A company called Boston Dynamics is developing a robotic pack mule called BigDog for the U.S. Military. They’re calling it the most advanced quadruped robot on Earth. Check out the video here. (28MB Windows video.) Next up: a dusty robotic gold prospector able to chew ‘baccy, sing all the verses to “My Darlin’ Clementine,” and …
…is the new red spot growing on Jupiter. This new companion to the famous Great Red Spot (both are actually giant storms) is officially called Oval BA but unofficially dubbed “Red Jr.” or “The Not-So-Great Red Spot.” It formed a few years ago when three smaller storms collided, but only now has it begun to …
Paul Sorvino is starring in Frank Loesser’s “Broadway opera” The Most Happy Fella. I played the same role (Tony Esposito–no, not the hockey player) in Regina Lyric Light Opera‘s production of the show in 1997, and it remains one of my favorites.
(More photos here.)
So says a new survey. Well, “Duh!” But I take issue with the Guardian‘s lede: A truth which has the downside of keeping many true artists poor in garrets and many false ones rich in mansions was universally acknowledged yesterday. The implication, of course, is that there is somehow more artistic merit in an unhappy …
Introduction to a story on CBC Radio’s 4 p.m. national newscast: The 100-channel universe is becoming more infinite all the time. Um…guys? Something cannot become “more” infinite. It’s either infinite or it isn’t. And if there are currently 100 channels in your universe (mine’s a bit larger than that, but what the hey), then it …
So tell me, how does Margaret Atwood’s long-distance autographing device, the Long Pen, which she’ll be unveiling this weekend, differ from this 19th century invention? (Via Normblog.)
Russian astronauts plan to hit a golf ball into orbit from the International Space Station. And there’s a Canadian connection: The plan is part of a commercial deal between the Russian space agency and Element 21 Golf Company, based in Toronto, Canada. NASA has to approve the plan, which some experts fear could create a …
Blondes seem to attract more than their fair share of attention, both positive and negative. From “Blondes have more fun” to a plethora of “blonde jokes,” there’s something about the fair-haired that draws attention. So when Canadian anthropologist Peter Frost wrote a paper, published this week in Evolution and Human Behavior, setting forth an explanation …
The rise of the robots continues, with news of a tick-catching robot in a denim skirt.
