This is a very cool site from the British Library: click on a map of the U.K. and hear a recording of someone from the region you’ve clicked on speaking in the local dialect. A great resource for actors trying to nail a particular accent, among other things. (Via The Corner.)
Astronomers have found the first extrasolar planet where carbon-based “life as we know it” could conceivably exist: A planet of about five times Earth mass, one whose radius is only 1.5 times that of our own world. Moreover, a planet that’s smack in the middle of its star’s habitable zone, with a mean temperature estimated …
From nuclear terrorism to Earth-killing asteroids, avian flu and global warming, these days you can choose to set aside every hour of the day for a specific worry and never repeat yourself. To insure it stays that way, I’d like to introduce you to Ug99. Ug99 is a strain of black stem rust that attacks …
Jo Walton (who started this whole thing) is keeping track of some of the other free online offerings for International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day.
In honour of International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day, I have now posted Andy Nebula: Interstellar Rock Star online in its entirety. Enjoy! This is free to read and to share (non-commercially, of course). If you’d prefer, you can download a PDF version here or a Mobipocket version here. If you do want to share Andy Nebula …
Well, this is interesting. Reports the BBC: The legend of Atlantis, the country that disappeared under the sea, may be more than just a myth. Research on the Greek island of Crete suggests Europe’s earliest civilisation was destroyed by a giant tsunami. As John Scalzi, over at Ficlets, notes: Of course, this leaves Aquaman without …
In the course of writing about the demise of “plogs” (author blogs attached to books on Amazon), Victoria Strauss pegs something I’ve been thinking, too: In the harsh world of self-promotion, we’re all snatching at straws, reading runes, casting spells, and chasing our own tails, hoping that each new opportunity–websites! Blogs! Plogs! MySpace! Podcasting!–will be …
At least, according to Sherry D. Ramsay, who has kindly awarded me that title. Here’s how it works: 1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,3. Optional: …
No, really! (Via SFBC.)
JinxIdoru (a blog) has reviewed Genetics Demystified, and rather favorably, too: I have to say that if all of the Demystified books are as good as this one, then I am sold. It was very clear and explained complicated concepts in an understandable form. The quizzes were a great way to check my grasp of …
…is the name of this exhibition, celebrating “A Century of Science Fiction,” at the University of Delaware Library. I’ve only scratched the surface of what they’ve put on the Web, but I’ll be back to read it in depth. Alas, it seems unlikely I’ll make it to the University of Delaware to see the actual …
My editor at Rosen Publishing passed along this review of my children’s science book Magnesium yesterday: “This is the second book in this series that I have reviewed and again, the author has done a fine job of explaining what can be a complex and confusing subject. Although not a scientist, I enjoyed the anecdotal …
