A Dinosaur of a Story

Meet "Leonardo", a 77-million-year-old hadrosaur fossil, uncovered in Malta, Montana. Scientists say that he must have died at about 3-4 years old, and was naturally mummified in the sand that surrounded him, since then. What makes this guy particularly intriguing, is the fact that he is so perfectly preserved... so much so, that you can even see the last meal he ate, in his digestive tract.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science will be the first city to host our dino friend, in an exhibit that starts next week. Paleontologist, Dr. Bob Bakker delivers interesting insight, here.

1971 Computer Savvy

In 1971, Ladybird published "How it Works... The Computer"--One in a series of "How it Works" books (other books in this series cover the motor car, the rocket, ocean liner and telephone, among other technologies of the time). "If you are interested in computers, their function and operation, but are discouraged by their complexity, you should read this book".

Topics discussed include, "What are Computers?", "Operation of Magnetic Tape Unit", and "Does a Computer Make Mistakes?". The entire book is scanned in and available for viewing at The Pointless Museum.

Green Frog Gone Black

I feel sorry for this little guy. I mean, he was going about his business, catching flies, sunbathing, going for swims, etc, when an oil pipeline blew, and the next thing you know, he's covered in thick, black, sticky oil. What are his chances of survival now? Will be able to move quickly, in order to hunt his food (and not starve to death)? Or will the oil infiltrate his skin, and kill him first?

Poor thing. Here's the link.

Magnetic Liquid Design

Run a search for "Magnetic Liquid" on YouTube, and you'll find you'll come up with all sorts of freaky student projects. Filmed and posted for posterity--some include music scores-- you can watch as the laws of nature take over with this weird liquid that appears to have a life of its own, when taunted by magnets and prying eyes. Most of these clips are somewhat lengthly, but here's a quick show of how it works, if you don't want to sit through the longer, more artistic versions of these experiments, such as this one.

Lunar Eclipse... Missed it Again...

I've only once witnessed an eclipse, that I can recall. It was when I was a kid, in elementary school. I remember the fuss surrounding it, and the strict instructions not to look *directly* at the sun. Well, guess who looked directly at the sun. Oh yeah--I did. I'm not blind yet.

I don't mean to advocate looking at the sun when there's an eclipse, because quite possibly, one could go blind doing so. As I recally, it was really a sneak peak, in the truest sense of the expression... I held my hand over the place where the sun was, and then oh-so slowly, moved my hand away to reveal where the eclipse was reportedly taking place. I didn't see anything unusual. But then it happened, and the light went out of the sky.

Recently, there was another lunar eclipse. My brother called me from the West coast, to ask me if I could see it. This time, it was taking place in the night, and it wouldn't damage my eyes to gaze at it.

I peered out my window, but could see nothing from below the eaves of my house. I noticed the neighbour's young daughter out, all bundled up in a -25 degree weather snow suit. That was enough for me to decide that I would wait until the next eclipse to come my way.

Exotic Species Imitate Art

Fan of glass blowing? Well check out these eclectic samples of fine workmanship... brought to you, courtesy of Mother Nature.

The transparent, tuberous stems boast exotic-looking "fauna", among which, sea creatures such as starfish and anenomes frollick. These are the chilly Antarctic waters, just off of Tasmania. Photos were taken at a depth not previously explored, leading voyage leader, Martin Riddle, to think that new species may even have been discovered. How exciting!

Art or Science?

Welcome to the universe's own art gallery, which boasts endeavours that have been in the works for billions of years, and will likely continue, well after our species is extinct. NASA documents these natural phenomena with Astronomy Picture of the Day.

This particular image is a nebula... a mass of dust and gas, and a couple of stars. It looks to me, like a contemporary art canvas, or perhaps the close-up of a glassy monster eye.

The surreal glowiness of the bottom image (with the black tree silhouettes) reminds me of those black velvet Elvis-styled tapestries of the 70s.

Let Your Eyes Play Tricks

We've all seen those optical illusion books. In fact, many of the "quivering-edged" dots (that aren't really quivering at all) and other such trickster imagery have found their way online. But--have you seen the interactive version yet? If not, be sure to view Arthur Shapiro's crazy collection of psychadelic, mind-altering visuals. Here's the linky link.