Random Thoughts

Happy Chinese New Year 2017

Today is the first day of the Chinese Year of the Rooster, 2017.   I am addressing this in particular to North American friends, since yesterday evening on TV we saw Michael Portillo on one of his great railway journeys, travelling through the state of Kan ...

Blog Post - Robert H Olley - Jan 28 2017 - 1:06pm

The Art Of Great Writing

I was not supposed to start this piece using the pronoun ‘I’. ...

Article - Alex Durig - Feb 27 2017 - 5:10pm

Wonky Rockets? Wonky Theory!

Wonky Rockets? Wonky Theory! The British tabloids Express, Metro, Daily Star, Sun and others seem to think that some or all of the rockets displayed in North Korea recently are bogus.  The "proof" is the wonky nosecones shown in a BBC video. It& ...

Blog Post - Patrick Lockerby - Apr 19 2017 - 12:23pm

Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2 Is Good- And So Is The Collectible Art

When "Guardians of the Galaxy" was in development, I was skeptical. When I was a kid, they were simply different Avengers, in space. Seriously, they had a Majo r from America, an archer, a strong guy, etc. And everyone knows Marvel had sold off t ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Jun 21 2017 - 7:55am

Not Just Another Rant About TSA

No, this is a theoretically based rant about TSA. My students can get credit for reading it! ...

Article - Fred Phillips - Aug 12 2017 - 10:37pm

The NCP Theory of Gravity

The NCP Theory of Gravity It seems that NCP (National Car Parks) has a theory that a thin concrete floor can support the weight of a van because, hey, gravity's only a theory, right?  Science, who needs it? News reports show what happens when concrete ...

Blog Post - Patrick Lockerby - Aug 20 2017 - 8:26pm

Tragic Elevator Accident in Seville

Tragic Elevator Accident in Seville A woman has died in a tragic accident shortly after giving birth by caesarean section.  It is unfortunate that, due to a new Spanish Law which requires media to invoice Google for even a small snippet of copyright mater ...

Blog Post - Patrick Lockerby - Aug 20 2017 - 9:01pm

On Turtles, Book Writing, And Overcommitments

Back from vacations, I think I need to report a few random things before I get back into physics blogging. So I'll peruse the science20 article category aptly called "Random Thoughts" for this one occasion. My summer vacations took place jus ...

Article - Tommaso Dorigo - Sep 9 2017 - 10:35am

Letters From Indochina, 1952-54: The Tragic Story Of A 18 Year Old Enrolled In The Legion Etrangere

In 1952 my uncle Antonio, then 18 years old, left his family home in Venice, Italy to never return, running away from the humiliation of a failure at school. With a friend he reached the border with France and crossed it during the night, chased by border ...

Article - Tommaso Dorigo - Sep 18 2017 - 12:39am

A Simple Two-Mover

My activity as a chessplayer has seen a steady decline in the past three years, due to overwhelming work obligations. To play in chess tournaments at a decent level, you not only need to be physically fit and well trained for the occasion, but also have yo ...

Article - Tommaso Dorigo - Nov 1 2017 - 9:17am