Bringing Molecular Structures to the Real World

http://chem.sci.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp/v7n1/nagao/

modelling the structure by means of up-to-date 3 dimensional molding method offers an effective teaching aid.

(Freely “rearranged” from the babelfish translation of the page above.)

I highly recommend that you take a look at this article even if you don’t know japanese, since its pictures (scroll down a bit) beautifully illustrate several techniques currently used to make real objects from 3D models. In this case the subjects are molecular structures: these techniques not only bring them to a human scale but also to the human world, thus helping scientists twice. Furthermore, some of the machines used, like the Roland mdx scanner and milling machine, are getting cheap and easy to use enough that in a near future they may become as common as photocopiers!

All that is to know about… Swickis!

(or almost) XD

http://www.eurekster.com

A search engine that learns from your community’s search behavior.

In a nutshell, a Swicki is a search engine which gets gradually biased by the community that uses it -which explains the wiki wicki side of the word. I´ve spent a few days now using it, so what comes next is a report on my own experience on how to Continue reading All that is to know about… Swickis!

On Virtual desktops in Windows

“If only windows had a multiple desktop system, how happy would I be!”, I have thought to myself quite a few times… I wish I could have a tidy desktop, free of the zillion files that clutter almost all the available space, but if I moved those files I would surely lose track of them.

So, is there any app out there that could allow one to keep several different desktops within the same computer? As far as I know, the answer is “yes and no”, but at least the “Yes” side of the story could be enough for many users: Continue reading On Virtual desktops in Windows

Reading between the lines

Subliminal messages allow us to communicate something without being direct, and are usually quite effective in reaching the target. Let’s practise!

Imagine there are rumours of a vacancy in the executive bureau of the company where you work. You want to make your boss understand that you are the most capable person for the post. Your boss has his/her car in the repair shop, and you offer to lift him/her (because it’s on your way home). How can you tell her her/him about your aptitudes without saying anything, but only playing five songs? Continue reading Reading between the lines

Give the right answer, Joe

http://www.hardydetectiveagency.com/ocean/hollow/hollow2.htm

“Right! In your dreams! I’m not a nerd!” Joe jibed his brother good-naturedly.

Had Joe said “I’m a NaN”, he wouldn’t have received the answer he received. What was that answer? Ah, I’ll guess you’ll have to read the story, just as much as Joe should have read NaN! 😛

ps. in the same story…

“Bye, Nan!” Callie chimed and her slightly high-pitched voice was sounding a little shrill to Nancy’s ears.

“You know something, Drew? You’re like an open book right now.”

heh, it seems that actually Joe was reading NaN XD

On crafting Universes

http://www.solarvoyager.com/tutorials.asp

(…)it is useful for beginners and pros alike to see how other artists achieve certain results. These tutorials are only intended to be guides as you work through new processes and challenges. Upon these building blocks, you must add experimentation and a great deal of practice(…)

Solar Voyager hosts what in my opinion is the net’s best collection of tutorials on crafting realistic space scenes by means of 2D techniques. Most of them are focused on different approaches to rendering planets of all sorts, but fortunately there are several other articles which cover a broad field of subjects, from nebulae to asteroids to truly impressive star fields. As you’ll soon realize, following the articles will be a lot easier if you have Photoshop, since that´s the tool of choice in most of them; however, I’m sure that there’s no effect that you can’t achieve by using other programs, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

Besides from the tutorials, you should pay some to time to visit the rest of Solar Voyager, which covers all branches of space art: you´ll surely be surprised by the quantity and quality of many of the works shown!

As big as it gets

http://www.deepskyfrontier.com/

(…)9 quadrillion pixels wide by 9 quadrillion pixels tall.

A metaphor within a metaphor, this site makes one rethink the concept of vastness. In other words, we can tinker with the otherwise utterly unattainable immensities of the cosmos in our desktops, just because the designer (very intelligent designer, yep), has put them in a context that we can easily grasp. Try to scroll the page with the arrow keys: it will take you more lives than you can count to reach the end. Now grab the scroll bar with the mouse and get to the end in seconds, fast as if you crossed a wormhole (a mousehole, perhaps?). Incredible, isn’t it? All in all this is a marvelous site to visit: stand on its center and watch through the eons, and beyond!

ps. by the way, whatever you do, don’t hit the print page button 😉

Related Article: Small… but playful

To be or not to be: that is the version

Yesterday I heard the umpteenth version of the Righteous Brothers’ song “You’ve lost that lovin feeling”, a huge hit from the middle 60’s. They say it’s the most versioned song ever (even more than Beatles’ “Yesterday”).

Many song versions are made by not very popular singers or groups, but sometimes there are well-known artists that decide to make their contribution. Oops! But what a contribution sometimes! It’s like a photocopy.

I think that versions must add something to the original piece. It’s not a matter of respect to the original, but a question of being creative. I remember when, for example, Nirvana was going to version the great David Bowie’s “The man who sold the world”; I expected a new powerful song, but Continue reading To be or not to be: that is the version