Understanding the Voynich Manuscript #1 Tom, Dick and Harry explain a statistical method. The mysterious Voynich Manuscript. A simple analysis of a sufficiently large text can reveal much about the topic of that text, if the language is known. If the text, as in the case of the Voynich Manuscript, is written in an unknown script, then the same simple analytical method can point the way to the underlying language, or language group.
Pollution and ParliamentIs carbon dioxide a pollutant ?I am old enough to remember the great smog and the 1953 flood. There is nothing like a first-hand view of nature in the raw to make a person environmentally aware. It was in the 1950s at the age of about 6 or 7 that I learned how coal was made out of vegetable matter in nature's own pressure cooker. The origin of coal was so widely known that it was often called 'bottled sunshine'.
Hornswoggled with a BoondoggleEtymology isn't a true science, but any etymologist worthy of the name needs to adopt scientific methods if he or she is to avoid falling into the trap of producing another piece of false etymology.That's etymology, but if you mouth entomology, as many of your peers do, I had as lief an insect spoke my lines. (Hamlet Act 3, Scene 2 - almost.)I had as lief an insect spoke my lines
Hopefully You Will Get SmarterDespite the wide use of sentences beginning with a word ending in -ly and despite the acceptance of such usage by people who know how language is used in the real world: despite these facts there are still some people who throw up their hands in horror at such "abuse" of language. Having been taught no doubt by repeaters of that Latin-based snobbery which was once peddled as English grammar, such people insist that -ly words are adverbs and as such they must, must, must - on pain of death - modify a verb. "Where is the verb?", they cry. That is woo of the first water.
One Small Step - Two Small Strips ( Or Maybe Three )The news that Neil Armstrong's EKG is up for auction has been reported across the world. Having more than a passing interest in how language is used, I was looking at the different ways that writers have dealt with this story when the article by PC mag caught my eye. The image they posted was not the same as the one from RR Auction.
British Radar in WW2 - by Sir Robert Watson-WattI am pleased to be able to publish here in my blog a historical document of some importance: a short history of radar by Sir Robert Watson-Watt. The document - reproduced below these introductory comments - includes some information and images which have not, to the best of my knowledge, been published before on the internet. Of special interest to historians is thefirst photographic record of radiolocation of aircraft, made on the 24th of July, 1935.
The World Is Getting Cooler** Not!This is something of a pre-emptive strike against the quote miners of this world. I predict that they will use a new study of cloud seeding to sell ice damage insurance or something.If you sprinkle a cup of water on a bonfire it will have a tiny cooling effect. It will not put out the fire or wishomagically reverse the heating effect. Scientists know exactly what they mean by a cooling effect, and so does everyone who ever used a cooling fan in summer. But there are some snake oil salesmen who want to convince you that a simple cooling fan can lower the air temperature.
The Whale, The Torpedo And Cruelty To Animals Part 3The Age of Electrophysiology“The history of electrophysiology has been decided by the history of electrical recording instruments”Edgar Douglas Adrianper Stanley Finger Edgar D. Adrian: Coding in the Nervous SystemDOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195181821.003.00151771 - Luigi GalvaniAlessandro VoltaMichael FaradayJacques Arsène d'ArsonvalvisionGabriel Lippman
Neil Armstrong's Heartbeat - EKG Up For Auction[edit]This article has been updated - please see:One Small Step - Two Small Strips ( Or Maybe Three )RR Auction of Amherst New Hampshire has announced a 2013 Space and Aviation Autograph and Artifact Auction. Items on sale will appeal to aviation and space buffs. RR Auction states that "Offerings include over 850 museum quality artifacts from the Golden Age of aviation and space flight".
The Whale, The Torpedo And Cruelty To Animals,a brief history of the use of electricity in medicine and the development of the pacemaker.Part 2: The Age Of The ElectriciansPart 1, was about early uses of electricity in medicine. The 'torpedo' of the title was once recommended as a cure for headaches.
The Whale, The Torpedo And Cruelty To Animals,A brief history of the use of electricity in medicine and the development of the pacemaker.
Love: An Almost Scientific InvestigationWhat Is Love ?If I could answer that long-standing question in precise scientific terms with error bars I would be sure to get a Nobel prize and lynched.
AC, DC: What's The Difference ?The difference between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) is readily explained, yet most widely published "explanations" seem to muddle the facts and cause confusion. I hope that this short article may help to clarify matters a little.A Little EtymologyOriginally, alternating current was called "alternate" current and direct current was called "continuous" current.
