The leap second that will make this year, 2016, longer than most people will expect — was the subject of an opera that premiered three months ago, as part of the 26th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony, at Harvard University. The mini-opera is called “The Last Second“. It’s about a plot to secretly add an extra leap […]
Year: 2016
A newly described illusion – the Pot/Lid Illusion
“The pot is on the stove. The lids are in the drawer. You open the drawer, seeing disordered lids of different sizes, many set nearly vertical to help with drying. You take the one that looks correct: too big! You try again with one that looks one size too small, and— surprise! —it matches the […]
Hank Rawlins joins the Luxuriant Facial Hair Club for Scientists (LFHCfS)
Hank Rawlins has joined the Luxuriant Facial Hair Club for Scientists (LFHCfS), a sibling club of the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists (LFHCfS). He says: I am a metallurgical engineer and Technical Director of my own company. Most of my research is for the upstream oil and gas industry. My original goal was to grow a flowing mane, but […]
The Tay Bridge Disaster, remembered on its anniversary
Today, December 28, is the anniversary of the Tay Bridge Disaster — the much marveled-at new railway bridge over the River Tay collapsed during a fierce storm, dooming the passengers on a train. The tragedy is now remembered in connection with the disaster of the poem it inspired. The poem begins: Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv’ry […]