HRL Laboratories – formerly the (Howard) Hughes Research Laboratories – have just been granted a US patent for their ‘Power generation through artificial transpiration ‘ invention. The power system – which could perhaps be described as an ‘artificial tree’ – generates power by drawing water through a turbine, driven by pressure differences caused by transpiration […]
Year: 2014
Further findings in the matter of Stronzo Bestiale
Vito Tartamella, in Parolacce, his blog about science and profanity, provides further information in the matter of Stronzo Bestiale (the question of the existence of whom we wrote about a few days ago, prompted by a report in Retraction Watch). Tarmatella’s Stronzo Bestiale report begins: Would you read a paper written by Stronzo Bestiale (Total Asshole)? A […]
Further finger news from Prof. Manning: Gender Inequality across nations
Still more finger-ratio insights from Professor John T. Manning, the father of finger-length studies. He has a new study: “Digit ratio (2D:4D) and gender inequalities across nations,” John T. Manning, Bernhard Fink, Robert Trivers, Evolutionary Psychology, 12(4), 2014, 757-768. The authors write: “Gender inequality varies across nations, where such inequality is defined as the disproportionate representation […]
‘Fat fingers’ and computer programming languages
The ‘Fat Finger Syndrome’ is a semi-affectionate nickname used by computer programmers – meaning ‘making typing errors’. As anyone who has tried their hand at programming will know, a seemingly tiny error (for a human), for example simply substituting a ; for a : can render a programme completely unusable. But it […]