Some of you will I’m sure enjoy this really good and amusing short animation from PES; it’s entitled The Deep …
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A Dodo Anniversary
As most of you will I’m sure realise I don’t generally do cute, even for kittens. And as most of you will also know it was my 60th birthday last week. So what what did Noreen buy me, but these two cute little 15cm high Dodos. We think they’re called Gilbert and George, but that has yet to be confirmed.
I can’t help feeling that there’s something irresistibly appropriate about being given Dodos on one’s 60th birthday. Indeed a Dodo Anniversary – maybe it’ll catch on?
[Oh and so no-one worries, they did come with a handsome dowry!]
Quote: Universe
It is clear that there is no classification of the Universe that is not arbitrary and full of conjectures. The reason for this is very simple: we do not know what kind of thing the universe is.
[Borges, in Essay, “The Analytical Language of John Wilkins”]
Beer is Better
And now for some real, if esoteric, scientific research. This from the February 2011 issue of Scientific American:
Beer Batter Is Better
How it makes a great fish ‘n’ chips
If you’ve ever sat down at a pub to a plate of really good fish and chips — the kind in which the fish stays tender and juicy but the crust is super-crisp — odds are that the cook used beer as the main liquid when making the batter. Beer makes such a great base for batter because it simultaneously adds three ingredients — carbon dioxide, foaming agents and alcohol — each of which brings to bear different aspects of physics and chemistry to make the crust light and crisp.
Beer is saturated with CO2. Unlike most solids, like salt and sugar, which dissolve better in hot liquids than they do in cold, gases dissolve more readily at low temperatures. Put beer into a batter mix, and when the batter hits the hot oil, the solubility of the CO2 plummets, and bubbles froth up, expanding the batter mix and lending it a lacy, crisp texture.
That wouldn’t work, of course, if the bubbles burst as soon as they appeared, as happens in a glass of champagne. Instead beer forms a head when poured because it contains foaming agents. Some of these agents are proteins that occur naturally in the beer, and some are ingredients that brewers add to produce a creamy, long-lasting head. These compounds form thin films that surround the bubbles and slow the rate at which they burst.
Foams also make good thermal insulators. When you dunk a piece of beer-battered fish into a deep fryer, most of the heat goes into the batter rather than into the delicate food it encloses. The bubbly batter can heat up to well over 130 degrees Fahrenheit — the point at which so-called Maillard reactions create golden-brown colors and yummy fried flavors — while the fish gently simmers inside.
The alcohol in the beer also plays an important role in moderating the internal temperature and crisping the crust. Alcohol evaporates faster than water, so a beer batter doesn’t have to cook as long as one made only with water or milk. The faster the batter dries, the lower the risk of overcooking the food. If the chef works fast enough, he can create a beautiful lacework in the coating that yields that classic beer-batter crunch.
[W Wayt Gibbs and Nathan Myhrvold]
A Cable Too Far
Clearly I’m not the only one capable of extracting the wee from things. This from the “Feedback” column of the current issue of New Scientist:
Almost three years ago Japanese electronics giant Denon offered hi-fi enthusiasts the chance to pay $499 for a short length of computer network cable, usually costing only a few dollars (23 July 2008). The claim was that the cable “thoroughly eliminates adverse effects from vibration”.
We never did get a clear explanation of how vibration can affect digits running through a cable. But it seems the price was a bargain, because the AKDLi cable is now on sale at Amazon.com at $9999 new or $999 used (plus $4.99 for shipping). Hi-fi fans have not been indifferent to the cable’s qualities. They have turned Amazon’s customer comments pages, at amzn.to/cablereviews, into a paean of ironic praise for these bits of wire, with well over 1400 reviews.
Recent postings include this from DMan: “I filled a large glass with ordinary tap water and carefully dipped the doubled-over cable in. The whole glass turned instantly dark, red and more viscous. A quick taste and both my friend and I agreed that it was the finest tasting red wine we’d ever encountered.”
This comes from jmf: “Ever since I started using the cable … my light sabre skills have improved dramatically, much to the awe of my Master. I am able to jump from an anti-gravitational car running at full speed onto another, all the time dodging a laser gun.”
Perhaps most startling is what happened when Philip Spertus connected his cable to an iPod: “After listening to the entirety of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony I went on to listen to his 10th, something that I have never been able to accomplish with the lower quality ethernet cord that I had previously been using.”
Quotes of the Week
Here’s this week’s selection …
Balian of Ibelin: [to the people of Jerusalem] It has fallen to us, to defend Jerusalem, and we have made our preparations as well as they can be made. None of us took this city from Muslims. No Muslim of the great army now coming against us was born when this city was lost. We fight over an offence we did not give, against those who were not alive to be offended. What is Jerusalem? Your holy places lie over the Jewish temple that the Romans pulled down. The Muslim places of worship lie over yours. Which is more holy?
[pause]
Balian of Ibelin: The wall? The Mosque? The Sepulchre? Who has claim? No one has claim.
[raises his voice]
Balian of Ibelin: All have claim!
Bishop, Patriarch of Jerusalem: That is blasphemy!
Almaric: [to the Patriarch] Be quiet.
Balian of Ibelin: We defend this city, not to protect these stones, but the people living within these walls.
[From the film Kingdom of Heaven; 2005]
When statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties they lead their country by a short route to chaos.
[Robert Bolt]
It’s not about orgasm. Pay attention to your partner. Enjoy the sex you’re having.
[Emily Nagoski; ]
What is it with pathology journals and autoerotic deaths? Every other issue seems to have a case report of some heedless, autoasphyxiated corpse with ill-fitting briefs and a black bar across his eyes. Occasionally, they seem to be in there for sheer color, as in the case of the young Australian who perished from “inhalation of a zucchini.” This one raises more questions than it answers. Was he trying to intensify his climax by vegetally choking himself, or was it a case of overexuberant mock fellatio? (We do learn that the zucchini was from his wife’s garden, admittedly a nice touch.)
[Mary Roach, Bonk: the Curious Coupling of Sex and Science]
Michael called the purported rhesus pheromones “copulins,” a word I cannot write without picturing a race of small, randy beings taken aboard the starship Enterprise.
[Mary Roach, Bonk: the Curious Coupling of Sex and Science]
The bottom line is that men’s armpit secretions are unlikely to serve as an attractant to any species other than the research psychologist.
[Mary Roach, Bonk: the Curious Coupling of Sex and Science]
In which Alice Meets an Angel …
Last evening we had a somewhat surreal experience: we ventured out to a slightly unusual theatre: a performance of “Alice” at Little Angel Theatre in Islington.
Little Angel is the home of possibly this country’s première puppet theatre. And it is certainly a different experience. The theatre is tiny, with the auditorium seating only about 90 adults on church pew style benches. The stage is equally minuscule.
“Alice”, one of Little Angel’s current productions, is a puppet musical loosely based on Alice in Wonderland. I use “loosely” in the loosest sense of the word – “imaginative” is the word Little Angel use to describe it! Yes, it was certainly different and rather fun, if not entirely to my taste.
The puppets were brilliant (Alice, the White Rabbit and the Cheshire Cat especially), as were the four puppeteers. It was certainly an extremely clever production with many amusing little touches. The Cheshire Cat was excellently played with a Cheshire accent and much purring and chirruping; the White Rabbit was suitably and visibly terrified. But northern accents on the Mad Hatter and the March Hare didn’t work for me. The other thing which didn’t work for me was the musical element; the songs were cleverly written but often too detached from the real Alice story – although such is the way of the musical. And, especially towards the end, some of the production was a bit shouty for such a small space. After 1¾ hours (with an interval) the puppeteers must have been exhausted; it was non-stop and all four were on stage most of the time.
Here’s a YouTube video trailer for the production:
Despite the reservations, we’re glad we went. It was certainly different and as a long-time fan of Lewis Carroll it was well worth seeing. Little Angel only rarely do evening performances, which is a shame, choosing to concentrate more on daytime shows when children and schools can attend but most adults can’t. Consequently their productions tend to be more orientated towards children. “Alice” would be excellent for any child over the age of about five – it was in a way a bit like children’s TV – although it is by no means inaccessible to adults.
If you like the Lewis Carroll books, “Alice” is certainly worth seeing. And if you like excellent puppetry Little Angel Theatre run productions through most of the year usually with two shows running in parallel for 2-3 months before the repertoire changes. They also have touring shows, so you may find them popping up in the provinces.
“Alice” runs until 30 January.
Just Another Day
Today, at least in the annals of history is just another day. Very little of great substance has happened over the years on 11 January; about the best being:
- First recorded lottery in England was drawn at St Paul’s Cathedral, 1569
- James Paget, surgeon, born 1814
- HG Selfridge (yes, founder of Selfridges) born 1858
- Charing Cross Station opened, 1864
- Maurice Durufle, composer, born 1902
- Ambrose Bierce, writer, died, 1914
- First use of insulin to treat diabetes, 1922
- Mick McMannus, wrestler, born 1928
- Thomas Hardy, novelist, died 1928
- Arthur Scargill, Miner’s leader and UK politician, born 1938
- Ben Crenshaw, golfer, born 1952
- John Sessions, Scottish actor, born 1953
- Bryan Robson, English footballer, born 1957
- Brian Moore, England rugby player, born 1962
- Richmal Crompton, writer, died, 1969
- Barbara Pym, novelist, died, 1980
For me today is a strange day as I have to come to terms with the fact that I am now officially a granny. For, yes, today we are 60! Eeekkkkk!
Many thanks to all those of you who have sent me birthday greetings. I am truly touched (yes, in the head!) by all your kind thoughts.
2/52 January Sunrise
This week’s photo in the 52 weeks challenge for 2011. Today’s sunrise from our bathroom window which was absolutely spectacular for all of about five minutes.
Freedom of Blasphemy
I don’t normally delve into international politics, but this situation – see also here, here and here – is an absolute disgrace.
- A Christian woman (Asia Bibi) is in jail, pending appeal against a death sentence for alleged blasphemy against Islam.
[And yet Islam is supposed to be a tolerant religion.] - Her death sentence is being endorsed by the Pakistani media, and by implication if not in fact, by the government.
- Her case cannot properly be tried in open court because to do so would mean repeating the alleged blasphemy, thus compounding the offence.
[Clearly contrary to all the accepted rules of justice.] - A senior politician has been murdered by his bodyguard for supporting her.
[Islam, just like Christianity, forbids murder.] - The murderer is being fêted by the Islamic community as a hero.
[Is this not a sinful as the actual murder?]
That any country, or any (supposedly tolerant) religion, can allow such a state of affairs to come to pass is, at the very least outrageous. And every right-thinking government must surely put the utmost pressure on Pakistan to not just resolve this particular situation but to put in place safeguards against any repeats.** I just don’t know what more I can say and preserve some semblance of normal blood pressure and dignity.
As Heresy Corner says: What we are seeing in Pakistan – established under Jinnah as a secular country, but one explicitly for Muslims – is precisely what happens when you let religion (above all this particular religion) form the basis of political organisation.
And also, to quote Inayat: The truth is that Muslims in power are every bit as prone to abusing that power as non-Muslims. Only, most ‘Islamic states’ or ‘Islamic republics’ do not have anywhere near the same legal safeguards and restrictions on power that most modern secular states do. (And, heaven knows, ours are far from foolproof.) Inayat also describes it as the moral collapse of a nation.
Much as I am personally areligious, I would never deny anyone their right to believe and worship as they wish providing they live within the moral precepts agreed by society at large (which in this day and age means globally!). Should the state, therefore, not be a mechanism for living together rather than promoting or securing an ideology? Thus it seems to me all this whole situation does is to reinforce the argument for secularism of both state and individual.
Wither now free speech and justice?
** Note I do not say “It must never happen again” because whatever safeguards are put in place cannot ensure 100% effectiveness. That, my friends, is life.