A public service announcement by the British Commercial Gas Association, telling you in no uncertain terms it is unfair to blame the cook if she is forced to cook on anything other than a gas stove. If she does have a gas stove, of course, you may say what you like about her, since she …
…is about to get a lot easier to create: Installing one of those prefab, snap-together wood-flooring kits is a lot easier than shaping and sanding rough planks. Adapting a similar construction strategy, a biotech startup called Codon Devices, based in Cambridge, MA, aims to streamline genetic engineering. It makes made-to-order DNA strands, freeing scientists from …
At his Ficlets blog, John Scalzi points to the amazing story of Harry Bernstein, “whose new novel is getting him fame and attention at the tender age of 96.” Bernstein published his first short story in 1934. It took seven decades for his next literary achievement. His novel The Invisible Wall is about his early …
Yes, John Oakey & Sons, “the pioneers in introducing the concept of coated abrasives to the world,” live on…in a company called John Oakey & Mohan Limited, incorporated in 1962, “manufacturers of high performance coated abrasives.” From the first link above: John Oakey who was born in 1814 founded John Oakey & Sons Ltd in …
…here’s another interview with a German climatologist (one who very much agrees climate is changing and we’re largely responsible, before you ask) taking issue with the tone of the discussion: “We Have to Take Away People’s Fear of Climate Change.”
Another company that’s still around, although now in addition to being a food retailer they have “interests in financial services.” Their history is online. The section called “The Early Years,” below, takes the company right up to the time of his 1915 ad: Sainsbury’s was founded in 1869 by John James and Mary Ann Sainsbury. …
I’m sure that’s the question you’re dying to ask about my telephone conversation with my editor at DAW, Sheila Gilbert, earlier today. It went very well…it also went on for an hour and a half and produced five single-spaced pages of notes. I now have a couple of months to rewrite the whole thing and …
Yes, I guess I did: I just discovered the FantasticFiction page about myself. The site’s creators (or more likely their software) have donea better job of compiling everything I’ve written than I have! It’s a rather long list when you see it all strung out like that.
Researchers have created computer chips that can talk to the brain, chips which could revolutionize the way we think about thinking, and how we treat various neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s: “It’s the type of science that can change the world,” says Richard H. Granger, Jr., a professor of brain sciences who leads the Neukom Institute …
Borwick’s was founded by George Borwick sometime in the 19th century–there are old ads for it all over the Web, including at the British Museum–and you can still buy their powders today. It was obviously a successful business: George Borwick got a barony out of it.
I’ve finally heard from Sheila Gilbert at DAW regarding my new book (which she refers to as Marseguro, so maybe that actually will be the title); she’s going to call tomorrow to discuss some editorial revisions (a few things that need “fleshing out” and some “points we need to discuss for clarification”). Wish me luck! …
I’ve been to the ancient Greek ampitheatre at Epidaurus, built in the 4th century B.C. The acoustics really are incredible–you can hear a whisper on stage from the very top row. I was there with the Harding University A Cappella Chorus during our European tour in the summer of 1982. (Which was–gulp!–25 years ago, wasn’t …
