A reply to a question in Notes & Queries yesterday recommended purchasing lion and tiger urine from Chester Zoo to stop neighbourhood cats from urinating in a vegetable patch (G2, page 17). Chester Zoo would like to forestall requests for its big cats’ urine: it asks us to make clear that it does not in […]
An understandable mistake
Posted by Ben on November 6, 2009
https://www.swordbilled.com/an-understandable-mistake/
Aliens, astronomers, or super-intelligent aardvarks?
You decide. Whatever the case, it’s kind of amazing. (via Ectoplasmosis)
Posted by Ben on August 26, 2009
https://www.swordbilled.com/aliens-astronomers-or-super-intelligent-aardvarks/
Wait, what?
(via Ectoplasmosis)
Posted by Ben on May 13, 2009
https://www.swordbilled.com/wait-what/
For the record
We accidentally referred to a “stellar sea lion” (29 November, p 6). The featured mammal is a Steller’s sea lion. All in good time, all in good time. (via Regret The Error)
Posted by Ben on March 30, 2009
https://www.swordbilled.com/for-the-record/
On elusiveness, and the possibilities of cryptids
DNR spokesman Hoy Murphy says Casell has a permit for the tiger. And Murphy notes this isn’t the first time Casell’s dealt with an escape: a 400-pound Asian brown bear got loose in May 2006 and hasn’t been seen since. (Herald Dispatch [1 Dec 2008], via Cryptomundo)
Posted by Ben on February 21, 2009
https://www.swordbilled.com/on-elusiveness-and-the-possibilities-of-cryptids/
Scientific understatement of 2008
Quote: “One might be able to envision potential applications ranging from medical interventions to use in video gaming or the creation of artificial memories along the lines of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in ‘Total Recall.’ Imagine taking a vacation without actually going anywhere? “Obviously, we need to conduct further research and development…” (via io9, via EurekAlert: […]
Posted by Ben on February 17, 2009
https://www.swordbilled.com/scientific-understatement-of-2008/
Robots of the future, break out of your cells
Say what you will of Lockheed-Martin’s take on Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles-as-documentary; this proof-of-concept (if that’s the right phrasing) test video is eerily captivating. (References: http://www.mda.mil/mdalink/html/mdalink.html, http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/12/killing_robot_b.html, http://www.thirdeyeconcept.com/news/index.php?page=336)
Posted by Ben on December 19, 2008
https://www.swordbilled.com/robots-of-the-future-break-out-of-your-cells/
Shocking!
Criggo is my new favorite frivolous blog indulgence.
Posted by Ben on October 16, 2008
https://www.swordbilled.com/shocking/
A natural progression
As we become too lazy to do our own work, we send technologically augmented turtles and seals to be our detectives and scientists. (via BoingBoing and NewScientist)
Posted by Ben on September 21, 2008
https://www.swordbilled.com/a-natural-progression/
Not the best track record
Which is, really, fortunate. “10 other dates when the world failed to end.” One of my favorites: Sept 11-13 1988 – Former Nasa engineer Edgar Whisenant sold 4.5 million copies of his book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988, mostly to evangelical US Christians. Follow-up works, which revised the prediction for dates […]
Posted by Ben on September 11, 2008
https://www.swordbilled.com/not-the-best-track-record/