tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54208022012-02-10T16:20:07.660-05:00Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-52109898094798774802008-07-21T02:30:00.002-04:002009-04-03T04:47:36.815-04:00

Right now, Raleigh, NC doesn't really have a theme. Vegas has gambling, Orlando has its amusement parks, Washington DC has history and museums. But Raleigh isn't really known for anything. With a new civic and convention center getting ready to open, this lack of identity hurts the city.Here are a web site and article that contemplate a new possibility. What if we turn Raleigh into the City of

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-57921717551411493522007-09-28T07:49:00.002-04:002009-04-03T04:46:45.022-04:00

My daily blogging has moved to:blogs.howstuffworks.com

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-35075572415405007252007-09-28T07:45:00.000-04:002007-09-28T07:48:23.989-04:00

My daily blogging has moved to:Brainstuff.howstuffworks.com

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-50445517426834807822007-07-14T08:23:00.001-04:002007-07-14T08:23:44.145-04:00

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-47973911774882692792007-05-22T06:59:00.000-04:002007-05-22T09:03:52.654-04:00

After watching these videos, a question comes to mind: This is 100-year-old technology (cables and rubber bands) - Can we come up with something better? Or is this one of those things, like steering wheels, where we arrived at an optimal solution in terms of cost/reliability/functionality very quickly?

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-2008160205943820242007-05-17T02:19:00.000-04:002007-05-18T14:27:11.693-04:00

Kassam rockets have been landing in Israel this week. From a technical standpoint, these rockets are interesting because they are simply oversized "candy rockets" that model rocket enthusiasts launch all the time. To learn more about candy rockets, read this article in PopSci:Rocket foodas well as this article:Recrystallized Candy rocket propellantThis article provides more detail on the actual

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-35007547237178718512007-03-20T06:16:00.000-04:002007-03-20T08:41:30.211-04:00

This week the news broke that a certain brand of pet food seems to be causing kidney failure and killing pets. Here's a typical story:Pet owners nervous over the fallout from tainted foodIt's an interesting story from several different angles. There is the emotional angle, obviously - no pet owner wants their dog or cat dying. There's the mystery angle - the fact that pets are dying and no one

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1171367860680236072007-02-13T06:55:00.000-05:002007-02-13T06:57:41.353-05:00

It has been really interesting reading the back-and-forthing on this topic:An experiment that hints we are wrong on climate changeCosmic rays blamed for global warmingThe thing that is most interesting about science is that we learn more every day...

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1171368036859444912007-02-02T06:58:00.000-05:002007-02-13T07:00:36.906-05:00

This article changed the way that I look at the iPhone:Apple's New Calling: The iPhone

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1169209673458422832007-01-19T06:40:00.000-05:002007-01-19T16:09:25.480-05:00

As you may know, I have four kids, ages 9, 6, 4 and 4. One of the things that I didn't really understand about kids before I became a parent is that kids ask a shocking number of questions everyday. Another thing that I didn't really understand is the fact that one of your most important jobs as a parent is taking the time to answer these questions. Because the answers you give are often helping

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1169127501713540652007-01-18T06:28:00.000-05:002007-01-18T08:39:08.000-05:00

...you wake up, check your email, and you get a nice note like this:Dear Marshall,I am an sophomore undergrad at MIT right now, and if you asked me one year ago I would tell you that I had no passion for learning. You might ask how it is I got into MIT. The answer is by rote memorization. I always knew I was smart, but all through high school and up to last semester of college, I passed with

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1169664559004585612007-01-17T01:47:00.000-05:002007-01-24T13:49:19.636-05:00

Came upon this while researching a newspaper article:Vermont ski area for sale

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1167917302570554672007-01-04T08:26:00.000-05:002007-01-04T08:29:03.450-05:00

...when they put their minds to it:Whooping cranes finally whoop it upFrom the article:The whooping crane, the tallest bird in North America, whose numbers dwindled to fewer than 20 in 1941, is not only back from the brink of extinction but also thriving -- a comeback story, federal wildlife officials say, that illustrates how a coordinated conservation effort can save a species."The whooping

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1167835677022148042007-01-03T06:46:00.000-05:002007-01-03T09:48:29.253-05:00

...when they work together. Think about everything that was necessary to pull this off....

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1166891171135170572006-12-23T05:25:00.000-05:002007-01-03T10:01:48.286-05:00

Interesting what you can fit into a watch these days:Great watch, Awesome display!

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1166802089476435532006-12-22T06:40:00.000-05:002007-01-03T09:43:30.863-05:00

Some of these are really useful:Engadget How-tos

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1166589360469371522006-12-19T21:06:00.000-05:002006-12-20T08:20:48.673-05:00

Is planet earth growing? It sounds preposterous, but watch these four videos and see what you think after you watch them: The earth is growing The moon is growing Europa is growing Mars is growing(These are .mov files, and may take a minute to load before playing)

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1166126055793802272006-12-14T06:51:00.000-05:002006-12-14T14:54:17.776-05:00

I don't know why this video is so interesting to me. It is a pure lecture, so it is definitely not sexy. And you definitely have to think as you watch it. But the speaker is so good at taking very complex topics and simplifying them to explain some of the reasons why we age: You learn a lot by watching it.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1164638024452428042006-11-27T05:30:00.000-05:002006-11-27T09:33:52.143-05:00

This video taught me that I know absolutely nothing about mountain biking...But also, as you are watching it, pay close attention at the 3:10 point in the video. Is that not Bigfoot?

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1163906507215521132006-11-18T22:14:00.000-05:002006-11-18T22:32:55.860-05:00

Here is the random question for today:Does the ear that you use when you are talking on the phone affect the way that you process what you are hearing?If you read anything about the differences between the left and right sides of the brain, you know that they process information very differently. One side is more analytical, the other is more intuitive. In people who have had their corpus

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1163120555165442962006-11-12T22:01:00.000-05:002006-11-18T22:09:24.660-05:00

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1162993650173332442006-11-08T00:37:00.000-05:002006-11-08T08:51:58.920-05:00

If you look at the most viewed videos at YouTube tonight, you see this:Click to enlargeThere are seven videos having to do with Faith Hill's reaction at the CMA. In one day, these seven videos together received over 5 million clicks.Is this the biggest "YouTube" event so far in YouTube's history? I believe it is. What was it about Faith Hill's reaction that made this video so interesting?

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1162464758512452912006-11-02T05:50:00.000-05:002006-11-18T22:13:23.706-05:00

Over the last month or so I have, for some reason, been receiving "How to get rich" ideas. Here are three of the more interesting ones for your perusal. I will refrain from comment:The secret of attraction - chapter 1 (2, 3, 4)Prepaid legal servicesBruce Berman's "I got there - you can too"

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1162344011759749432006-10-31T20:17:00.000-05:002006-10-31T20:20:17.566-05:00

I came across this article today and it offers an interesting perspective on video games. Is he right or wrong?Life After the Video Game CrashFrom the article:What Atari didn't realize was that by 1983 the vast majority of 2600's were sitting in closets, and in basements and in moldy cardboard boxes in the back of the garage. No other console became popular in its place, not for years. Why? After

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1161496287956702312006-10-22T01:50:00.000-04:002006-10-22T01:51:28.156-04:00

I've been skydiving several times, but this is the first time I've heard of this test...Amazing!

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1161370750802329172006-10-21T02:58:00.000-04:002006-10-20T21:58:27.790-04:00

Fastest street legal car:World's fastest street Supra:

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1161263264541022512006-10-19T06:29:00.000-04:002006-10-19T09:12:27.606-04:00

There is something interesting going on, culturally, with YouTube. To see what I am talking about, watch this video. Also, be sure read the text description of the incident given on the right (click the "more" link):Power-hungry cop takes over Walter'sAfter watching the video, read some of the 1,000+ comments that people have left to share their opinions.Then watch this:Aggressive HPD officer at

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1161003854113450222006-10-17T05:03:00.000-04:002006-10-19T08:29:48.600-04:00

The unlikely millionaire

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1160996726496028142006-10-16T06:55:00.000-04:002006-10-16T08:45:14.456-04:00

Yesterday I had one of those funny days where things line up to make you ponder technology. Let me tell you about the day, and then you can tell me what you think. Here is how the day started. I woke up, sat down to check some email, and there was a power failure that lasted about 5 seconds. Just a blip really. The computer was fine because it is on a UPS. But within about 2 minutes I noticed

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1161001373371936112006-10-14T23:22:00.000-04:002006-10-16T08:42:55.963-04:00

Artificial beauty like this will be one reason why we gladly Discard out bodies

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1159542232003083862006-09-29T01:01:00.000-04:002006-09-29T11:03:52.236-04:00

A nice video that shows how video games can advance as more and more computing power becomes available. In this video we are seeing the power of 4 cores. In 3 or 4 years a typical home computer will have, what, 20 cores?

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1159151359531362582006-09-24T22:28:00.000-04:002006-09-24T22:29:19.956-04:00

Brought down to a scale that everyone can understand:

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1158574379623229122006-09-18T06:01:00.000-04:002006-09-18T06:14:42.736-04:00

I have four kids, ages 8, 6, 4 and 4, and the question is: will they die? Or will technology advance far enough, fast enough, to make them immortal? Right now the typical lifespan of an American is something like 70 to 80 years. So the question boils down to this: what will the typical lifespan be in 2070? And, by that time, is medical science advancing so rapidly that we eventually figure out

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1158573694071620952006-09-18T05:57:00.000-04:002006-09-18T06:01:35.160-04:00

[See previous]It should be interesting to see this unfold:Time: What war with Iran would look likeFrom the article:So what would it look like? Interviews with dozens of experts and government officials in Washington, Tehran and elsewhere in the Middle East paint a sobering picture: Military action against Iran's nuclear facilities would have a decent chance of succeeding, but at a staggering cost

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1158021210016951262006-09-11T20:32:00.000-04:002006-09-11T20:33:30.876-04:00

How to lighten a car

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1158021402826261922006-09-09T20:35:00.000-04:002006-09-11T20:36:43.540-04:00

Is it really this easy?

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1157635281518853852006-09-05T05:20:00.000-04:002006-09-07T09:21:21.813-04:00

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1156991817641231762006-08-30T22:33:00.000-04:002006-08-30T22:36:59.410-04:00

Why aren't car manufacurers doin this?Electric Mini: 0-60 in 4 Seconds: It Has Motors In Its WheelsOne of he more interesting quotes:Each wheel develops 160bhp - 640bhp in total. The original Mini One develops less than 100bhp with an engine that weighs nearly double the weight of the four electric wheels! Apart from wheel bearings there are no wearing parts in the electric wheels; this means the

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1156838512916845302006-08-29T03:51:00.000-04:002006-08-29T04:45:01.813-04:00

Several weeks ago my old computer passed away and I bought a new one. It is a nice HP machine that was on sale at Circuit City. "The Deal of the Week" kind of thing. When I unpacked the computer, I was greeted with a "Quick Setup" poster. This is one of the images on the poster:Click to enlargeThat's a lot of connectors. I don't know why this image strikes me as so humorous, and ridiculous.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1156836001987730622006-08-29T03:13:00.000-04:002006-08-29T03:20:02.216-04:00

Here's an article:Rep. Harris: Church-state separation 'a lie'From the article:Separation of church and state is "a lie we have been told," Harris said in the interview, published Thursday, saying separating religion and politics is "wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers."Why do we bother voting? Or are we all puppets when we vote?

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1156333077733391372006-08-18T06:21:00.000-04:002006-08-23T07:37:58.013-04:00

We have been to Sea World with the kids (ages 8, 6, 4 and 4) and the kids LOVE Shamu. They have Shamu plush toys that they sleep with, etc. Orcas are very cool animals. But if you watch this video you get a different feeling about Shamu...It's interesting how "marketing" and "reality" can be so different.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1154709934382344102006-08-04T05:42:00.000-04:002006-08-04T12:49:34.130-04:00

Kevin, this might be it...Tiny, light (relatively speaking), 1024x600 screen, always connected to Internet through the cell network and WiFi available too, full Windows XP.See this prior post from 15 months ago.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1154520160022334322006-08-02T06:01:00.000-04:002006-08-02T08:03:24.416-04:00

Speaking of flying:http://www.skywalkerjets.com/From the site: "Skywalker jets has set the bar for future jet pack designs. With a weight of around 90 pounds (40.91 Kgs), and the size of your average back pack, this unit can be carried in cars or vans. Our jet pack can fly for about six minutes with the basic configuration. The production model jet pack will be capable of flying for up to ten

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1154269934697851582006-07-30T10:31:00.000-04:002006-07-30T10:32:15.110-04:00

It's just what you expect in a Robotic Nation -- the economy is growing vigorously, but very few people (outside the wealthiest) are seeing any benefit from that growth. Reports this week confirm that the process is even affecting people with college degrees:College-grad wages stuck in a slumpFrom the article:Wage stagnation, long the bane of blue-collar workers, is now hitting people with

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1154107698765321862006-07-28T13:26:00.000-04:002006-07-28T13:28:19.446-04:00

The first is a tiny one-person helicopter. It is interesting because: a) It has co-axial counter-rotating blades, b) it has four engines, and c) It is so small (only weighs 155 pounds). You can find a short video here:Gen H-4 videoYou can find photos and specs, including a photo-essay on how to build one, here:Gen H-4 siteThen there is the Manta Ray kite thing that you tow behind your boat. This

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1154007294062310332006-07-27T06:34:00.000-04:002006-07-27T09:34:54.313-04:00

Who killed the electric car?A documentary discussing the death of the Saturn EV-1. "A quietly shocking indictment of our gas-guzzling auto companies and the petro-politicians who love them."

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1154007536158920012006-07-27T05:35:00.000-04:002006-07-27T09:38:56.303-04:00

Windows Vista is going to add a new level of caching to the operating system. You can install a small Flash drive in your machine to boost the performance of the hard disk. This article has a quick description:Samsung to release 4GB flash drive for VistaHere's a quick vocabulary lesson:SuperFetch, ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive: some new feature names for you

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1153707403258872682006-07-23T21:57:00.000-04:002006-07-24T15:26:32.436-04:00

There was a lot of coverage this week on the Tesla Roadster. Articles like this one are typical:Electric car a shocker in speed (and sticker price)This car is funded with $60 million raised from Silicon Valley bigwigs like Larry Page and Sergey Brin along with executives from eBay and PayPal.The car is both impressive and useless: Impressive because it goes from zero to 60 in 4 seconds and has a

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1153740294837798412006-07-23T21:50:00.000-04:002006-07-24T07:24:55.793-04:00

There is a note on MySpace that says:hey everyone! there's been a power outage in our data center. we're in the process of fixing it right now, so sit tight. hopefully we'll be back online within the hour. its 6:40pm PST now. wanna place a bet? -Tom

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1153076536285670962006-07-16T14:26:00.000-04:002006-07-16T16:11:34.646-04:00

A bunch of people have told me that I need to experiment with MySpace so that I can understand what all the buzz is about. Obviously I am not an "early adopter" of MySpace technology... but as MySpace approaches 100,000,000 accounts and overtakes Yahoo in terms of traffic, I have finally created a page on MySpace:http://myspace.com/marshallbrainI still have lots to learn about making it look good

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1152264343722826912006-07-07T04:57:00.000-04:002006-07-07T05:31:33.626-04:00

David (age 8) is interested in robots. That interest scored him a Lego Mindstorms robot kit for Christmas one year. Once he built a robot, he had to "program" it. That made him aware of programming. Then he wanted to learn more about programming. If you have a kid who would like to learn to program, one simple place to start is this page:Botz puzzlesYou have to register, but otherwise the site is

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1152262597806732842006-07-06T22:54:00.000-04:002006-07-07T04:56:52.403-04:00

It's free and easy to use with friends...Whiteboard

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1151833854998845222006-07-02T05:44:00.000-04:002006-07-06T14:48:48.886-04:00

It is not clear to me which is more interesting in this article:The fact that "Hyperactive Bob" has been invented and is being deployed in a fast food restaurantThe fact that this technology was predicted in the book MannaThe fact that this article puts connects "Hyperactive Bob" and Manna together.In any case, thanks very much to Technovelgy.com for this article:Hyperactive Bob Fast Food

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1151833410250982192006-07-01T05:41:00.000-04:002006-07-02T05:43:30.753-04:00

Can Safe, Barbasol Shaving CreamI know they appeared in Jurrassic Park, and I imagine they have existed forever, but I didn't realize that you could buy them until today.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1151829929460608822006-07-01T04:42:00.000-04:002006-07-02T05:43:56.400-04:00

If you have ever thought about converting a normal ICE car to an electric vehicle, here is a nice, free introduction to the process:Electric vehicle conversion

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1151500000071307402006-06-28T04:58:00.000-04:002006-06-28T09:06:40.526-04:00

This morning I am jumping on an airplane at 6AM. My wife needs to go somewhere this afternoon and does not know how to get there. We have a very nice talking GPS device (a Garmin Nuvi) that could help her to get there. The question is, can she learn to use the device fast enough to make it useful to her today?This is the question I was pondering this morning as I was leaving the Nuvi on the

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1151434712519721582006-06-24T14:56:00.000-04:002006-06-27T14:58:35.423-04:00

Rocket foodThere's a link at the bottom of the page that goes to some specific recipes and test results. Also some nice videos.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1150712920414110812006-06-19T06:28:00.000-04:002006-06-20T11:11:01.560-04:00

I was talking to a friend last night. We touched on a million things and we ended up pondering Ajax for a moment. If you aren't familiar with Ajax, look at Google maps for an example application, or read this quick article: Ajax: A New Approach to Web Applications.This is definitely a geek topic, but if you are a geek you can see that developers are trying to solve a problem. Developers are

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1150710553726770642006-06-19T05:47:00.000-04:002006-06-19T06:02:03.953-04:00

I saw my first record in a log file today from Windows Live:www.live.comTry the search engine. The user interface looks to be Ajax-based (or something similar), and therefore is a bit different.This page is revealing:Windows Live Ideas

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1149981117641738382006-06-10T19:06:00.000-04:002006-06-10T19:18:10.303-04:00

Take a look at this video:SpinIt is a well-crafted story that makes you think. 10 years ago it would have been near-impossible for a "normal person" to make something like this. Three years ago, it would have been near-impossible for a "normal person" to distribute it to any sort of audience. Today, making something at this level of quality is still not "easy", but it is definitely within the

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1149884573929867072006-06-09T16:22:00.000-04:002006-06-23T08:55:42.466-04:00

Prepare for liftoff: "There is no subtle way to say this: Brian Walker plans to shoot himself nearly 20 miles into the air aboard a homemade rocket launched from what could be the world’s largest crossbow. (Seriously.)"

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1149621749337451632006-06-06T12:18:00.000-04:002006-06-06T15:22:29.943-04:00

Yes, you read the headline right. It is now possible for you to keep a heart beating in a box. The video is stunning:Heart beating in a box - CNN videoThe technology is expanding to other organs. So, how long before we can keep a brain alive in a box? And how long before we can interface the nerve pathways from that brain to a computer? At that point, we can consider discarding our bodies.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1149251108448455632006-06-02T07:12:00.000-04:002006-06-02T08:25:09.026-04:00

I do a fair amount of work with teenagers, so I get mail from them and have conversations. Here is a message that I received recently:Hey Marshall, Im 15 about to turn 16 next month, I've read some chapters of the book you wrote for teenagers online and it has helped me, but i still having trouble in school (grade wise). I used to be a very good student, everything over 90, but ever since about

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1149167023721874452006-06-01T06:00:00.000-04:002006-06-01T09:03:44.013-04:00

A new wing/jet/parachute system:Paratroopers could fly 200km with new wings systemSure, paratroopers will get the first crack at this, but eventually it will trickle down to the rest of us.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1148874989126943272006-05-28T23:51:00.000-04:002006-05-28T23:56:32.586-04:00

Have you ever been in one of those situations where you have a plastic part and you need to make a copy of it? For example, I have a toy that contains a plastic gear that is trashed (several teeth broken off). The toy contains another gear that is identical and is in good shape. How do you make a copy of the good gear so you can replace the bad gear?The answer is: Make a silicone rubber mold of

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1148394342610097342006-05-23T05:22:00.000-04:002006-05-23T22:41:22.623-04:00

These three lists are really interesting:13 things that do not make senseList of semi-finalists in the History Channel's InventNow competition Top 10 Well-Kept Automotive SecretsIf you are interested in Automotive buying secrets, see also: Are you planning to buy a car, ever?

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1148277442016345412006-05-22T01:55:00.000-04:002006-05-22T01:57:32.050-04:00

If you have ever wondered how a rubber band (or hundreds of other products) are made, here's a place to go for the answer:Enotes.comI learned a lot...

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1148128146940288122006-05-20T08:28:00.000-04:002006-05-22T01:55:46.023-04:00

[See previous]A little scary - a 747 needs to land immediately after takeoff, so it dumps 200,000 pounds of fuel to get down to a safe landing weight. plane fuel releaseThat's maybe 30,000 gallons of fuel - enough to fill a big swimming pool.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1147814708712650632006-05-17T05:23:00.000-04:002006-05-17T08:11:47.626-04:00

[See previous]Elephant rescue offers mud, bath, and lots of space: Today, they're part of a group of 19 retired zoo and circus elephants that have made it to The Elephant Sanctuary. Instead of enduring steel pens and chains, the pachyderms roam 2,700 acres of forest and pasture land in the rolling hills of central Tennessee. America's largest private natural refuge, the sanctuary boasts a climate

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1147785036868961812006-05-16T09:09:00.000-04:002006-05-17T08:13:12.350-04:00

This site is getting a lot of coverage right now, and the idea is pretty interesting if you need to track someone or some thing in real time:Mologogo.com

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1147659879276279992006-05-16T00:22:00.000-04:002006-05-16T01:22:18.486-04:00

[See previous]Here's another batch of videos:Brainiac: Alkalai metalsJet BeetleFoosball tricksWorld's shortest horror filmRadical R/C boatHow to make a cell phoneNinja manBackflip manTrampoline manShamu Takes Out Kayak

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1147741470384409322006-05-15T21:02:00.000-04:002006-05-15T21:04:30.673-04:00

At least in this test, the highest mileage car is not the Prius hybrid. It is a normal diesel Jetta:Are We There Yet? The Jetta gets almost 50 MPG, while the Prius gets 41.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1147702734081312372006-05-15T06:16:00.000-04:002006-05-15T10:20:17.013-04:00

There are dozens of products on the market that claim to "save gas" and "dramatically increase your miles per gallon." This article provides a nice summary of their effectiveness in these couple of sentences:The myriad devices on the market work in a variety of ways: bleeding air into the carburetor, heating the fuel, enhancing the vaporization of the air-fuel mixture, to name a few. In 2005,

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1147356242565255492006-05-11T10:03:00.000-04:002006-05-11T10:04:03.076-04:00

In the May 15 issue of Time Magazine, columnist Joe Klein takes an interesting stance. The article is called A Fair Trade for Lower Gas Prices and his suggestion is simple: raise the gasoline tax to discourage consumption, and then give the money collected back to people:Gasoline at $4 per gal. might get the job done, but that could have a very disruptive effect on the economy. How to minimize

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1147352907681173712006-05-11T06:04:00.000-04:002006-05-11T09:08:27.943-04:00

... then this is a really interesting article:A 4.1 GHz Dual Core at $130 - Can it be True?According to the article, it is true. Which means you can get screaming performance really cheap. The article also offers a great intro to many of the details of overclocking if you have never tried it before.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1147030028733194772006-05-07T15:25:00.000-04:002006-05-07T16:02:45.066-04:00

[See previous]Another video care package has arrived:Captured by a traffic camJump bootsSpock's CasaFun with Billiard PhysicsCooking with liquid oxygen (That Chinook accident from the last batch apparently was the start of a theme, as you can see in the next 6…)Dump truckJetHelicopter 1Helicopter 2Helicopter 3Helicopter 4Base jumpHigh speed rock climbingSan Francisco in 1905 - 100 years ago, but

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1146997882161659812006-05-07T06:20:00.000-04:002006-05-07T11:42:09.830-04:00

A new study finds that Americans are much sicker than the English, but why is unclear. This despite the fact that America spends approximately 2.5 times more money per person on health care. See:American Illness Mystery - CNN video (probably will be available for only a few days before becoming "for-pay")Paul Krugman: Our Sick SocietyFrom the Krugman article: "Is being an American bad for your

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1146850894028597682006-05-05T06:12:00.000-04:002006-05-05T20:09:21.150-04:00

I have heard of Yu-Gi-Oh cards because they've been in the news for several years. Schools ban them, parents hate them, people sell them on eBay, etc. That was about all I knew until last week.David (age 8, second grader) asked if he could get some Yu-Gi-Oh cards last week because "all the kids have them". What he meant is that the kids on the bus have them. Apparently the cards aren't allowed

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1146848531904348072006-05-05T06:00:00.000-04:002006-05-05T13:03:26.283-04:00

[See previous]Fantastic photos:Harrisand sand sculpture championship

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1146763060743650992006-05-02T00:59:00.000-04:002006-05-04T13:30:54.893-04:00

I have a number of friends who won't go see the Flight 93 movie because they feel that Hollywood is capitalizing on a tragedy. Also, no one really knows what happened on the flight, and they don't like the fact that much of the movie is therefore fiction or conjecture. And there is some reason to believe that the "official version" of the story is purposefully different from reality. It is odd,

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1145790250171624602006-04-27T06:04:00.000-04:002006-04-27T07:04:26.720-04:00

A very good story about ultra-deep cave diving from Outside Magazine:Raising the dead"At the bottom of the biggest underwater cave in the world, diving deeper than almost anyone had ever gone, Dave Shaw found the body of a young man who had disappeared ten years earlier. What happened after Shaw promised to go back is nearly unbelievable—unless you believe in ghosts."This got me interested in

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1145995613356096882006-04-27T04:06:00.000-04:002006-04-27T06:52:26.216-04:00

In response to the post on Noah's Ark, a reader sent in this link:Noah's Ark - Fact not FictionHere is the statement I made in the previous post: "We know with 100% certainty that it ... is not "Noah's Ark" because "Noah's Ark" never existed. Noah's Ark is no different from Jack's Beanstalk."

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1145982595694064802006-04-26T23:29:00.000-04:002006-04-27T06:59:16.533-04:00

Being a fan of both Slashdot and Digg, I find this whole thing fascinating:Digg Corrupted: Editor's Playground, not User-Driven WebsiteIt will be interesting to see what happens.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1145998678859414682006-04-25T18:57:00.000-04:002006-04-25T17:12:59.416-04:00

There were two incidents that I saw this week where the Mic was on and people were caught saying something inappropriate. In the first case it involved Rep. McKinney and a real microphone:CNN McKinney Video (whis video will probably be available for only a day or two before CNN makes it for-pay)In the second case, the "microphone" was an email system:Geeks Take Down Dirty C-Level ExecutivesIt

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1145711355288432842006-04-25T05:09:00.000-04:002006-04-25T06:41:03.610-04:00

This is such an interesting perspective:USATODAY.com - Drivers curb use as gas goes up: "'If everyone decided to drive 3% less the next 30 days, prices would crash,' says Tom Kloza, senior analyst at the Oil Price Information Service."The reason why just a 3% reduction would have an effect is because supply and demand is so finely balanced in the gasoline market. The funny thing is that would be

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1145766247539225482006-04-23T00:19:00.000-04:002006-04-23T20:38:42.823-04:00

This documentary is about an hour and a half long, and contains lots on interesting information about the Da Vinci code:Da Vinci Code Decoded

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1145535829264662822006-04-20T05:10:00.000-04:002006-04-20T14:46:24.423-04:00

This is the other odd thing in the news today - surrogate mothers in India who do the job for $5,000 per child:Wombs for Rent, CheapIn the past, surrogate parenting has been fairly rare because it has been quite expensive. Does this lowering of cost lead to the natural, capitalistic expansion of the concept? Do thousands of young urban women living in the U.S. decide that they do not want to

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1145470174783849762006-04-20T02:09:00.000-04:002006-04-20T08:03:28.076-04:00

There were two things in the news today that seemed odd. This is one of them:ABC News: Multimillion-Dollar Bounty on TomKat Baby Photo: "'This could go from anywhere from $3 [million] to $5 million, depending on the bidding war that ensues,' Us Weekly senior West Coast editor Ian Drew told ABC News Radio."The thing that is odd about it is simple: The pressure of this multi-million dollar bounty

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1145332695017123082006-04-20T01:58:00.000-04:002006-04-20T08:09:50.630-04:00

[See previous]A way to use a burst of electricity to remove ice caked on walls or windows: A high-tech way to defrost

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1145332429004009332006-04-18T23:53:00.000-04:002006-04-20T08:06:00.176-04:00

There is something interesting about using thousands of still photographs to do animation. Maybe because it is so old-fashioned? Breathe Me video

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1144904335339435152006-04-13T00:41:00.000-04:002006-04-13T01:03:06.486-04:00

[See previous]Another video care package has arrived from my friend:How not to land a helicopter Lucky Free running Why heat sinks are important Austist teen's moment in the sun - makes you smile Crazy frog - someone spent a lot of time on this Tomahawk motorcycle Toothpick in microwave

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1144408054096374882006-04-07T06:07:00.000-04:002006-04-07T13:28:15.766-04:00

There was a lot of talk this week about Eric Pianka, who suggested that the planet would be better off if there were less people alive to enjoy it. This article is typical:FBI Interested in Texas “Doomsday” Ecologist who said Ebola the Solution to Human OverpopulationA quick summary of Pianka's statements from the article:All of which is why the FBI is interested in talking to Texas ecologist and

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1144244673434745802006-04-05T04:44:00.000-04:002006-04-07T07:23:00.823-04:00

The idea of foldable furniture that is easy to move has always intrigued me:swissmiss: foldable bed and shelf

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1144215103440240332006-04-04T01:20:00.000-04:002006-04-05T01:34:37.583-04:00

The news today is that a team of doctors has grown an entire organ -- in this case, a human bladder -- using a patient's own cells implanted and cultured on a scaffold. Amazing stuff - here is one description of the breakthrough:Children receive lab-grown bladdersMy question is, can they now grow specialty bladders for the rest of us and solve a major problem for much of humanity? This is not a

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1143168461887875862006-03-23T21:32:00.000-05:002006-03-23T23:16:33.920-05:00

[See previous]A friend sent this video in on the Aerial Atom - you have to see the video to believe this car:Ariel AtomSpecs:160 HP engine. It is a 2.0 liter VTEC engine from a Honda civic. (you can also get it supercharged to 300 HP)456 kg (1,003 pounds)That amazing power to weight ratio means 0-60 in 2.88 seconds, 0-100 in 4.5 secondsMore specs here

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1143050648364319062006-03-23T01:04:00.000-05:002006-03-23T07:40:44.373-05:00

A friend of mine is raving about this board:Gigabyte's i-RAM storage deviceIt lets you make a very fast 4GB disk drive out of RAM. How fast? This video shows how you can use it to load Windows XP in about 6 seconds:Loading WindowsThe board is particularly handy if you have a smallish database (less than 4GB) and you need to make it go really fast.

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1142914179678984002006-03-22T23:09:00.000-05:002006-03-23T07:39:35.223-05:00

The world's best booksBy "best" they mean "most influential," as in "changed mankind."

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1142913799618051312006-03-20T22:54:00.000-05:002006-03-20T23:05:28.673-05:00

[See previous]Another video care package arrived: Jumping - a new way to think about your body's capabilities.Ryan vs. DorkmanGunsHow to build an Airbus A380Chinook acrobaticsDunks500kV SwitchBig water rocket

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1142865277833052882006-03-20T21:34:00.000-05:002006-03-20T23:05:59.540-05:00

At least it looks amazing - check out the photos:M80 Stiletto project

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5420802.post-1142810623194819942006-03-19T18:10:00.000-05:002006-03-19T18:25:57.510-05:00

A couple of weeks ago in Raleigh there was an accident that killed four teenagers. They were coming home from a basketball game, and the driver was going about 100 MPH in an RX-8. He went out of control on an exit ramp and flipped over a wall. The car fell about 50 feet to the ground below and exploded. There was much coverage of the accident, and one parent asked the question: We have parental

Marshall Brainnoreply@blogger.com5