[podcast]https://edwardwillett.com/wp-content/upLoads//2009/07/WD-40.mp3[/podcast] For as long as I can remember, we’ve had WD-40 around our house, and I’m quite sure I’m not alone in that experience: most houses contain a can somewhere. But I’d never really thought about it, or even why it was called what it’s called, until this week, when I read the New York …
Tag: engineering
The Bloodhound SSC
It’s no secret that people occasionally speed between here and Saskatoon. At the speed limit, 258 kilometres should take about 2 1/2 hours. But by doing (in the immortal words of The Dukes of Hazzard theme song) “just a little bit more than the law will allow,” some people cut that down to, say, 2 …
Nuclear summer
Download the audio version.Get my science column weekly as a podcast. *** As a science writer, I’ve written about a lot of things I’ve never expected to see up close. The outer planets of the solar system, for example. The bottom of the ocean. Nuclear reactors. I still haven’t reached Neptune, and I’ve never been …
"That’s not a tunnel. This is a tunnel."
Playing the part of Crocodile Dundee (remember him?) today: the Russians. Russia plans to build the world’s longest tunnel, a transport and pipeline link under the Bering Strait to Alaska, as part of a $65 billion project to supply the U.S. with oil, natural gas and electricity from Siberia. The project, which Russia is coordinating …
The civilized way to fly
I love airships, and I’m not alone. Award-winning children’s author Kenneth Oppel, for example, obviously loves them: his recent novels Airborn and Skybreaker are set in an alternate world where airships, not airplanes, rule the skies. Canadian science fiction writer Karl Schroeder must love them, too: his novels Sun of Suns and Queen of Candesce, …
Books that influenced today’s technologists…
…are rounded up in a survey by IEEE Spectrum. Robert A. Heinlein is well-represented, but even J.R.R. Tolkien gets a mention. (Via The Website at the End of the Universe.)
The fire down below
The surface of our planet is nice and cool. (A little too cool, this time of year.) But not all that far beneath us, it’s anything but. In fact, says Chris Marone, Penn State professor of geosciences, enough heat emanates from the interior of the planet to make 200 cups of hot coffee per hour …
The world’s first underwater luxury hotel…
…is now under construction 20 metres below the waves off the coast of Dubai. This caught my eye both because a) it’s cool and b) large portions of the book I turned in to DAW today take place underwater, although not, alas, in luxury hotels. Looks like a place just waiting for James Bond to …
If Astana, Kazakhstan, can do it…
…why can’t Regina, Saskatchewan? Heck, if you squint, the two names are practically identical. “It,” in this case, is cover 100,000 square metres of downtown space with a giant, semi-transparent, climate-controlled tent. (Shades of the domed cities so beloved of old-time science fiction writers.) To whit: The Khan Shatyry entertainment centre in Astana will become …
Photo of the Day: Grading, But Not on the Curve
Tonight I’m in Saskatoon, having just been the guest speaker at the annual awards night of the Consulting Engineers of Saskatchewan. I did a very quick (and humorously quippy!) slide show of some of the images from A Safe and Prosperous Future: 100 Years of Engineering and Geoscience Achievements in Saskatchewan. This is one of …
The first (non-science column) sentence I wrote today…
On April 4, Janis performed in a reunion concert with Big Brother.3,792 words on the Janis Joplin bio today, and the end is in sight; I should be polishing it up tomorrow and submitting it Wednesday at the latest. I probably would have finished it today, except, of course, this was a science column day. …
The Palm and World Islands
A while ago I wrote a column called “Extraordinary Engineering.” Among the mega-engineering projects I mentioned were the Palm and World Islands, off the coast of Dubai. As I wrote: The Palm Islands are two artificial islands, 4.8 kilometres offshore, being built in the shape of giant palm trees, with “trunks” eight kilometers long and …
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Episode 165: Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes – A Fifth of the Story
A chat with author, podcaster, and blogger Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes about her new spy thriller, A Fifth of the Story Websitedrkatherinehayes.com Facebook@authordrkatherinehayes Instagram@authordrkatherine X@khutch0767 Dr. Katherine Huthcinson-Hayes’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for A Fifth of the StoryAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book A fascinating thriller of espionage that takes you into the secretive world of the CIA… -
Episode 164: Kristen Ciccarelli – Heartless Hunter
A chat with New York Times bestselling YA author Kristen Cicarelli about Heartless Hunter, The Crimson Moth Book 1, a “dangerously romantic Scarlet Pimpernel-inspired fantasy.” Websitekristenciccarelli.com Facebook@AuthorKristenCiccarelli Instagram@kristenciccarelli Pinterest@kciccarelli Kristen Ciccarelli’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for Heartless HunterAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book Enemies-to-lovers doesn’t get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling… -
Episode 163: Sebastien de Castell – Play of Shadows
A chat with award-winning fantasy author Sebastien de Castell about Play of Shadows, Book 1 of Court of Shadows, set in the world of his popular Greatcoats series. Websitedecastell.com X@decastell Facebook@decastell Sebastien de Castell’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for Play of ShadowsAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book Swordplay, magic, intrigue and friendships stronger than iron: the first… -
Episode 162: Lyn McGinnis – Amarel Mountain
A chat with author Lyn McGinnis about Anu Awakes, an epic fantasy series, and the most recent release in that series, Book 2, Amarel Mountain. Websiteanuawakesseries.com Bluesky@anuawakes Goodreads Instagram@anuawakes Lyn McGinnis’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for Amarel MountainAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book Descendants of the Tolku of the Primary Epoch, the Koru, Yakku and Yelda, now… -
Episode 161: Jared N. Michaud – Brightstar
A chat with new author Jared N. Michaud about his upcoming YA science fiction novel Brightstar, first book in the Energematric6 space adventure series. Websiteenergematrice6.com Facebook@Energematrice6 X@Energematrice6 Instagram@jarednmichaud Jared N. Michaud’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for BrightstarAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book Brightstar is the beginning of an epic space-adventure series that introduces readers to Nate, a… -
Episode 160: Breakfield & Burkey – Enigma Tracer
A chat with the writing team of Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey about their long-running techno-thriller series, Enigma, and Enigma Tracer, first book in their new Enigma Heirs trilogy. Websiteenigmabookseries.com Facebook@TheEnigmaSeries X@EnigmaSeries@1rburkey Instagram@enigmabookseries YouTube Amazon Links for Engima TracerAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book The clock is ticking … can Gracie uncover the truth? Phillip Pliant is… -
Episode 159: Steve Truitt – The Mindset Chronicles
A chat with author and former television host Steve Truitt about his new science fiction novel series, The Mindset Chronicles. Websitestevetruitt.com Facebook@AuthorSteveTruitt Amazon Links for The DeletionAmazon.comAmazon.ca Steve Truitt’s Amazon Page About the Book In a world where artificial intelligence has become an integral part of daily life, the sudden death of all AI sends… -
Episode 158: Danièle Cybulskie – Chivalry and Courtesy: Medieval Manners for a Modern World
A chat with noted medievalist Danièle Cybulskie about her new book, Chivalry and Courtesy: Medieval Manners for a Modern World. Websitedanielecybulskie.com X/Twitter@5minmedievalist Facebook@5MinMedievalist Instagram@5minmedievalist YouTube@5MinMedievalist Amazon Links for Chivalry and CourtesyAmazon.caAmazon.com Danièle Cybulskie’s Amazon Page About the Book Medieval people are often portrayed as having poor hygiene and table manners—licking their knives or throwing chicken… -
Episode 157: Marie Brennan – The Market of 100 Fortunes (Legend of the Five Rings Book 3)
A chat with Hugo-nominated author Marie Brennan about her Legend of the Five Rings trilogy, which just wrapped up with The Market of 100 Fortunes. Websiteswantower.com Bluesky Patreon Amazon Links for The Market of 100 FortunesAmazon.caAmazon.com Marie Brennan’s Amazon Page About the Book Enthralling fantasy mystery from the world of Legend of the Five Rings as two… -
Episode 156: Douglas Smith – The Lost Expedition (The Dream Rider Saga, Book 3)
A chat with Canadian author Douglas Smith about his young adult fantasy trilogy The Dream Rider Saga, which has just culminated in Book 3, The Lost Expedition. Websitesmithwriter.com Facebook@WritingtheFantastic X/Twitter@smithwritr Instagram@douglassmithwriter Amazon Links for The Lost ExpeditionAmazon.caAmazon.com Douglas Smith’s Amazon Page About the Book The Thrilling Conclusion to the Multi-Award-Winning Trilogy Will is the Dream…
