Assorted science articles and images

[dracodraconis]

If you're gay and (sort of) married in the US, don't move to Utah - Minolta drops a man's partner from their company medical benefits policy after moving from New Jersey (where they could register as a couple) to Idaho (where they couldn't). His partner was taking medication for depression and asthma, triggered by being in one of the towers during 9/11 and now must pay for an additional insurance policy, increasing their monthly living expenses by $650(US). The ACLU is working to have him reinstated in the company policy. Found on Rick Mercer's blog.

Spin-doctoring electrons using nanotubes - A doctoral student at the Neils Bohr Institute has confirmed that the spin of a single electron can be controlled electronically if the electron is trapped in a carbon nanotube placed between magnetic electrodes. Changing the potential across the tube changes the electron's spin. The discovery could eventually be used to create transistor-based magnetic memory, so far considered only a theoretics possibility.

Facebook Scrabble faces competition - RealNetworks, that holds an international license to distribute Scrabble electronically, has introduced a Scrabble application for Facebook to compete with Scrabulous. The application, however, is only available to those people registered as NOT living in either Canada or the US. RealNetworks is currently in negotiations with the Agarwalla brothers who developed the popular Scrabulous application.

Instant Messaging and the Introverted Personality - An interesting article in which one writer postulates that Introverts are less likely to use Instant Messaging, Twitter, and similar "always on" applications extensively, why this may be so, and how extroverts can handle this. Found on Slashdot.

Famous people as AD&D Characters - Wired magazine postulates how 9 celebrities could be configured as AD&D characters (Steve Jobs as a Paladin?). Found on Slashdot.

ATV Jules Verne docks with the International Space Station without a hitch. Or with a hitch. A good hitch. You know what I mean.

Israeli parliamentarians hold their weekly meeting in a cave to mark the start of "Love of Nature" week.

The Soviet's Buran space shuttle is being shipped by barge to the city of Speyer in Germany where it will be part of a public display. Provided, of course, it is able to get under the bridges and around a few tight corners.

ReWalk medical exoskeleton.

SkySails propulsion system in action.

This is wrong in so many ways. Envisioned by the folks at Andrew Maynard Architects in Australia, with tongue firmly placed in cheek, this device is a giant robot that feeds on the liposuctioned fat of suburbanites. It wanders the suburbs, pulverizing housing tracts and replacing them with forests. io9 has more pictures, available by clicking on the image.

Home-made half-size Panzer tank, complete with air-powered cannon. Found on Slashdot.

Ivory model of pregnant woman with removable parts from 17th century Germany.

Albino moose.

NASA engineers envision using vehicles like this one to carry lunary bases on their back, allowing astronauts to pick up and go as the feeling hits them. This would allow them to explore much more of the lunar surface. Click on the image to find a series of videos.

Comments

[d2leddy.livejournal.com]

1. Paris Hilton: Charisma--10

Err . . . no.

[dracodraconis.livejournal.com]

Personally, I would have thought the Wisdom score was far too high.

[ancalagon-tb.livejournal.com]

but yet we keep looking at her - or many do at least.

In D&D, ghouls have high charisma because they are freaking scary. The same logic applies here :P