Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would Write in Space, whereas the Soviet Cosmonauts Used a Pencil

(.....) Paul C. Fisher and his company, the Fisher Pen Company, reportedly invested $1 million to create what is now commonly known as the space pen. None of this investment money came from NASA's coffers. (.....) According to an Associated Press report from February 1968, NASA ordered 400 of Fisher's antigravity ballpoint pens for the Apollo program. A year later, the Soviet Union ordered 100 pens and 1,000 ink cartridges to use on their Soyuz space missions, said the United Press International. The AP later noted that both NASA and the Soviet space agency received the same 40 percent discount for buying their pens in bulk. They both paid $2.39 per pen instead of $3.98. You can buy this pen here, for $50.

Warning: Gravity is “Only a Theory” - Reply

This is my reply to the previous post(this article), it became rather long so that’s why I made a new post. You sure don’t have to read it, I foremost wrote this for myself. I quickly wrote it and didn't reread so don't expect well formulated sentences .

I do agree with the text that textbooks should be clearer in explaining the philosophy of science. There is no such thing as absolute facts within science. This also is the only thing I agree with….

"If the theory of gravity were true, it would show that the sun's gravitational force on the moon is much stronger than the earth's gravitational force on the moon, so the moon would go around the sun." I recalculated that and the gravitational force between the sun and the moon is indeed twice as large as the gravitational force between the earth and the moon, but this does not mean that the theory of gravity is not "true".

The moon does(read: can be explained according to the simple theory of Newton) orbit the sun if we use the sun as fixed frame of reference. The moon does orbit the earth if we use the earth as our fixed frame of reference.

I actually made a model of the solar system in Java for our project with only the simple laws of Newton and within that model the moon does what it does in reality. This means that Newtons model/theory is very accurate in modeling reality and therefore is a useful scientific theory. There is not a point of accuracy within science that makes something a fact. It’s just easy to call it a fact.

“Because if the moon's “gravity” were responsible for a bulge underneath it, then how can anyone explain a high tide on the opposite side of the earth at the same time?” That sure is a good question, but it also has an answer and it can be explained using Newtons Theory. From wiki: “On the opposite side of the Earth, facing away from the Moon (the antipodal point), the water is farther from the moon than the solid earth, so it is pulled less and effectively moves away from Earth (i.e. the Earth moves more toward the Moon than the water does), rising as well.”

“astronomers, who seem to have a fetish for gravity, tell us that the moon rotates on its axis but at the same time it always presents the same face to the earth. This is patently absurd.” LOL, come on! This is perfectly possible within Newtons model. It all depends on the frame of reference, which is a very important(and hard) concept to understand within physics. You can also say that all planets and the sun orbit the moon in very weird orbits if you take the moon as fixed frame of reference, but we try to search for elegant models in physics.

“which wholly contradicts the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Since everything in the Universe tends to disorder according to the 2nd Law, orderly orbits are impossible.” The second law of thermodynamics is not so easy to explain in words. What does order and disorder mean? This again is a very difficult concept to fully grasp. I have read a good argument against this in a book by Brain Greene, but I can’t clearly reproduce it.

“This cannot be resolved by pointing to the huge outpouring of energy from the sun. In fact, it is known that the flux of photons from the sun and the “solar wind” actually tends to push earth away.” True, photons do exert a force on earth, but Newton tells us: F=m*a. Because the mass, m, of the earth is enormous, it’s change in velocity, a, is very small for a very small force F caused by photons. “For example, the observed behavior of the earth revolving around the sun can be perfectly explained if the sun has a net positive charge and the planets have a net negative charge, since opposite charges attract and the force is an inverse-square law, exactly as the increasingly discredited Theory of Gravity.” I don’t really understand this theory, but I do know that science tries to find elegant generalizing theories that cover a large part of reality. It is more general to say that all mass exerts the same force on other mass then to make the sun positive and planets negative. “According to natural law and homeopathy, everything exists in opposites: good-evil; grace-sin; positive charges-negative charges; north poles-south poles; good vibes-bad vibes; etc. We know there are anti-evolutionists, so why not anti-gravitationalists?” Go ahead and be an anti-gravitationalist, but don’t make it part of science; homeopathy is not science. It has nothing to do with the scientific method and any major scientific philosophy.

“so he invented a whole new branch of mathematics, called fluxions, just to “prove” his theory. This became calculus, a deeply flawed branch having to do with so-called “infinitesimals” which have never been observed.” Hahaha, “just to prove” lol. That’s a decent reason to invent a new branch of mathematics if you ask me. The application of Calculus is so easy to observe. Distance, velocity and acceleration are beautifully defined by Calculus. Calculus is relatively simple and so beautiful in its ability to model reality as we observe it. There is no such thing as a mechanical engineer without Calculus and I don’t think I have to explain why we need engineers ;)

“Newton, by the way, was far from a secular scientist, and the bulk of his writings is actually on theology and Christianity.” True, but that doesn’t say anything about his theories.

“And even children can see how ridiculous it is to imagine that people in Australia are upside down with respect to us, as gravity theory would have it.” Huh? Does he imply a flat-earth theory?

“Adherents have a hard time explaining, for instance, why airplanes do not fall.” I can do that, like most people who have an interest in physics. If I remember correct, Bernoullis theory that more or less explains this, can be directly derived from Newtons laws.

“The theory of gravity violates common sense in many ways.” Science have shown us that the world isn’t as common as we might think. It’s a freaky weird thing that can’t be explained using common sense. “It violates common sense” is definitely no argument.

“It is not even clear why we need a theory of gravity -- there is not a single mention in the Bible, and the patriotic founding fathers never referred to it.” Why do we need it? First of all because we are curious about the world around us and we try to model that world to get a better understanding of how things might work. Second, it's this curiousity that has brought us TV, computers, Internet, cars, planes, etc,etc... Go fuck that Bible please! Thank you! Gravity is a weird thing and it is true that Newton had a hard time defining gravity, but his model is pretty neat. The arguments in this article don't focus on real problems with the Theory of Gravity.

Warning: Gravity is “Only a Theory”

All physics textbooks should include this warning label:

“This textbook contains material on Gravity. Universal Gravity is a theory, not a fact, regarding the natural law of attraction. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered.”

The Universal Theory of Gravity is often taught in schools as a “fact,” when in fact it is not even a good theory.

An interesting and strange approach on the Universal theory of Gravity.

Saddam is no more

First images, the rest will be released later.

Pretty disgusting. It almost looks like one of the videos the terrorists always make when they behead someone.

But is it the real Saddam?

click for full size

Oooops, apparently I was still logged in as pimp named slick, I (cybrbeast) made this post.

I can make posts again

yeay

I updated the RainbowBoys Blog to the new Blogger system...

But still no emoticons in comments ... I'm not sure what changed, but I hope something got better.... I think you have to use your Google account now; not a problem for most of you. If something fails, you know who to blame! edit: publishing has improved! and there is a new post button on the blog now! I'm not impressed....

The Conservative Brain

36% of the Dutch still convert everything from Euros to Guilders after 5 years.

300 Movie Trailer in HD

300 is a movie based on a comic by Frank Miller (Sin City) which in turn is based very loosely on the Battle of Thermopylae. The movie looks awesome, very nice style. Watch Trailer (Right Click -> Save Link As...) takes a while to download

Tenacious D

here's a short movie from Tenacious D. It's very strange but fun and it helps you understand the song jesus ranch

Find Opportunity

In this photo the Mars Rover Opportunity, after travelling 9200m over the Martian surface, is standing on the edge of the 70m deep Victoria crater. The crater allows the geologists to look into much deeper layers of sediment, thus giving a deeper look into Martian history. There is a good chance that Opportunity may never come out of the crater and that's why the HiRise camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took this picture. click on the picture to get a much more detailed view (16MB)

Test your pitch perception

My first result really sucked, I had a possible pitch perception deficit, my second was OK. Take the test

Annom:

DekuS:

South Korean teacher knows best!

2 South Korean students who failed to do their homework, were punished by their teacher in an odd way: they were asked to write a pledge "never to fail again" in their own blood. article

St. Mere Eglise and COD realism

I got myself into an enormous disappointment when I was in Normandy and visited St. Mere Eglise and Carentan to see the pizzahut and the church of St. Mere Eglise last summer. I feel like sharing this disappointment now... Here is what I encountered, a free standing, different church without graveyard: This is what I expected: Not even close.... Carentan was even worse. I need psychological help!

Transformers Movie Trailer (HD)

Wow, this movie looks like it might actually kick ass. It's not de kiddy stuff you'd expect from a Transformers movie. Trailer

'Hibernation' saves Japanese man

A Japanese man has survived for 24 days in cold weather and without food and water by falling into a state of "hibernation", his doctor has said.

He had almost no pulse, his organs had been shut down and his body temperature dropped to 22C (71F) when he was found.

Medics say they are still puzzled how he survived because his metabolism was apparently almost at standstill.

complete article... This is amazing. Maybe they can learn something from him. I wouldn't mind to hibernate for a couple of decades when I'm near death's door.

Study for Free

From wiki

MIT OpenCourseWare (MIT OCW) is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to put all of the educational materials from MIT's undergraduate- and graduate-level courses online, free and openly available to anyone, anywhere, by the year 2007. MIT OpenCourseWare can be considered a large-scale, web-based publication of MIT course materials. The project was announced in 2001. As of August 2005, 1435 courses are available online. While a few of these are limited to chronological reading lists and discussion topics, a majority provide homework problems and exams (often with solutions) and lecture notes. Some courses also include interactive web demonstrations in Java or Matlab, complete textbooks written by MIT professors, and even streaming video lectures.

What a great initiative. Definitely something to check out, although at this moment my own studies take up more than enough of my time. Their Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences section looks pretty good though.

w00t! I just booked my flight to Ecuador!

It's still a loooong time before I fly... but it's definitive now! My flight(google earth) ;) Sunday, September 2, 2007: from Amsterdam to Quito, Ecuador Tuesday, October 16, 2007: back from Quito to Amsterdam, Holland I can't wait to try this:mmmmmmmm guinea pig!

Scholar eats dog crap

Translated from Dutch to English and slightly edited by DekuS "A 17 year old scholar was defied by it's peers to eat a load of dog crap for € 100,- worth of weed. The whole scene was filmed by the same peers and posted online... (see link) According to the school and family of the scholar he is doing just fine and will be expected back at school on the 8th of January. The school also reported that the boy was in general easily to persuade by fellow students and is now considering offering the boy psychological help..." My comments: 1.) why, Why, WHYYYYYYY???? 2.) ok, so you ate a load of dog crap, now that's just stupid but do you seriously need 3 weeks to recover??? 3.) like many of us may have experienced, the boy is obviously in a period of personal development, and thus does not yet know his own limits. I learned my limits by living my life and bumb into obstacles, overcome them and move on. I DIDN'T NEED NO FUCKING PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP! stupid people, stupid world....

Air Traffic Europe

A single day of air traffic above Europe...

Annom adds: Here is a day above th USA. And here is a real-time static image of the air traffic in the USA.

A Global Warning

I just stumbled upon a video on Youtube which is quite powerful. It's not just another clip about global warming, it's a very compelling one. BTW, the part with the children is not so big.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year

edit: Asians don't have christmas.... Annom edit: aahhh, that's better :P Season's Greetings -cybr original I want to whish you guys a Merry Christmas and happy New Year. Greetz, DekuS p.s. I hope you all die of AIDS...

How Slob is Made

After How Beauty is Made (post by expendable asset) comes How Slob is Made. Great spoof :)

The Coolest Table Ever

Never thought I'd say that about a table :) edit: Another neat table, though not as handy or cool.

Socrates meets Jesus

An interesting chat between Socrates and Jesus

The turd that won't flush!

Le Corbusier

Le Corbusier (1887-1965) deze fransman wordt (door de fransen) gezien als werelds grootste architecten, die groten veranderingen in huidige bouwen heeft gebracht. De stijl die hij gebruikte was en die voor die tijd nieuw was werd modernisme genoemd. Fransen willen het ook nog wel eens Corubsiaans bouwen noemen omdat ze klote nationalistisch zijn (maar dat is een ander betoog) . Corbusier was in de twintig toen hij voor het eerst een vliegtuig boven Parijs zag vliegen. Hij was meteen gefascineerd over de functionaliteit van het vliegtuig, en hij vroeg zich af of marmeren beelden op een gebouw niet even idioot was als op een vliegtuig. Als een vliegtuig gedecoreerd zou worden met marmeren beelden zou het neerstorten en niet meer kunnen functioneren. Het zelfde geld voor gebouwen volgens Corbusier. Door de introductie van gewapend beton kon er veel lichter gebouwd worden. De traditionele manier van bouwen doormiddel van twee draag muren overspannen door vloeren, werd vervangen voor constructie op pilaren. Waarbij de vloeren voor stabiliteit dienden waarmee open gevels bereikt konden worden. Deze manier van bouwen hoort bij Corbusiaans bouwen. Buiten architectuur maakt hij ook stedenbouwkundige plannen. Waarbij gefocust werd op hoogbouw in het groen(Bijlmer flats bijvoorbeeld) . Gelukkig is geen enkel van zijn stedenbouwkundige plannen uitgevoerd anders was half Parijs gesloopt om daarvoor in de plaats een gigantische Bijlmer te creëren. We gaan verder met de foto’s: villa savoye: één van zijn eerste voor oorlogse werken. De opdracht gever was fan van corbusier en vroegen hem om hun huis te ontwerpen (en daar hebben ze spijt van gekregen). Bij het ontwerpen werden hun eisen niet uitgeleeft en sommigen voorstellen werden uitgelachen en als achtelijk verkondigd. Vlak na de oplevering begon het platte dak te lekken en de muren waren niet wind dicht waardoor de de jongste zoon van de familie 2 jaar in het ziekenhuis heeft gelegen met een longonsteking. Toen de famillie een klacht in diende bij Corbusier. Was zijn andwoord: Dat het huis in verscheinde architectuur bladen hat gestaan en dat ze verschikkelijk trots op hun huis mochten zijn.

zijn beroemste gebouw is de kerk nottre dam du haut.

Een van zjin functies van een gebouw was dat het licht moest opvangen en bewaren volgens Corbusier. Deze kerk word altijd als voorbeeld genoemd van de kunst om licht optevangen.

In mijn opinie is was Corbusier een man met een vernieuwend idee maar met de uitvoerings kwaliteiten van een kleuter. Al om al een typische fransman.

Fart filmed with infrare

Is this for real????
Infrared Fart - video powered by Metacafe

being on fire for about 10 seconds is fun

STOP, DROP and ROLL I wonder why he doesn't just use the snow to put out the flame :o

Google Earth is pwning again

A new feature that shows wiki icons, the best of the GE community and photos by Panoramio. When you click on one of the relevant buttons, the information opens in a nice window within Google Earth.

Nationale Wetenschapsquiz - vraag 17-20

De laatste vragen, ze worden wel steeds moeilijker.... morgen voor 12:00 moet de inzending binnen zijn..... Vraag 17: Is het waar dat de zee rustiger wordt als er olie op de golven drijft? A. Ja, maar alleen bij zeer grote hoeveelheden olie, zodat er een dikke laag ontstaat. B. Ja, maar alleen bij een zeer dun laagje olie. C. Nee, het is een fabeltje. Vraag 18: Met een staafmagneet kun je een kilo ijzer optillen. Je zaagt de staaf precies doormidden. Hoeveel kun je maximaal met elk van de twee kleine staven optillen? A. Ongeveer een kilo. B. Rond ¾ kilo. C. Iets meer dan een pond. Vraag 19: In een badkuip met 100 liter water drijft een bootje met daarin 10 kilo zout. Je vervangt het zout door een steen van 10 kilo en lost het zout op in de badkuip. Wat gebeurt er met het waterpeil? A. Het stijgt. B. Het daalt. C. Het blijft gelijk. Vraag 20: Hoe schenk je een volle fles met vloeistof het snelste leeg? A. Door hem recht en zo stil mogelijk op zijn kop te houden en op de bodem te tikken. B. Door eerst te schudden en hem met de flessenhals schuin naar beneden te houden. C. Door hem eerst om zijn lengteas rond te draaien en hem met de flessenhals schuin naar beneden te houden.

Nationale Wetenschapsquiz - vraag 13-16

Vraag 13: Wat gebeurt er wanneer je een stalen kogel in de Marianentrog dumpt? A. Hij zal steeds sneller zinken. B. Hij zal steeds langzamer zinken. C. Hij zal op zekere diepte blijven zweven in het water. Vraag 14: Je doet een dekbedhoes samen met kleiner wasgoed in de wasmachine. Hoe komt het dat aan het eind van het wasprogramma het kleine wasgoed in de dekbedhoes gedraaid is? A. Door het heen en weer bewegen van de trommel. B. Doordat klein wasgoed gevoeliger is voor waterwervels dan groot wasgoed. C. Door het oppervlakteverschil tussen de dekbedhoes en het kleine wasgoed. Vraag 15: Wat is het nut van al die plooien in je oorschelpen? A. Ze dempen harde geluiden. B. Ze zorgen ervoor dat je kunt horen op welke hoogte een geluidsbron zich bevindt. C. Ze zorgen ervoor dat je geluid van links en rechts kunt onderscheiden. Vraag 16: Je krijgt achter elkaar in willekeurige volgorde zes taarten te zien van verschillende grootte. Na elke taart moet je beslissen of je deze wilt of niet. Je mag maar één keer ja zeggen. Wat is de beste strategie om de grootste taart te bemachtigen? A. Je verwerpt de eerste twee mogelijkheden en kiest daarna voor de eerste taart die groter is dan de eerste twee. B. Je verwerpt de eerste vier mogelijkheden en kiest daarna voor de eerste taart die groter is dan de eerste vier. C. Met een dobbelsteen, want het zal altijd een gok blijven.

Musicovery

Check this out! It's a mix between the previously posted Blogmusik and that horrible Indie-music application. This time I present to you: something that actually works.

How fast is YOUR trigger finger?

Click the link to find out! I was pretty disappointed by the outcome when I took the test, although apparently it's not bad.

ExpendableAsset

Nationale Wetenschapsquiz - vraag 9-12

Vraag 9: Groenland is op sommige wereldkaarten even groot als Australië? Hoe kan dat? A. Dat is een politieke keuze van de kaartenmaker. B. Dat is een optische illusie, doordat Australië geheel door grote oceanen is omgeven. C. De kaarten zijn gemaakt om kompaskoersen uit te zetten. Vraag 10: Hoe kun je een ei zo koken dat de dooier stolt en het eiwit niet? A. Door het ei 18 seconden in de magnetron te zetten op 400 watt. B. Door het ei 8 uur lang in water van 63 graden te laten staan. C. Door het ei 12 minuten lang afwisselend 30 seconden in kokend water en 30 seconden in ijswater te dompelen. Vraag 11: Vlak achter een voorligger verbruikt een fietser minder energie dan als hij alleen fietst. Maar heeft de koprijder ook profijt van die situatie? A. Nee, integendeel, hij moet wat harder trappen. B. Nee, het maakt geen verschil. C. Ja. Vraag 12: Je hebt twee identieke bakjes met in de bodem een identiek gaatje. Bij één bakje bevestig je onder het gat een twintig centimeter lang rubberslangetje. Je vult beide bakjes met evenveel water. Welk bakje loopt het snelst leeg? A. Het bakje met het slangetje. B. Het bakje zonder slangetje. C. Beide bakjes lopen even snel leeg.

golden ratio

golden ratio:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio where mats meet art this number 1.61803389 shows the relationship between the larger object and the smaller object. If objects got this relation people tend to like it faster. This relation is found back in old Greek temple and it keeps intellects busy for over thousands of years. There is even a theory that it works on human faces as well. for more info check the wiki site. this a picture i made with the golden ratio(with use of google sketchup)

Conic Juggling

Pretty cool idea and execution, but where do you get a huge cone? :)

Breezersletje in dikke van Dale!

lol

Nationale Wetenschapsquiz - vraag 5-8

Vraag 5: Wat is het zwaarst: een liter volle melk of een liter magere melk? A. Ze zijn even zwaar, een liter is een liter. B. Een liter volle melk. C. Een liter magere melk. Vraag 6: Waardoor is de Engelse wijnbouw te gronde gegaan? A. Doordat in de dertiende eeuw het drinken van wijn verboden werd. B. Door de kleine ijstijd. C. Door de huwelijken van Engelse koningen. Vraag 7: Twee wolken bevatten evenveel water. De ene is ontstaan in vervuilde lucht en de andere in schone lucht. Uit welke wolk zal het eerst regen vallen? A. Uit de wolk in de vervuilde lucht. B. Uit de wolk in de schone lucht. C. Het maakt geen verschil. Vraag 8: Quizdeelnemers wordt gevraagd om geen kleding met een fijn streepjespatroon te dragen wanneer zij op tv verschijnen. Waarom is dat? A. De verticale strepen onderbreken de timing van het digitale signaal. B. Streepjespatronen veroorzaken interferentie met de scanfrequentie van de camera’s. C. Een gestreept patroon produceert valse kleuren op de analoge tv thuis.

Need a temporary e-mail address?

http://spambox.us/

Many websites ask for your e-mail address to download software or to register. But you don't know what they'll be doing with your e-mail.. Your e-mail will probably be stored in a database which will then be resold to spammers and you will be receiving unsolicited bulk e-mail. With this service you can create a temporary e-mail address that will forward all incoming mail to your usual e-mail address. Simply enter your e-mail address and the life time of your spambox and we will generate you a temporary @spambox.info e-mail.

Nationale Wetenschapsquiz - vraag 1-4

It's time for the rainbowboys to show the world that we own science! Voor 11 december moet onze inzending binnen zijn.... Vraag 1: Het is oudejaarsavond en je besluit dat het leuk zou zijn om champagne met een lekkere schuimkraag neer te zetten. Hoe krijg je champagneschuim stabiel? A. Door een scheutje bier toe te voegen. B. Door er een schepje suiker bij te gooien. C. Door er stikstof in te blazen. Vraag 2: Houd als een ober een bord hete soep op de gespreide vingers van je hand. Draai je hand met daarop het bord rond. Hoeveel rondjes moet je draaien voordat je arm weer terug komt in de beginstand? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 Vraag 3: Je beklimt een berg tot op honderd meter hoogte. Je kunt tot aan de horizon kijken. Naar welke hoogte moet je klimmen om vier keer zo ver te kunnen zien? A. 400 meter. B. 1600 meter. C. 3200 meter. Vraag 4: Waarom zijn er vooral bij aflandige wind kwallen aan de kustlijn? A. Omdat er dan veel algen aan de kust te vinden zijn. B. Omdat ze warm water zoeken. C. Omdat ze worden meegevoerd door de stroming.

Purdy Timelapse

A very nice timelapse clip.

Weird background in CSI: New York

I was watching last Tuesday's CSI: New York when I came across this scene. What the hell? Is this even possible for a building without collapsing? I'd love to hear your - and especially Wiki's - opinion.

(click the thumbnail for a better impression)

Carebearstare

I found a cartoon about carebearstare's Myspace

Wir haben es nicht gewusst!

Germans knew of Holocaust horror about death camps.

Details of deaths of Jews and other groups in concentration camps were well publicised.
The mass of ordinary Germans did know about the evolving terror of Hitler's Holocaust, according to a new research study. They knew concentration camps were full of Jewish people who were stigmatised as sub-human and race-defilers. They knew that these, like other groups and minorities, were being killed out of hand.

They knew that Adolf Hitler had repeatedly forecast the extermination of every Jew on German soil. They knew these details because they had read about them. They knew because the camps and the measures which led up to them had been prominently and proudly reported step by step in thousands of officially-inspired German media articles and posters according to the study, which is due to be published simultaneously in Britain and the US early next month and which was described as ground-breaking by Oxford University Press yesterday and already hailed by other historians.
Read more.....