madame scientist's not-so-mad musings

Water trampolines, robostriders and food coloring. What’s not to love? Click the link below to watch the full screen version.

<embed allowfullscreen="true" height="334" width="560" src="http://www.sciencefriday.com/embed/video/10404.swf” />

http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10404

Is retweeting an unfounded rumor the same as shouting fire in a crowded theater? Are you specifically endorsing a post that you share? What about Caveat emptor..or let the receiver beware? Interesting legal responsibilities unique to our times.

http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2011/09/04/teachers_tweets_may_mean_30_year_prison_sentence.html

What’s wrong with motorists flashing their lights to warn oncoming traffic of a speed trap? One could argue that it is in the interest of public safety since it gets people to slow down. But it does cut down on police revenue and it turns out that the Florida Highway Patrol has been handing out tickets to the good samaritans. This is an interesting news article about a class action law suit against this practice. We just got done with 12 hours of driving this weekend (nearly empty highways) and would like to say thank you to all those anonymous ‘flashers’ out there 😉

http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/207550/34/FHP-sued-for-giving-out-illegal-tickets

Preview of Google’s tribute to Freddie Mercury who would have been 65 tomorrow. With my favorite song, too. (In the US, watch for it on Sept 6..delayed for a day because of Labor Day holiday).

Happy Birthday, Freddie.

You had the voice of an angel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX2BQM0D01M

From the Opinion piece on today’s CNN

“We lost it when Irene blew through

Wi-Fi, laptop, iPad, too

On my Kindle, no bars found

Oh lord, the Internet is down

My Facebook friends no longer poke

I cannot tweet a single joke

My iTunes offer not a sound

Now the Internet is down

I finally fix that yellow chair

Clean my office, wash my hair

Then I wander all around

Now the Internet is down

The library’s packed. And Starbucks, too

I need my fix. Can I sit here too?

Is Wi-Fi in another town?

Now the Internet is down

You know, this thing could change my life

That woman there? Seems she’s my wife

I wondered why she hung around

Now the Internet is down

I have a daughter! Son! It’s true!

A family. Job. Good grief, who knew?

I feel better. My mind is sound

Now the Internet is down

I’ll search the house and find a nook

To finally read that Hawking book

My thoughts are clear, my soul unbound

Now the Internet is down

I’ll study Zen. Take up guitar

I’ll search for wisdom near and far

To Internet’s death, I raise my cup

Wait. Never mind. It came back up”

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/08/30/kindall.internet.hurricane/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

For Marc Mullendore and anyone else who needs a Friday evening chuckle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo1d6ttbAq8

via amit saini . For comparison, the NIH budget is ~ 5x that of NSF, so the price tag for nearly all federally funded medical research in the US is $100/person.

Originally shared by Sheril Kirshenbaum

Research funded by the National Science Foundation has brought numerous innovations which have paved the way for entire new industries that have created millions of new jobs. Chief among them, the Internet, which the foundation helped to develop. Cuts are necessary, but stemming the very activities that drive innovation and ultimately boost the economy seems like the wrong way to get back on track.

http://www.cultureofscience.com/2011/09/02/annual-federal-spending-per-person/

TMI? More intriguing finds on gut flora. (1) “Enterotypes were strongly associated with long-term diets, particularly protein and animal fat (Bacteroides) versus carbohydrates (Prevotella).” (2) Even after 10 days of switching diets “enterotype identity remained stable”.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/09/01/140096272/what-we-eat-shapes-microbe-societies-inside-us

A charming celebration of human expression..very cleverly done and in only 100 seconds! Thanks, Marc Mullendore !

Originally shared by Marc Mullendore

This is incredible–love it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JxfgId3XTs

While my guitar gently weeps Cracking down on illegal use of ebony/rosewood in guitars.

(By the way, NPR needs +1 buttons to share to G+)

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/08/31/140090116/why-gibson-guitar-was-raided-by-the-justice-department