New project

Regular readers may have noticed that the frequency of posts on this blog has been reduced somewhat. I'm happy to say there's a good reason for this - I've been working on a bigger and better version of this site. It's called Ponderfodder, and as the name suggests it will be a site designed to give you something to think about. Best of all, you'll be able to register and post to it as well. It's just entered Public Beta mode, so please go check it out, kick the tires, and let me know what you think.

ChaosOrder Physicists make baffling discovery

According to a computational study conducted by a group of physicists at Washington University in St. Louis, one may create order by introducing disorder.

Light shed on mysterious particle

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature

Physics world buzzing over faster-than-ever particles

Canada.com

Holographic advance aids storage

BBC NEWS | Technology

Atom Breaks Rules, Beats Friction

Yahoo! News

Mass Extinctions - A Threat from Outer Space or Our Own Planet's Detox?

University Of Leicester

One-inch Japanese footballer ready for World Cup

BREITBART.COM

Massive solar project targets 88 villages

Mmegi Online

CNN.com - Scientists: Liquid water erupting on Saturn moon - Mar 9, 2006

CNN.com - Scientists: Liquid water erupting on Saturn moon - Mar 9, 2006

Kids Build Soybean-Fueled Car

CBS News

Robotic Car Parking Garage

This article
caught my eye about a Robotic Parking Garage. The article mentions
that Robotic Parking Systems Inc.
will be opening a new robotic garage in Boston later this year like the
one already operating in Hoboken, NJ. It's kind of cool in that it can
fit twice or more the number of cars into the same space. Customers
drive their car onto a pallet and exit and the robotic system files
their car away in its huge filing system. Later, the customers come
back and their car is presented within a few short minutes. The Garage
even utilizes AI and tries to learn customer trends. The garage
shuffles the cars around during the day to try to return the cars as
quickly and efficiently as possible. The whole system runs on an
off-the-shelf PC running GE's simplicity software. On their website you
can see a CNN video clip of the Robotic Parking Garage in action. It's
not without its mishaps, though. NYT
reported on how a Jeep Wrangler and a Cadillac DeVille fell off their
pallets to their destruction.

[Via robots.net]

Surprise! Jupiter Has A New Red Spot

Backyard astronomers, grab your telescopes. Jupiter is growing a new red spot.

[Via SPACE.com]

Fore play in space leaves scientists unamused

A publicity stunt in which a golf ball will be whacked into orbit from the International Space Station (ISS) has met a chilly reception from scientists, who say the scheme is risky and adds to the growing problem of space junk.

[Via Physics Org]

Dawn asteroid mission killed, says report

After months of mission review, NASA is reported to have terminated a plan to study the two largest main-belt asteroids, Vesta and Ceres

[Via New Scientist - Latest Headlines]

RIM, NTP settle BlackBerry patent war

BlackBerry addicts no longer face threat of service shutdown; RIM will pay NTP $612.5-million (U.S.) to settle four-year legal battle

[Via The Globe and Mail - Business News]