I’m linking to this story just because it allowed me to write the above headline. Such are the little things that keep me amused.
Quantum computer unveiled…
…and it works! It’s slow, and there’s some question how well this approach can be scaled up, but it definitely worked. Hey, it even solved a Sudoku puzzle!
Why won’t you do what you’re told?
As a child, I always did what I was told. (Mom, stop laughing, I’m trying to make a point here.) But I can’t say I didn’t resent certain restrictions. And I’m not alone. Most people hate being told not to do something, and if they can’t see a good reason for it, may well go …
The future of the sun
Think the sun is kind of boring, just hanging around up there burning brightly? Well, just wait. In about five billion years it will look something like this: Credit: NASA, ESA, and K. Noll (STScI) Acknowledgement: The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
OK, just one more photo from Saskatoon
It’s the view from my hotel…at night. Pretty exciting, eh? More photos here.
Back from the reading
I had a pretty good turnout tonight at McNally Robinson here in Saskatoon for the reading from my book A Safe and Prosperous Future: 100 years of engineering and geoscience achievements in Saskatchewan. The local Cosmopolitan Club came out en masse, and a few others showed up as well (including some people I went to …
I’m in Saskatoon…
…waiting to read at McNally Robinson tonight, and you know what that means, don’t you? That’s right! The obligatory Photo Taken Out My Hotel Window: Once I checked in (after my noon-hour appearance on CTV Saskatoon with Jeff Rogstad) I headed across the Broadway Bridge for lunch at Calories. Naturally, I took my camera with …
Are we wrong about the causes of climate change?
There’s a legitimate rival theory about the most important thing driving climate change.
A Lego in motion tends to remain in motion
Newton’s Laws explained with Lego.
I’ll be reading in Saskatoon Monday…
…at 7 p.m. at McNally Robinson Bookstore. This visit is to promote A Safe and Prosperous Future: 100 years of engineering and geoscience achievements in Saskatchewan. I’ll probably be reading the chapter on Saskatoon’s bridges, in honour of the location. The reading will take place in the Prairie Ink restaurant attached to the bookstore. I …
The snow-eating robot
This seems to be my day for cute gadgets. Behold Yuki-taro, the Japanese snowplow robot. It eats the snow and turns it into compressed blocks perfect for building igloos or snow forts with. It would look great on, say, the Scarth Street Mall here in Regina. (Via Gizmodo.)
The irrationality of political beliefs
People are irrational about politics, says this fascinating paper by Michael Huemer, and that’s why there is such enormous polarization in political belief (among people who care about politics at all, that is). Such polarization is dangerous, he points out, because it prevents us from finding solutions to problems. He offers some suggestions, which I’ve …
My latest live walk and vlog
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