Category: learning curve

93 seconds you’ll never get back

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Remember Leonhard Euler from the Satan’s Arithmetic post? Of course you do.
Now behold Euler’s Disc – probably the most hypnotic thing ever.

Look into the eyes, look into the eyes, not around the eyes… and you’re under…

The physics behind this “scientific toy” can be found here, but basically, it comes down to this:

A spinning/rolling disk ultimately comes to rest; and it does so quite abruptly, the final stage of motion being accompanied by a whirring sound of rapidly increasing frequency. As the disk rolls, the point P of rolling contact describes a circle that oscillates with a constant angular velocity w. If the motion is non-dissipative, w is constant and the motion persists forever, contrary to observation (since w is not constant in real life situations). In fact, precession rate of the axis of symmetry approaches a finite-time singularity modeled by a power law with exponent approximately -1/3 (depending on specific conditions).

So there you have it. Obviously,  it’s important that you remember that rolling friction is the primary mechanism for kinetic energy dissipation in this scenario and not air resistance.

Olympics infographic

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The BBC have put together a lovely infographic about the recently passed London 2012 games, including world records, attendances, athlete’s shape and size and the noise levels at some of the venues and events.

Oh – and that medal table.

Obviously, being of Yorkshire stock, this means that I am ever so athletic and stuff. Twice as much as people from South Africa.

Of course, had the Isle of Man been competing as a separate entity, it would sit proudly atop that “small countries” table, with Peter Kennaugh’s Team Pursuit gold in the Cycling to show for its 83,327 population. Being of Manx stock as well must therefore make me some sort of super athlete.

It’s no wonder that people keep randomly testing my urine. Maybe I should consider selling it to people like Peter Shardlow.

Bourbon Clear

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We met, by chance, in the Spur at the Waterfront. Me and my kids, him and (some of) his. A brief conversation ensued; the usual pleasantries, some congratulations on the latest addition to his family just 8 weeks ago. And then he asked if we had been to see the Rainbow Warrior and were we aware that we could go on board? We hadn’t, and I wasn’t.
He and I agree on many things, but we fall on very different sides of the lentil curtain.

I was aware that she was in town, but Greenpeace really isn’t my scene. He understood, but remarked (sagely, I felt):

Try to ignore the lefty, liberal agenda and just see it as a ship.

Fair enough, we were running a little late already, but the kids love ships.

We left him to his (free range?) ribs and headed down towards the Table Bay Hotel where the Rainbow Warrior is docked.

That’s when we saw it: the Bourbon Clear. (We also saw the Rainbow Warrior, but the queue for indoctrination looked a little long and I thought I might get sent for re-education if I accidentally let slip my views on whaling) (or fracking) (or nuclear power) (or hippies).

But anyway, the Bourbon Clear – what a ship! Norwegian registered and helpfully described as an “Multi-Purpose Offshore Vessel”, it has a long, low, flat stern with a MASSIVE bulbous bow section, a good five or six storeys above the water line. Weird, but ever so cool.

Once home, I popped onto marinetraffic.com (we’ve talked about them before here), and got all the facts and figures. And then I saw this photo:

When it said “Multi-Purpose”, I (foolishly) imagined it meant transport, towing, fire-fighting (those impressive water jets were evident) and the like. I never thought it meant sunbathing. But what a little (88m long) suntrap they’ve got going on there, hidden away from the rest of the world by those 6m high gunwales. And if the skipper says it’s ok, then why the hell not?

It wasn’t particularly sunny in Cape Town today, but from our position on the quayside, we couldn’t see into the back of the Bourbon Clear and I’m now left wondering what we missed behind the walls of green metal. A football match? A crazy golf course? A field full of wild horses? A clown convention?

I’d like to imagine that anything can happen on-board the Bourbon Clear.

Today &Tomorrow

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It’s been a funny day. Due to my hard work on the public holiday yesterday, I found myself with a rare day off with a wife and some childcare.
We made the most of it, out for breakfast and shopping for a new car. I don’t want a new car particularly, but I do need a new car.

The current 6000mobile is getting on a bit and it’s starting to get to that point where it’s becoming false economy to keep it running. Additionally, it was bought in a previous era: living in the City Bowl and before the arrival of our kids. Things have changed and it’s suddenly small and impractical.
This car shoping is not something I enjoy either. It’s a lot of money and it’s being given to a salesman. I’ve spoken to a lot of them today and I’m frankly amazed at how many of them have first-hand knowledge of working for the company whose vehicle I am considering. What are the chances?
I’m not sure whether I should be impressed with their intimate knowledge or concerned about the evidently huge turnover of staff in the motor retail industry.

Tomorow will be more fun. No salesmen – just a desire to go out and look at the effects of the storm which arrived in the Cape earlier this evening.

Expect photos. 

Runaways

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Women’s Day here in SA today and thus a public holiday, but I find myself hard at work in the lab. TB shows no respect for human public holidays and insists on growing and requiring care and attention. The plan is to get through the tasks in hand and then join the rest of the family wherever they are for some fun in the sun, ahead of the epic storm forecast for the weekend.

Not to delay those precious dry family moments then, herewith the new one from the Killers. Another band that haven’t changed their style at all, which is great because it was just fine as it was. Runaways comes ahead of their new album next month and – hopefully – another tour including somewhere in SA with some parking.