Tuesday 25 December 2012

Happy Christmas everyone! (No, I am not writing this on Christmas Day)

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The Birth and Life of a Disk Galaxy
via How-To Geek by Jason Fitzpatrick

In this video, rendered over a million CPU hours by the Pleiades supercomputer at NASA's Ames Research Center, we see the birth and life of a massive disk galaxy.
Computer Model Shows a Disk Galaxy's Life History [via Geeks Are Sexy]

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Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
Europe under the Soviets. How were its agricultural, conservative, religious regions forced behind the industrial, atheistic Iron Curtain?... more

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1960s-1970s: Fireworks
via Retronaut by Chris Wild
You can view the full image set here but in the meantime I’ve chosen this one
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And I noted that whilst the title of this post was -1970s it could only have been just into the 1970s – where there are prices they are in real i.e. pre-decimal money.

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Stanford University Libraries’ Digitization Labs
via Stephen’s Lighthouse by admin


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Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
We turn to science for certainty. And scientists are all too happy to play soothsayer. But it’s folly to think catastrophes can be predicted... more

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Ironwood: 1899
via Shorpy Historical Photo Archive – Vintage Fine Art Prints by Dave
Ironwood: 1899
Iron mining circa 1899
“Norrie group No. 3, Ironwood, Michigan”
8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company
View original post

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Oh the joys of serendipity! Herewith an abstract from a reputable journal that really is not work-related!!
A-Eye: Automating the role of the third umpire in the game of cricket
an article by Tariq Mahmood ((National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Karachi), Syed Obaid Ahmed (TPL Trakker Limited, Karachi), Syed Hassan Nayyer (Mazik Global Limited, Karachi) and Muhammad Hadi Swaleh (Lowe & Rauf Limited, Karachi) published in Expert Systems with Applications Volume 39 Issue 15 (November 2012)
Abstract
Cricket is a sport that involves two teams, say Team A and Team B, and two field umpires.
Initially, Team A bats to score some runs, while Team B balls. Then, Team A balls and Team B bats to overcome the score of Team A.
If this happens, then Team B wins. Otherwise, Team A wins.
The balling team can dismiss a batsman from scoring through a Run-Out, i.e., the batsman fails to enter an area before three stumps are dislodged in that area.
In this case, a third umpire makes the ‘Run-Out/Not-Out’ decision through video technology.
This process can consume around one minute which disrupts the pace of the game.
In this paper, we propose and validate a novel technology called A-Eye, which automates the role of the third umpire.
By applying A-Eye to a set of autonomously-filmed Run-Out videos, we show that it is efficient as compared to the third umpire, and almost as accurate.
Also, it can be used to estimate a rating for the field umpires.
These results have been recognised internationally, and have convinced our local cricket council to employ A-Eye within a professional cricket tournament.

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Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate
In 1914 Edward Thomas, 36, wrote his first poem. He was killed by a German shell a few years later, having no idea his reputation would survive... more

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1935-1938: Irene Vermillion and The Dart Trumpeteers
via Retronaut by Shannon M.

More pictures here

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Hexep
via How-To Geek by Asian Angel
This game starts off simple enough, but will quickly challenge your problem solving skills as you work to fill in the hex chains with colour on each level.
Do you have the patience and skill to succeed at this wicked brain-teaser or will you end up screaming in frustration and defeat?
You can use Asian Angel’s walk-through here (and, incidentally, view the ads that allow HTG to remain the informative, educative and free resource that it is) or you can go straight to the game.


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