The artist and her tools

16KR01-15bOur photographer accompanied a pair of artists on a picture-taking expedition this past weekend. As expected, he has observations to make about old and new technology. But he was also driven to more general musings about the relationship between artists, their visions and their tools.

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The unnecessary theory

General Relativity textbookYou will have heard of the detection of gravitational waves, just announced this past week. For once the mass media haven’t over-hyped a scientific discovery: this really is an important find. We’re not going to try to explain the science behind it (there are lots of articles on line and offline that do that). It’s the fact of the 100-year gap between the theoretical prediction and the actual observation that tells us something about the nature of science.

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“Outside the proper scope”

What you can do, and what you should do

manualIn the Five Colors Science & Technology library of photography are a number of old books that we still find interesting. Apart from details of procedures and chemistry that are hard to find elsewhere, they show the different ideas, through the years, of just what was a good photograph.

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The old fencer and the cheap watch

The unexpected usefulness of old and new things

alumni15Our navigator had the pleasure of attending a fencing match this past weekend as a spectator.  The range in ages of the participants was unusually large, which highlights some important considerations about newer and older people and things.

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Getting your universe right

Our service providing science help for writers

lensYour novel, novella, short story or epic poem has everything:

  • Ingenious plot
  • Scintillating dialogue
  • Believable and interesting characters

Shouldn’t you also get the universe right?

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The strange case of the dimming star

A good and bad example of current science

Our astronomer begs to be allowed to explain what’s really interesting about KIC8462852.

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With or against the grain?

Defects become desirable

Our photographer is bemused by modern efforts to re-create, digitally, two of the least desirable qualities of fast film: high contrast and large grain. But the paradox of limitations and defects becoming highly sought-after features is not new, and is as widespread as ripped jeans.

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No more libraries?

Electronics replaces paper

Books on shelvesFor many purposes, books are no longer necessary. That is, for entertainment or learning one need not find or carry around a pile of bound paper. The internet contains a vast landscape of information and e-books are ubiquitous. So do will still need places to borrow paper books from—libraries? Or librarians?

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Why the first of January?

Beginnings are arbitrary, but important

January 2016 calendarWhy does the year begin on the first of January?

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No more trade-offs

It’s easier when you can have it all

slide rule and log tableLife was more complicated in the old days. Not only were many things more difficult and tedious to accomplish, often you had to work out which of several methods you should use depending on what you really needed done. It’s much easier now. Really.

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