If I were you, I’d never use this service. You just might not like what it makes you discover.
Large Hadron Collider – Live!
Just a quick post to point you guys to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) live webstream. The link we’ve posted a few days ago points to a very small video of the event, so we thought that you would appreciate seeing the whole thing in full screen.
Enjoy!
Why every geek needs a calling card
By Mark O’Neill
Contributing Writer, [GAS]
I just love it when I stumble across a fantastic new blog, and last night was no exception. Yesterday’s new find was “The Art of Manliness” and the article that especially caught my attention was “The Gentleman’s Guide to the Calling Card”. I highly recommend you read it. Even though it’s aimed towards a male audience, it’s equally relevant towards females I would say.
A calling card was used in the 19th and early 20th century to introduce oneself at the front door of a house when you arrived to meet the resident. I’m sure if you’ve watched television period dramas, you’ve seen the butler stand at the door with the silver dish and the visitor placing their card on the dish. Well the calling card eventually became extinct as with all other things, but now in the modern technology-driven 21st century, it seems to be making a curious comeback.
Imagine you’re at a tech conference. You’re networking and talking shop. You want to exchange contact details with the others or you want to make sure that the guy you’re talking to remembers your blog URL. Or you want to get your Twitter ID out to as many people as possible. Maybe you want people to remember your Facebook profile URL? Then the best way to do that is to make calling cards with the details professionally printed on them and then hand them out.
As “The Art Of Manliness” blog post points out, a business card is too stiff, formal and offputting to a lot of people. Whereas a calling card can be designed to be informal, fun and curious. You can make it reflect your personality, cut out bland things such as your mailing address and phone numbers and instead focus on techie things such as your blog, IM address, social networking details and email. Focus on things that lets the recipient get to know you as a person.
Plus calling cards are great for dates. Nervous about asking someone out? Give them a calling card and let them check out your Facebook profile first!
Do you have a calling card? If so, what details do you have on it?
The Gentleman’s Guide To The Calling Card – The Art of Manliness
[GAS] Cartoon of the day (September 9, 2008)
Origin of Crop Circles Unveiled
We all know that crop circles come from aliens right? Some people seem to think that the mysterious patterns are created by smart-ass humans… but come on, this can’t be true! Don’t believe us? Here’s the proof:
Ok, jokes aside, this small segment was actually filmed as part of an ad for the Belgian State Bond. We have absolutely no idea what’s the relation between crop circles, aliens and that state bond thing, but hey, this is pretty cool nonetheless.
[Via Neatorama]
CERN scientists spammed with death threats over LHC activation
As the LHC’s activation date approaches (only two days left now, folks!), scientists working on the super-collider have started receiving large amounts of pleas, some which include death threats, asking to stop the potential apocalypse-bringing machine.
According to an article published on the Telegraph, CERN, the organization behind the project, has been bombarded with calls, faxes and e-mails from concerned, wanna-be scientists assuming that the LHC will end the universe as we know it. Yes, folks, they believe the universe, which is billions of years old, can be destroyed by an insignificant, man-made machine. Don’t you find this just a bit ridiculous? Reactions like the ones the LHC tries to replicate have been happening on a galactic-level for far longer than what our mind can conceive, so I don’t think there’s really a reason why anyone should worry.
Oh, and if you want to try and imagine the kind of attention CERN is receiving right now, you should see some of the search-engine traffic we’re getting on the only article we’ve ever published that mentions some of the potential risks of the LHC. Thousands of people every week search for “CERN risks” and similar keywords. Our guess is that as the month passes, we’ll see this trend become exponential… while the universe, planet Earth included, continues to safely prosper.
Edit: Oh, and for those of you who’d like to watch when the Large Haldron Collider goes live on Wednesday, CERN has put up a live webcast section on their site. You too can now be part of the party when the world goes BOOM! Pretty cool eh?
October Release of Esquire Features E-Ink Cover
A while ago, we wrote about how magazine covers would eventually go high-tech, and specifically, how Esquire would soon revolutionize the world of offline publications by featuring an animated E-Ink cover on one of their upcoming issue. Well folks, a video showing the magazine’s cover has just been released, and I must say, I’m quite disappointed by the result. Ok, I know that this is the first e-cover ever, but still, I was expecting something a little flashier. Video after the jump.
Why we don’t understand as much as we think we do
Starting with four basic questions (that you may be surprised to find you can’t answer), Jonathan Drori looks at the gaps in our knowledge — and specifically, what we don’t understand about science that we might think we do.
US intelligence community to begin social networking site
By Mark O’Neill
Contributing Writer, [GAS]
They won’t be able to poke one another or post photos of their drunken one night stands. Or install widgets that plays games or sends virtual Winnie The Poohs. But the US Intelligence community’s “A-Space”, the ‘Facebook and YouTube for Spies’ which is about to begin, will be hopefully able to better co-ordinate the fight against terrorism by bringing case officers and analysts closer together to discuss raw material.
Open to 16 U.S. intelligence agencies, A-Space will have opinions and raw intelligence gathered from agents out in the field. A-Space participants will then be able to sift through it, discuss it, and debate it together. They can even collect “friends” like on any other social network.
Obviously you’ll need the proper security clearance to see certain information and to friend certain people. The guy at the front desk isn’t going to be able to send a friend request to the director and offer his opinions on raw intel coming in from Iraq!
But if you can’t have a poke, how about a stab? “Agent Smith has just stabbed you in the back! Would you like to stab him back?”. Plus, instead of sending someone a virtual teddy bear, how about sending them a virtual bomb instead?
Then again, we don’t want the spooks to have TOO much fun…..
Friday Evening Fun: Oktapodi
Produced as a graduation project by several students from the “Gobelins” French animation school, Oktapodi is a short computer animated film featuring two young octopus lovers fighting to escape from the hands of a brutal deliveryman. Video after the jump.