Networked PS3 Computing

I read about an interesting idea today, implemented at the University of Massachusetts Physics department. Rather than spend money renting time on a supercomputer, they’re doing some of their calculations on a networked cluster of 16 Playstation 3s. A quick installation of Linux, some basic networking, and a bit of custom software, and they’re ready [...]

Wind Turbine Failure

Here is a rather spectacular example of fail. Take a look at the videos below to see what happened when a Dutch wind turbine is exposed to more wind then it could handle.

If you live near a wind farm, then don’t panic just yet, as this is [...]

A Very English Earthquake

There’s not a lot to add about the earthquake that struck the midlands in the early hours of yesterday morning; it’s been at the top of the news running order all day. There weren’t any fatalities, and only one injury when a chimney collapsed on some poor sod. Personally, I slept through it, although I [...]

Lunar Eclipse – The Aftermath

I set my alarm for the early morning eclipse of the moon last week, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sanguine spectacle. I wrote a bit about the science behind this celestial conjunction earlier in the week…
Unfortunately there was thick, patchy cloud that morning, so I only saw the moon a couple of times [...]

Lunar Eclipse

If you look skyward over the next day or two at just the right time, then there’s a chance you’ll notice that the Moon has turned a lovely shade of red. Omen of blood and the ‘End of the World’(TM) perhaps?
 Nah, not this time. What you’ll be seeing is a lunar eclipse, the result [...]

Physics Funding Cuts Revisted (Part 2)

The Science and Technology Facilities Council recently issued a statement regarding the proposed funding cuts on their web page. So Britain is widthdrawing from the ILC (Internation Linear Collider). Ah well, there goes centuries of being at the fore front of scientific innovation. I wonder which science will feel the pinch next?

Virgin Birth & Severed Heads

Best news photos of the year, this one of the severed head of a narwhal is amazing. At least to me, it touched me though I have little problem with hunting and eating anything that isn’t endangered. Are narwhals endangered? I don’t recall. They’re pretty funky creatures, check out images here, this is an old [...]

Physics Funding Cuts Revisited

In another post a couple of weeks ago, I talked about funding cuts in Physics research in the UK, and the effect it was having on specific facilities.
To briefly recap, if these funding cuts do indeed take place, then Britain will no longer be able to keep pace with the bleeding edge of research in [...]

Railgun Technology Developments

As some of you may know, I’m a bit of an amateur rail gun enthusiast, so I was quite excited to learn last week that the US Navy are developing a massive ‘rail cannon’ to mount on their next generation battleships. I’d quite like to talk about this topic, and rail guns in general, at [...]