1378 survey] respondents said they would be willing to implant a proven safe device that enabled them to use their mind to access the Internet. That's probably a good thing, [http://geosurvey.nationalgeographic.com/roper2006/findings.html given that] 63% of young adult americans can't find Iraq on a map, and 74% think english is the most widely spoken language in the world.

==== but can you use it to clean windows? ====
Something [http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20071022/140990/ like this] is going to eventually revolutionary our display, visualization, and printing practices.

[[image:Epaper1.jpg|320 px]]

==== frames, self, javascript, ruby, smalltalk, and slots ====
some folks newer to programming assume that the programming constructs and concepts found in languages such as ruby or javascript are newish. in fact, the majority of inspiration for ruby comes from smalltalk, and any smalltalk programmer since 1974 (or even earlier) will see lots of familiar constructs in ruby (i started working in smalltalk in the mid 80s). for example, here's a ruby construct:

<code><pre> 
array = [1, 'hi', 3.14]
array.each { | item | puts item}
</pre></code> 

and here's the similar construct in smalltalk, circa 1970-74:

<code><pre> 
array := #(1, 'hi', 3.14).
array do: [ :item | Transcript show: item]
</pre></code> 


similarly, there are influential AI programming constructs from the mid-1970s (from the great Marvin Minsky) found in wider use today. for example, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_language ''frame'' representation systems] (implemented usually in lisp, prolog, or smalltalk) were an OO system that contained "prototypical" objects blurring the lines of class and instance (i was able to start using frames in the 1980s on lisp machines, in the KEE environment for AI systems), and that contained ''slots'' with pre- and post- action method handlers. these concepts found their way into the [http://research.sun.com/self/papers/papers.html ''Self'' language ] (and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self_%28programming_language%29 see]) from dave ungar and randy smith in the mid 1980s, which then inspired the creation of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JavaScript javascript] and its prototype elements.

==== altered carbon ====
i sometimes enjoy SciFi. ''Altered Carbon'' by Richard Morgan was excellent -- winner of Phillip K. Dick best novel award 2003. recommended.

==== why don't they just fly first class? ====
the 2007 [http://www.improbable.com/ig/ ignoble awards] are out, including:

* The US Air Force Wright Laboratory for instigating research and development on a chemical weapon that would provoke widespread homosexual behaviour among enemy troops.

* A National University of Quilmes, Argentina, team for discovering that impotency drugs can help hamsters to recover from jet lag.

==== explain to me how you forget your leg? ====
any [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7024124.stm story] that begins "A US man who stored his amputated leg in a barbecue smoker..." just sort of begs to be read.

==== the scottish language ====
i was recently working in glasgow (at a client adopting agile methods). when leaving the client office one evening, i heard one person (who was cleaning) say something to another person. i swear i thought she was speaking NORWEGIAN -- and didn't understand a word. i had no idea that was english. wonderful!

==== APL ====
My first job as a developer was in the extraordinary language [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APL_(programming_language) APL], for which Iverson won the Turing award.

We used special keyboards (this was on IBM mainframes) with the APL character set. It was a dynamically typed language that had a virtual machine, essentially infinite memory space, and automatic garbage collection. The essential paradigm was of N-dimensional array objects, and all operators could operate on any object. To give you a feel of how powerful and fast it was to program in APL, here's code to calculate the next generation in the "Game of Life." In the 1970s I used to spend 7 hours a day writing this stuff... life was simple then.

[[image:Apl.gif|320 px]]

==== the OLD web ====
did you know that many versions of most of the pages on the web are archived and retrievable at the [http://www.archive.org/index.php Internet Archive]. Fancy to see the original Google page? Playboy.com?

==== now, that's just plain weird ====
i find something strangely fascinating about [http://www.subservientchicken.com/ this]. 

==== reinforcing ice loops ====
Melting [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070927090341.htm Arctic] sea ice has shrunk to a 29-year low, significantly below the minimum set in 2005.

==== what did you say? ====
scientific evidence that you should drink more [http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=439863EB-E7F2-99DF-3FE0A7665EBFA7A3&chanID=sa017 beer].

==== censored ====            
Check out  [http://www.projectcensored.org/ Project Censored],
run by
Sonoma State University, that each year publishes the "the top news
stories underreported by the mass media." 

==== readability ====
Why have narrow reading columns? [http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/pages/typography2.html See here.] At normal reading distance, the eye's span of movement is (only) 8 cm. For the average person, this layout supports faster reading.

==== iter fusion ====            
If possible, fusion power solves many problems. Massive electric power
from essentially a cup of seawater, with no meaningful radiation.
Consider a future with limitless and very cheap electricity, almost
free, everywhere. The next major milestone in this quest is the [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4044895.stm ITER]
reactor project, which is due to start construction soon and will
be the first fusion reactor to achieve significant sustained power
generation.  

[[image:iter.jpg|320 px]]
            
==== vacation in greenland? ====            
The recently released [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3975805.stm Arctic]
Climate Impact Assessment is the result of a study by 300
scientists, with peer review. It endorses the prediction that
all artic ocean ice may disappear during summers starting by 2060-2100,
with an ocean rise btween 0.5 and 1.0 meter. It's a
fact that warming is happening faster in the Artic than elsewhere. I
believe changes in this region will have an impact because of a change
in sunlight reflectivity (less white reflective snow/ice), a rise in
sea levels as the Greenland and Artic ice sheets
accelerate their melting, and because of disruptions to the
thermo-haline
cycle in the Gulf Stream.
            
==== light stop ====            
What would you think if you saw a press release that said that
physicists had some evidence that the speed of light was actually
significantly different than they originally thought? Something similar
has happened in the world of biology and genetics: The rate of change
of genetic mutation from generation to generation (which is applied to
many estimates) [http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=3816881 appears] to
be faster.
            
==== the best uml tool? ====
There's nothing inherently wrong with a UML CASE tool, and they have
some excellent uses (especially for reverse-engineering code to
diagrams,
to help learning) but for almost 20 years I've encouraged developers to
start visual OO modeling with lots (10, not 2) of
whiteboards and marker pens (and now, digital cameras), and focus on
just a little (e.g., a few hours every few weeks) lightweight
exploratory sketching before programming--a key part of what is now
called  [http://www.agilemodeling.com/ Agile Modeling].
View the sketches as exploration, not documentation. It's a shame when
developers blame the UML because of an unpleasant tool experience
(fighting with fussy, low-ROI drawing in CASE tools in tiny computer
windows). But if you try a "low-tech high-touch" approach to the UML,
focusing on "UML as sketch" (Martin Fowler's term), working on giant
whiteboard spaces and ignoring unimportant design and notation details,
and use it with a partner to quickly sketch and explore some OO design
alternatives for the hard, creative parts, then applying light UML can
be a fun and useful creative experience. I shared this pratice in the
1st and 2nd editions of [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0130925691/qid%3D1023878103/sr%3D1-1/ref%3Dsr%5F1%5F1/103-8172189-4604639 Applying UML and Pattens], but didn't emphasize it, and I suspect most
readers didn't notice my point because all the UML drawings were drawn
neatly with a tool (for legibility). So, in the 3rd edition, which I'm
writing now, I'm adding a second case study, and showing all the UML
for it as digital photos from whiteboard sketches, to promote more "UML
as sketch" as useful.
            
==== uml on the wall ====           
Speaking of giant whiteboard spaces for Agile Modeling and "UML as
sketch," another great solution that I first learned about when I was
working at ObjectSpace in the 1990s is whiteboard-like static cling
plastic sheets. These sheets cling to walls and glass and allow you to
wallpaper a room, transforming it into one big whiteboard. Great stuff!
In North America, the common product is [http://www.epinions.com/offc-Supplies-All-Avery_Write-On_Cling_Sheets_35_White_Sheets_27_x_34_Pad Avery]
Write-On Cling Sheets. In Europe, it is [http://www.legamaster.com/798_DEU_HTML.htm Legamaster]
Magic-Chart. I like the Legamaster product better, as it comes in a
roll, making it easy to roll out and cover the walls. One last tip:
There is a good side and a bad side to this stuff; the good side erases
more easily.
            
==== ides and uml ====            
If you are going to use a UML tool (other than lots of whiteboards), I
suggesting choosing one that is integrated into your favorite
text-strong IDE, rather than a stand-alone tool; developers usually
find this more useful. 
                        
==== vegetarian statistics ====            
Eat what you want, and i’m not even a vegetarian, but it has always struck me as odd when someone says a vegetarian diet is unhealthy--that one needs to eat meat. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/50plus/older_facts.shtml Research] shows that vegetarians visit hospital 22% less often, and spend a
shorter time there. More important: To quote a
major British Medical Association study (BMA Report, 4.11, 1986)
conducted over 10 years with thousands of matched people in veg and
non-veg groups: "Vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, coronary
heart disease, high blood pressure, large bowel disorders, cancers and
gall stones."And the more recent Oxford study of 11,000 people over 13
years (Brit. Med. Journal, 1994, 308); conclusion: "lower rates of
cancer and heart disease amongst vegetarians and 20 per cent lower
premature mortality."(i.e., they live longer). 
            
==== antioxidants statistics ====            
Eating antioxidant foods (or supplements) to reduce oxidation (heck,
let's just admit we're rusting to death) is
associated with lower rates of cancers, heart disease, and Alzheimer's.
A recent [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/06/040617080908.htm USDA]
study clarifies the most effective foods. Among fruits, cranberries
and blueberries are highest (drinking juice from also works).
Among vegetables (including legumes), beans are highest (lentils, etc.,
which are staples of protein in a vegetarian diet), and Russet
potatoes. Among spices, ground cloves, ground cinnamon and oregano.
            
==== quantum teleportation ====
June 16, 2004 is a milestone date: Report that deterministic [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3811785.stm teleportation]
of quantum states of two separated atoms was achieved, in two
experiments. Has implications for future-generation quantum computing
that will make today's supercomputers look like an abacus. As
demonstrated in these teleportation experiments (known theoretically
since Einstein and [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qt-entangle/ Schrodinger),
you can create two entangled quantum systems (e.g.,
two atoms), send them to opposite ends of the universe -- 100,000,000
trillion trillion light years apart -- and if you read or manipulate
one of these atoms, the other atom
at the other end of the universe will immediately be changed as
well. How is this wonderfully bizarre fact explained by
physicists? The most common is the [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-manyworlds/ many-worlds] interpretation: that there are an infinite (or near-infinite) set
of co-existing similar universes which exist in parallel at the same
space and time. I sometimes think high-school science
should start with this stuff, rather than the usual drill, to help
inspire young people to how wondrous and bizarre the universe is -- and
that science can be.
            
==== burt flies ====            
Another milestone: On June 21, 2004 the great Burt
Rutan's first private-enterprise manned flight into space happened on [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3746313.stm SpaceShipOne].
The software connection? Financed by Paul Allen, co-founder of
Microsoft.
            
==== rule-based programming ====           
My background in the early 1980s focused on AI and
expert systems development (which led me to general OO development).
Out of this area comes the technique of [http://www.webreference.com/programming/rule/ rule-based]
programming -- practical in a subsystem for many software
applications where complex rules or constraints must be met. I think
developers should be aware of RBP ideas and options. There are a
variety of Java-related components worth checking out: [http://herzberg.ca.sandia.gov/jess/index.shtml Jess], [http://mandarax.sourceforge.net/ Mandarax], [http://drools.org/ Drools], [http://www.pst.com/opsj.htm OPSJ], and this long [http://www.manageability.org/blog/stuff/rule_engines/view list].

==== subservient chicken ====            
Make the  [http://www.subservientchicken.com/ Subservient Chicken] submit to your command!
            
==== java on mars ====           
Did you know that [http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/01/16/space.mars.java.reut/ Java] was used on the NASA Mars Opportunity and Spirit robot rovers?
            
==== boston and rome ====            
Fact: Boston is around the same latitude as Rome. Same for
Toronto, Canada and Turin, Italy. It's interesting to explore why
the difference in warmth, and the impact of climate change. Will there
be an explosion in popularity of [http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/040126/26wool.div.htm wool] lingerie in France?
            
==== tipping god ====            
The [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0316346624/104-0254642-6212768?v=glance Tipping]
Point has many good stories. One of my favorites (I like
irony) is about religion students at a famous Divinity School
who, in a secret experiment, were asked to write a Bible sermon on "The
Good Samaritan." Then they were told to present it in Building X in
15 minutes time, which required them to rush across the grounds
of the campus. An actor played the role of a sick man lying on the
ground, in distress, on their path to deliver their sermon. None of the
busy "divinity" students bothered to stop to help him!
            
==== broken windows ====            
Another story from the Tipping Point of relevance to software
developers is the [http://abcnews.go.com/sections/business/TheStreet/hottopics_000803.html no]
broken windows" story of how crime rates dramatically dropped in
New York City. This led to naming the excellent [http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/ppbook/extracts/no_broken_windows.html Don't]
Live with Broken Windows software engineering principle, promoted
by the Pragmatic Programmers, that I encourage myself and others to
follow.
        
==== e-paper ====            
Electronic paper (AKA digital paper or digital ink) is going to be huge
someday, a revolution in how we read. The ability to roll or fold up
arbitrarily large sheets of thin, robust display "paper" (with wireless Internet)
that you can stick in your pocket will spell the beginning of the end
for paper newspapers and magazines, and eventually, books. Perhaps
within 20-40 years. Therefore, although this [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3568505.stm particular] product from E-Ink may or may not succeed, I consider it a milestone.
            
==== We serve Mice ====            
Mice consistently fed [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3557899.stm  less]
calories than average have lower cancer rates, and a 25% increase
in lifespan (normal avg. is 24 mo.). According to the [http://www.douglasadams.com/creations/0345391802.html Hitchhikers]
Guide to the Galaxy, mice are the smartest creatures on our planet,
being hyperdimensional geniuses who leak into our dimensions. Mice have
manipulated medical science to focus on curing
them of diseases and make them [http://www.charitywire.com/charity131/04147.html even] smarter!
            
==== c and e ====           
A recent  [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3409221.stm study]
of about 5,000 people showed that those taking a combination of both
vitamins C and E (e.g., 1000mg of C, 1000 IU of E) were 78% less likely
to show signs of Alzheimer's than those not taking the combination.
There was no improvement if only one was taken; the combination was
important. That's a very significant effect, easily applied. 

==== domain driven ====           
One of my favorite recent OO modeling and design books is [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321125215/qid=1068652080/sr=ka-1/ref=pd_ka_1/102-3930710-8858540 Domain-Driven Design] by Eric Evans. Eric has a wealth of experience in creating OO domain
layers, and an especially clear view of object-oriented thinking often associated with old Smalltalk developers.
                       
==== willows ====       
The amazing Willow bark drug that Hippocrates used. You probably know
that regular low doses (81 mg) of  [http://www.aspirin.org acetylsalicylic]
acid (aspirin) reduces stroke and heart disease risk. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2816375.stm New research]
in a large study shows it reduces by 2/3 (which is miracle-level) the
risk of mouth and throat cancer if taken just once a week. Ditto in
another  [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2825065.stm "landmark" discovery]
that it's been shown to significantly reduce the risk of colon and
rectal cancer, the 2nd leading cause of cancer death. Interestingly,
the low 81 mg dose was more effective than a 325 mg dose. 
            
==== popfile ====
[http://popfile.sourceforge.net/ POPFile] is a great open-source spam and sorting e-mail front-end tool. Once set up and trained, it will work in the background of your computer, scanning mail as it arrives and filing it as you wish. 
            
==== bayesian ====           
Speaking of POPFile, it uses [http://www.niedermayer.ca/papers/bayesian/ Bayesian analysis].
This is a useful decision support method software developers will
benefit from knowing to create adaptive, learning systems. It captures
the idea of degree of belief, and updating that degree based on new
evidence.            
            
==== body clock ====
Fact: the body has an internal clock. Not just the 24-hour-ish cycle,
but shorter growth/rest cycles too. Until this year, scientists did not
know the mechanism. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2636029.stm Now they do].
There is a special protein in every cell whose two ends are different
shapes. Every 12 minutes it flips over, and the reorientation of the
ends causes new effects. A husband and wife research team made the
discovery after 40 years of investigation, and proved it by lengthening
the 12-minute cycle, and consequently altering all other cycles in the
test organisms. This is really basic stuff, and has implications for
many treatments: jet-lag, ...
            
==== aop ====           
[http://www.aspectj.org AspectJ], and [http://www.aosd.net/ Aspect-Oriented Programming] by Gregor
Kiczales and the AspectJ team at Xerox PARC. AOP as a relatively
fundamental paradigm of programming and design, akin to object-oriented
or function-oriented programming and design. One dimension of AOP that
is not often stressed is that we can look at it as a meta-programming
technology (programs that manipulate /modify programs). Viewed in
this light, we can appreciate ways to use AspectJ that are not
cross-cutting architectural concerns (like injecting logging support in
many places) but still useful, such as writing interceptors or
decorators for single points. Check out [http://www.aosd.net here]
for the big picture.
                        
==== ward wikis ====            
Wikis are now popular. Did you know that wikis come from the fertile mind
of  [http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WardCunningham Ward Cunningham], a very thoughtful and influential figure in the object-oriented and design patterns world, though not so well known as
his old buddy Kent Beck. He and Kent used to work together at Tektronix doing Smalltalk development back in the mid 80s.

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