Vale Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy as most will remember him
Credit: movieactors.com


More recent
Credit: Memory Alpha

RIP Leonard Nimoy. So many of us at NASA were inspired by Star Trek. Boldly go... http://t.co/qpeH5BTzQc pic.twitter.com/nMmFMKYv1L

— NASA (@NASA) February 27, 2015

Despite the title of a biography: “I am not Spock,” it is for that role that he will be primarily remembered. Many know that he directed two of the Star Trek movies, fewer, that he directed “3 Men & a Baby”, fewer still are aware of his photography.

“Boston was a great city to grow up in, & it probably still is. We were surrounded by two very important elements: academia & the arts. I was surrounded by theater, music, dance, museums. And I learned how to sail on the Charles River. So I had a great childhood in Boston. It was wonderful.”

“My folks came to U.S. as immigrants, aliens, & became citizens. I was born in Boston, a citizen, went to Hollywood & became an alien.”

“Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end.”

"I quit smoking 30 years ago. Not soon enough. Grandpa says, quit now!!"

On photography

“For a period of time, I carried cameras with me wherever I went, & then I realized that my interest in photography was turning toward the conceptual. So I wasn't carrying around cameras shooting stuff, I was developing concepts about what I wanted to shoot. And then I'd get the camera angle & do the job.”

“But if you're talking about fine art work, then I think you have to ask yourself some pretty deep questions about why it is you want to take pictures & what it is you want to say.”

“My dream concept is that I have a camera & I am trying to photograph what is essentially invisible. And every once in a while I get a glimpse of her & I grab that picture.”


Leonard Nimoy 1931-2015
/ StarTrek movie actor actor Leonard Nimoy worldwide fan base as the pointy-eared half-human half-Vulcan Mr Spock Star Trek television film franchise died at age 83 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease home Los Angeles Susan Bay Nimoy death New York Times private memorial service outpouring of grief social media paid tribute geek idol Star Trek co-star William Shatner Captain James T Kirk co-star George Takei Mr Sulu heartfelt tribute the world lost a great man great friend live long and prosper friend acting career 1950s television series iconic role Mr Spock Star Trek 1966 spaceship USS Enterprise science officer Spock galaxy exploring new worlds character Spock several feature films Vulcan salute salutation live long and prosper SF SciFi Sci Fi science-fiction hand gesture Jewish blessing US president Barack Obama "Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy" accomplished director directing 1987 box-office hit Three Men and a Baby starring Tom Selleck diagnosis diagnosed with COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease chronic obstructive lung disease COLD chronic obstructive airway disease COAD progressive lung disease /

What are eyelashes for?

Credit: homeshop.com

There’s the fairly obvious, but rarely used, last moment warning for small objects, like an insect flying into the eye, triggering a tightly closed eye.

Recently, a study of a large number of species, including red kangaroo, camel, African elephant, giraffe, zebra & chimpanzees has found that the length of eyelashes is one third the width of the eye. At this length, eyelashes create an area of still air on the surface of the eyeball.

But people have different length eyelashes — this may reflect differences in the width of the eye, or the shape of the face.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2015/02/25/4186151.htm / long lashes eyes stand research researchers ideal lash length protects your eyes dust damage Journal of the Royal Society Interface eyelashes length one-third width eye eye ball protective zone still air eyeball surface Dr David Hu function eyelashes eyes hypotheses eyelashes associate professor mechanical engineering biology Georgia Institute of Technology shade eye Sun dust catchers study colleagues studied 22 mammals Museum of Natural History New York City animal pelts eyelash length animals strict relationship lash is about one-third width of the eye wind tunnel researchers fake eye tested it walking-speed wind tunnel evaporation eye's surface optimum eyelash length minimises air flow on the eye surface cuts down evaporation reduces the amount of dust fine particles contact eye air moving over the eye's surface protect the eye too long funnel air down towards the eye create a zone of still air at the eye's surface variation one-third rule longer eyelashes shape of the face studies influences flow gets to the eye wind tunnels pressure on the eye animals live desert environments camels giraffes especially thick eyelashes shelter eyes from dust children with allergies longer lashes eyelashes provide protective function /

3D printing — faster, cheaper development of better parts

3D printing allows rapid prototyping, which makes parts cheaper. It does this by shortening the development & testing cycle from months to days. A shorter development cycle can also make parts better, because a shorter development cycle allows for more development cycles.

Case in point is the jet engine which has been produced by Monash University & spin off company Amaero Engineering, using 3d printing.

It all began two years ago with a challenge from French aerospace company Safran.
The company gave the Monash researchers one of their old engines, & asked them to make a copy.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-26/australian-researchers-create-first-3d-jet-engine/6262462

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/3d-printing-melbourne-engineers-print-jet-engine-in-world-first-20150226-13pfv1.html

http://www.gizmag.com/3d-printed-jet-engine/36273/ / Australian researchers world's world first 3D-printed jet engine manufacturing breakthrough engineer engineers cheaper lighter more fuel-efficient jets partnership Monash University spin-out company Amaero Engineering Airbus Boeing defence contractor Raytheon breakthrough engineers make test parts melt mould carve turn final product Professor Ian Smith Monash University vice-provost research very quickly final product advantages technology rapid prototyping making large number prototypes quickly make bespoke parts classic engineering technologies technology made materials printing parts developed materials printers sufficient quality French aerospace industry large companies Safran Microturbo Airbus work Monash Australian companies challenge French aerospace company Safran old engine make a copy top-secret prototype parts Safran Boeing Airbus capabilities technology useful aerospace industry enormous applications biomedical industry serious car accident scanned scanner 3D printer operating table print precise body parts additive manufacturing high-powered laser fuse powdered nickel titanium aluminium shape opportunity declining manufacturing industry car industry's decline demise supply chain industry supports automotive sector revolutionary disruptive technologies traditional industries technology industry build new industries regenerate existing industries cutting edge military technology hardware chief scientist US Air Force Dr Mica Endsley great opportunity Dr Robert Hobbs spare parts on demand defence defense /

Pebble Time — video (update)

Pebble’s original smartwatch set records on Kickstarter, & now there is a new Pebble setting records.

Retaining the best features of the original, including:
● 7 day battery life
● readable-in-the-brightest-sunlight e-paper display
● compatibility with existing Pebble apps & watchfaces

Pebble Time adds:
● new user interface
● colour
● slimmer case
● microphone
● Gorilla Glass face, among other new features.

After opening on Kickstarter just a few hours ago, Pebble Time is already oversubscribed many times. When I last looked, the counters were updating every few seconds.

Kickstarter
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-time-awesome-smartwatch-no-compromises/

Pebble web site
https://getpebble.com / colour color e-paper smartwatch up to 7 days of battery new timeline interface important in your day new watch called Pebble Time new timeline interface color e-paper display microphone responding to notifications battery life water resistance customizable customizability Pebble Time fully compatible 6,500+ existing Pebble apps watchfaces watch face colors Kickstarter shipping in May extra special engraving original Kickstarter backers support us again the world’s first real smartwatch Kickstarter community early adopters support worldwide movement overwhelming support feedback Pebble Kickstarter wearables exclusive access to our newest product more info at a glance new color e-paper display easy to read always-on displaying incoming notifications watchface LCD OLED power consumption minimized industry-leading battery life up to 7 days awesome watch easy to read always-on displaying incoming notifications Pebble Time 20% thinner ergonomic curved design fits comfortably stylish durable lens is scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass bezel stainless steel water resistant run rain water-balloon battle swim personalize soft silicone band all standard 22mm watch bands will fit quick-release pin swap bands DIYers accessory makers advanced customizers publishing 3D data create amazing straps, covers docks smart accessory port enabling hardware developers build sensors smart straps connect directly to the watch three colors black watch case silicone black PVD stainless steel bezel silver PVD red watch case /

Coffee — you should be drinking more — maybe

Credit: Inhabitat

Coffee has lots of benefits:

http://www.inc.com/peter-economy/coffee-5-surprising-reasons-why-you-should-be-drinking-more-of-it.html

Or … maybe not:

http://www.inc.com/travis-bradberry/caffeine-the-silent-killer-of-success.html

Which brings us to the real problem with coffee — lack of good, authoritative, consistent information. / improved improving improve performance cut down on caffeine coffee drinker ability manage your emotions remain calm under pressure direct link performance research top performers emotional intelligence skilled managing emotions high stress remain calm and in control good feel more alert improve mood studies study research caffeine improves cognitive task performance memory attention span short-term participants caffeine habits new research Johns Hopkins Medical School performance increases caffeine intake short-term reversal caffeine withdrawal control controlling caffeine caffeine-related performance improvement nonexistent caffeine withdrawal coming off caffeine reduces reduce reduced cognitive performance negative impact mood back to normal new heights performance back to normal adrenaline triggers release adrenaline fight-or-flight response survival mechanism rational thinking emotions overrun behavior irritability anxiety emotional effects caffeine negative effects increase increased raise blood pressure stimulate the heart rapid shallow breathing deprives deprive brain oxygen thinking calm rational ugly sleep brain memories storing discarding dreams wake up alert clear-headed self-control focus memory information-processing speed sleep feeling rested brain cycles reduce reducing caffeine intake caffeine six-hour half-life caffeine negative effects increasing makes it harder to fall asleep caffeine disrupts quality sleep reducing rapid eye movement REM sleep withdrawal stimulant physiologically psychologically addictive lower caffeine intake guidance qualified medical professional researchers Johns headache fatigue sleepiness difficulty concentrating slowly taper espresso stimulating improving memory cancer Alzheimer's extending life longevity negative stress sleeplessness good news Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee academics scientists advise U.S. government agencies Food and Drug Administration FDA Department of Agriculture good for you drink between 3 5 cups full benefits Dutch long-term health risks reduces risk of heart disease lower heart stroke risk factors arrhythmias type 2 diabetes sugar protect against Parkinson's disease study 40 percent lower risk healthy diet brew /

Pon punctureless push pin – update

Credit: Pon/Design Milk


Credit: Pon/Design Milk

Have something you want to hang on a pin board, but don’t want to damage it?

Saved by Pon the punctureless push pin!

Works with pin-proof objects like coins too (see link below).

Have to respect good design.

Update: Kickstarter project has ended, but you can still buy them at https://www.ponitup.com/

Pon has comfortably passed its $10,000 goal on Kickstarter. You can still get on board for amounts between $5 for 20 Pons to $130 for 800.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/markweiser/prevent-picture-puncture-with-pon

Thanks to design-milk.com for this item. / Pon display suspend push pin wall tack for design unique patent pending geometry coil head hug objects stab Pon easy slide display inside the coil special angle coil allows for objects to be inserted without crumpling flexible spirals maintain full grip hold thick objects coasters album jacket layers of small objects reminder notes heat-treated stainless steel spring steel spring back original shape expand expanded small same size ordinary normal standard regular thumb tack strong versatile display things prototype prototyped fine tuned tolerances optimised made in the USA experienced local manufacturer imaginative feeding creativity imagination Jenna Blazevich Vichcraft collaborate calligraphic message rewards risks challenges manufacturing package ship environmentally responsible project is fully funded patent pending geometry /

Solar power for Tesla Supercharger stations

Tesla has always planned to power its Supercharger stations with solar, but to date they have been powered from the grid. This doesn’t mean they are powered solely from unsustainable sources. Modern grids are powered from a mix of sources, including solar & other renewables. In Norway, this means that the 6 Supercharger stations (as of August 2013)* are 98% renewable**.

Elsewhere, the situation is not so bright, but improving everywhere.***

And Tesla is taking steps to deliver on its solar promise: its first solar powered Supercharger station is almost ready:

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096926_teslas-first-solar-powered-supercharger-store-service-center-is-almost-ready
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* Mark Kane: “First Six Tesla Supercharger Stations Up & Running in Norway; ~ 120 kW of Power” http://insideevs.com/first-six-tesla-supercharger-stations-up-and-runing-in-norway-120-kw-of-power/

** “Tesla Model S electric taxis in Oslo”
http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/tesla-model-s-electric-taxis-in-oslo.html

*** Wikipedia:” Solar power by country” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_by_country / electric car vehicle EV maker Tesla Motors rapidly opening Supercharger DC fast-charging fast charging stations USA U.S. North America country providing solar-generated solar generated electricity sites Superchargers electricity conventional power grid change Tesla batteries consumers home energy electricity storage Rocklin California Sacramento location single location Tesla showroom new cars displayed Service Center row Supercharger fast-charging stalls a massive array photovoltaic solar cells power entire site another Supercharger site Roseville Galleria Mall freeway access immediate direct added eight additional Supercharger stalls Interstate 80 exchange Sierra College exit solar Power Boom grid parity work local company Phil Haupt Electric of Roseville previous experience electric vehicle supply equipment EVSE installation and maintenance installation all local employees sourced purchased all of our materials locally solar power plant roof solar photovoltaic panels PV shade /