Comments for Rambles at starchamber.com http://www.starchamber.com Ned Gulley's Blog. Resident buzzwords: wise crowds, accelerated design, swarm robotics, synthetic biology. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:07:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Happy Groundhog Day by Ned http://www.starchamber.com/2012/02/happy-groundhog-day-8.html/comment-page-1#comment-193856 Ned Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:07:46 +0000 http://www.starchamber.com/?p=5551#comment-193856 Civic Day in Canada! That's the most awesomely boring holiday I've ever heard of, after perhaps North Dakota's Scraps of Dryer Screen Lint Day. The older correspondence of the August cross-quarter day is Lammas (or Lughnasadh), but no, there's not much we moderns celebrate in August. In fact, it's the only month without a "Hallmark holiday". So maybe this year I'll have a drink and send out some Canadian Civic Day cards. I'm looking forward to it already. Civic Day in Canada! That’s the most awesomely boring holiday I’ve ever heard of, after perhaps North Dakota’s Scraps of Dryer Screen Lint Day. The older correspondence of the August cross-quarter day is Lammas (or Lughnasadh), but no, there’s not much we moderns celebrate in August. In fact, it’s the only month without a “Hallmark holiday”. So maybe this year I’ll have a drink and send out some Canadian Civic Day cards. I’m looking forward to it already.

]]> Comment on Happy Groundhog Day by Mike O http://www.starchamber.com/2012/02/happy-groundhog-day-8.html/comment-page-1#comment-193854 Mike O Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:51:56 +0000 http://www.starchamber.com/?p=5551#comment-193854 Civic Day in Canada was the best I could find for August 1st; otherwise, early August is State Fair season in MO. Civic Day in Canada was the best I could find for August 1st; otherwise, early August is State Fair season in MO.

]]> Comment on Happy Groundhog Day by Ned http://www.starchamber.com/2012/02/happy-groundhog-day-8.html/comment-page-1#comment-193842 Ned Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:40:01 +0000 http://www.starchamber.com/?p=5551#comment-193842 I do too. I'm not quite sure why I find them so appealing, but I always note their passage. Halloween gets all the press, but Groundhog Day/Imbolc/St. Brigid's is particularly sweet because you know you've stopped going into winter and started going out. But I think May Day/Beltane/Walpurgis is my favorite day of the year. I do too. I’m not quite sure why I find them so appealing, but I always note their passage. Halloween gets all the press, but Groundhog Day/Imbolc/St. Brigid’s is particularly sweet because you know you’ve stopped going into winter and started going out. But I think May Day/Beltane/Walpurgis is my favorite day of the year.

]]> Comment on Happy Groundhog Day by steve http://www.starchamber.com/2012/02/happy-groundhog-day-8.html/comment-page-1#comment-193838 steve Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:51:15 +0000 http://www.starchamber.com/?p=5551#comment-193838 I love cross quarter days... I love cross quarter days…

]]> Comment on Kickstarter, the possibility engine by Pramod http://www.starchamber.com/2012/01/kickstarter.html/comment-page-1#comment-193650 Pramod Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:35:07 +0000 http://www.starchamber.com/?p=5518#comment-193650 There are some unfortunate pitfalls to crowd-sourced projects though. As Matt Haughey points out the "worst" project he has ever funded.(http://a.wholelottanothing.org/2012/01/lessons-for-kickstarter-creators-from-the-worst-project-i-ever-funded-on-kickstarter.html) On the flip side, the rarity of such stories tell how well Kickstarter usually works. There are some unfortunate pitfalls to crowd-sourced projects though. As Matt Haughey points out the “worst” project he has ever funded.(http://a.wholelottanothing.org/2012/01/lessons-for-kickstarter-creators-from-the-worst-project-i-ever-funded-on-kickstarter.html)

On the flip side, the rarity of such stories tell how well Kickstarter usually works.

]]> Comment on Biofactories and cowborgs by Greg Wilson http://www.starchamber.com/2012/01/biofactories-and-cowborgs.html/comment-page-1#comment-193422 Greg Wilson Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:16:35 +0000 http://www.starchamber.com/?p=5546#comment-193422 Hands down, the best discussion of energy futures I've ever come across is Prof. David Mackay's "Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air". It's a virtuoso performance of back-of-the-envelope calculations; I'd love to see someone re-do it for the US (he focuses on the UK). See http://www.withouthotair.com/ for more information. Hands down, the best discussion of energy futures I’ve ever come across is Prof. David Mackay’s “Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air”. It’s a virtuoso performance of back-of-the-envelope calculations; I’d love to see someone re-do it for the US (he focuses on the UK). See http://www.withouthotair.com/ for more information.

]]> Comment on Vladimir Putin, Action Man by Billy H http://www.starchamber.com/2011/12/vladimir-putin-action-man.html/comment-page-1#comment-191843 Billy H Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:24:31 +0000 http://www.starchamber.com/?p=5480#comment-191843 here's my favorite Putin photo http://i.imgur.com/5mzWX.png here’s my favorite Putin photo
http://i.imgur.com/5mzWX.png

]]> Comment on Spit and adenosine triphosphate by Ned http://www.starchamber.com/2012/01/molecular-biology-pictures-get-better-and-better.html/comment-page-1#comment-191655 Ned Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:30:59 +0000 http://www.starchamber.com/?p=5488#comment-191655 We apologize for the previous apology. This apology was unnecessary and appeared on this site owing to an administrative error. Mike O will not, as stated in the previous apology, be listening to "Pleasures of the Dance: A Collection of Norwegian Carpenters' Songs," but will instead be listening to "OOO Baby!: A Collection of Popular Ocular and Ophthalmic Oncological Folksongs." We apologize for the previous apology. This apology was unnecessary and appeared on this site owing to an administrative error. Mike O will not, as stated in the previous apology, be listening to “Pleasures of the Dance: A Collection of Norwegian Carpenters’ Songs,” but will instead be listening to “OOO Baby!: A Collection of Popular Ocular and Ophthalmic Oncological Folksongs.”

]]> Comment on Spit and adenosine triphosphate by Mike O http://www.starchamber.com/2012/01/molecular-biology-pictures-get-better-and-better.html/comment-page-1#comment-191652 Mike O Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:40:46 +0000 http://www.starchamber.com/?p=5488#comment-191652 I would like to apologize for an error in the previous comment: the word "electrons" appeared erroneously, and should be replaced with the word "protons". Again, I apologize for this error. Now, I'm off to listen to "Pleasures of the Dance: a Selection of Norwegian Carpenters' Songs." I would like to apologize for an error in the previous comment: the word “electrons” appeared erroneously, and should be replaced with the word “protons”. Again, I apologize for this error. Now, I’m off to listen to “Pleasures of the Dance: a Selection of Norwegian Carpenters’ Songs.”

]]> Comment on Spit and adenosine triphosphate by Mike O http://www.starchamber.com/2012/01/molecular-biology-pictures-get-better-and-better.html/comment-page-1#comment-191523 Mike O Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:14:33 +0000 http://www.starchamber.com/?p=5488#comment-191523 What's particularly interesting about that little spinny thing in the picture is that it is actually a pump being used in reverse to generate chemical energy, like turning a DC motor to generate electricity. All of ATP synthase's relatives spend their time using ATP power to pump protons across biological membranes to produce acid, much like in the linings of our stomachs. Unfortunately for this pump, there's another pump down the way that does a much better job of pumping electrons, to the point that the proton gradient pushes back against ATP synthase with enough force to run it in reverse. Not the most efficient system for interconverting chemical energy, but look at that guy go! What’s particularly interesting about that little spinny thing in the picture is that it is actually a pump being used in reverse to generate chemical energy, like turning a DC motor to generate electricity. All of ATP synthase’s relatives spend their time using ATP power to pump protons across biological membranes to produce acid, much like in the linings of our stomachs. Unfortunately for this pump, there’s another pump down the way that does a much better job of pumping electrons, to the point that the proton gradient pushes back against ATP synthase with enough force to run it in reverse. Not the most efficient system for interconverting chemical energy, but look at that guy go!

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