...

Borderlands (navigolucky)

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:07:52 +0100

An optical micrograph of a hybrid organic/inorganic polymer film...

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:06:00 +0100

An optical micrograph of a hybrid organic/inorganic polymer film that exhibits both nanoscale and microscale structures due to a competition between self-assembly and crystallization. argonne

"The impossible often has a kind of integrity to it which the merely improbable lacks."

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:05:51 +0100

““The impossible often has a kind of integrity to it which the merely improbable lacks.””

- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul

(proofmathisbeautiful)

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:03:52 +0100

(proofmathisbeautiful)

Einstein’s theory of relativity on display for first time In a...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:05:00 +0100

Einstein’s theory of relativity on display for first time

In a darkened room in Jerusalem, the world was given a rare glimpse Sunday into the mind of Albert Einstein as he worked to unlock the secrets of the universe.

The display of 46 pages, each handwritten by the famed scientist, marks the first time the complete, original manuscript of his landmark “General Theory of Relativity” has been presented in public.

"If any student comes to me and says he wants to be useful to mankind and go into research to..."

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:04:00 +0100

“If any student comes to me and says he wants to be useful to mankind and go into research to alleviate human suffering, I advise him to go into charity instead. Research wants real egotists who seek their own pleasure and satisfaction, but find it in solving the puzzles of nature.”

- Albert von Szent-Györgyi

Nanoparticles in a Voronoi Matrix

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:04:00 +0100

Nanoparticles in a Voronoi Matrix

Mars

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:04:00 +0100

Mars

Proofs without words: The cardinality of the real number line is...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:03:00 +0100

Proofs without words:

The cardinality of the real number line is the same as a finite open interval of the real number line.

Berlin | gomme

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:03:00 +0100

Berlin | gomme

“I create thin metal films that can be reversibly stretched and...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:08:00 +0100

“I create thin metal films that can be reversibly stretched and remain conductive. PDMS serves as our platform/substrate. PDMS is Polydimethylsiloxane a elastomeric polymer and after being reversibly stretched, comes back to its origninal size and form. These thin-metal films provide a platform for the realization of stretchable electronic circuits. We cast the PDMS into petri dishes by mixing the liquid polymer with a curing agent and after stirring, the mixture is cured for 24 hours at 70 degree Celsius. This photograph shows a multilayer of silicone elastomer (PDMS)/gold/PDMS. The image was taken by optical microscope. There are no manipulations or enhancements to the photograph.” source

Today’s Poison: Cyanide! Cyanide can naturally occur in...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:07:13 +0100

Today’s Poison: Cyanide!

Cyanide can naturally occur in very small concentrations in the pits of some fruits, but is commonly manufactured by blending Ammonia with Hydrogen and Carbon. The cyanide anion is an inhibitor of a key enzyme in the electron transport chain (found in the membrane of the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells). As a result, the electron transport chain is disrupted, meaning that the cell can no longer aerobically produce ATP for energy. Tissues that mainly depend on aerobic respiration, such as the central nervous system and the heart, are particularly affected.

New electrode array designs

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:44:52 +0100

New electrode array designs

Sparklehorse - It’s A Wonderful Life

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:30:55 +0100

Sparklehorse - It’s A Wonderful Life

"I’m doing this because I like accountability and transparency, and I believe in public service. And..."

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:06:00 +0100

“I’m doing this because I like accountability and transparency, and I believe in public service. And it is the complete opposite of everything else I do. Maybe I’ll learn something. The practical consequence is that I will probably go to Washington several days each month, in addition to whatever homework and phone meetings are necessary.”

- Edward Tufte, who has been appointed by President Obama to “help track and explain $787 billion in recovery stimulus funds” as part of the Recovery Independent Advisory Panel.

Central nervous system, historical anatomical artwork. This is...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:06:00 +0100

Central nervous system, historical anatomical artwork. This is an anterior (front) view of the brain and upper part of the spinal cord. At the base of the brain is the striated (striped) pons, and below this the medulla. These two structures make up the brainstem, which leads into the spinal cord. Below the brainstem the nerves emerging from the spinal cord can be seen. There are eight cervical nerves in the neck area, and below these are thoracic nerves. This illustration is taken from the 19th century French textbook The Atlas of Human Anatomy and Surgery by J. M. Bourgery and N. H. Jacob.

Photo

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:06:00 +0100

David Foster Wallace’s copy of Don Delillo’s...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:06:00 +0100

David Foster Wallace’s copy of Don Delillo’s Players

from the Harry Ransom Center at University of Texas, who recently received DFW’s archives

CERN’s Large Hadron Collider

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:36:00 +0100

CERN’s Large Hadron Collider

This is Strychnos Toxifera - the plant which the Poison Curare...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:35:00 +0100

This is Strychnos Toxifera - the plant which the Poison Curare is derived from. Curare is a paralyzing agent that is used on the tips of poisoned arrows. Curare acts by binding to the receptors for the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine (it’s an antagonist) which is the neurotransmitter employed at many neuromuscular junctions (the synapses that interface neurons to muscle tissue), such as the heart. In this way, curare can be used as an anesthetic, but it can also stop breathing & contractions of the heart.

(Inspired by Michael’s week of shelving-related posts & because I’ve been talking about neurotoxins a lot lately, UGP will feature a daily poison posting this week.)