I-35W Bridge Collapse, Minneapolis

If you look at any news feed in the US, whether it’s internet, cable, network, newspaper, whatever, I’m sure you’re aware of the bridge collapse in Minneapolis/St. Paul of the Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi river. At the moment, there is no report on a cause, and they are still recovering cars from the …

Biofuel Alternative to Ethanol

The University of Wisonsin, Madison (great campus) has announced that researchers have been able to derive a fuel source from plant sugars. This fuel has a higher energy density than ethanol, with lower energy requirements for production. This is a good thing, because (some argue) ethanol has a nearly 1:1 energy return. For every erg …

Self-Serving Publicity? Or Good-Natured Intentions?

The University of Georgia has extended a scholarship to a soccer player who may not be able to play. They indicate that despite her medical condition, Caroline Simpson is welcome to come to her freshman year in any capacity. I confess that my first thought after reading this article was, “that’s some well-aimed publicity for …

Washing your Keyboard

NPR Morning Edition had a story today concerning the cleansing of your computer keyboard. Most manufacturer’s recommendations that I’ve seen have involved wiping the surface down with mild disinfectant and/or using canned air to blow the crumbs/dust/hair out from between the keys (holding upside down and vigourously shaking, as is the practice by yours truly, …

Awesome Astronomy, Terrible Reporting

This morning, I was alerted by the Atlanta Journal Constitution (reg. req’d) that a Georgia State University astronomy program on Mt. Wilson, in California, had imaged the surface of Altair, a sun-sized star that is one of the brightest in the northern sky. This is cool because it’s the first time a star this size …

Gas Station Price Fixing

Does this make sense? Quoted from an AP article. Center City BP owner Raj Bhandari has been offering senior citizens a 2 cent per gallon price break and discount cards that let sports boosters pay 3 cents less per gallon. But the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says those deals violate Wisconsin’s …