Ok, folks, time for another of Franklin’s web browser dumps! Ready? Let’s go!
Old Russian nuclear technology
Two links from the EnglishRussia Web site today, both of them concerning cold-war-era Soviet nuclear technology. Those Russians never met a nuclear reactor they didn’t love.
Abandoned Russian nuclear lighthouses
What do you do if you have a whole lot of Arctic waterfront you need to put lighthouses along, but there’s no power or habitation anywhere nearby? Embed nuclear reactors in the lighthouses, seal ’em up, and forget about ’em!
Russian self-propelled nuclear reactors
Small reactors designed to be driven out to remote villages, available in two different styles–crawler models and tractor-trailer rigs.
Science and Technology
The importance of stupidity in scientific research
The thing about doing real research is that you’re trying to answer questions nobody has answered yet. You can’t look up the answers in a book, because nobody knows them. That’s the point. If that makes you feel stupid, that’s OK.
Yeast-powered fuel cell feeds on human blood
They’re still crude and not very powerful, but fuel cells that can create energy from your blood may one day power everything from pacemakers to insulin pumps to synthetic organs.
Debate about vaccine hilights sexual double-standards
When the HPV vaccine was first approved for use in girls, opponents raised a stink that vaccinating against STDs could cause girls to become sexually promiscuous. Now that the vaccine is being studied in boys, critics talk about its effectiveness and its safety–but don’t seem to argue that it will result in boys becoming promiscuous.
One person’s experience with trying to reprogram his cochlear implant to make it high enough resolution for him to appreciate music. (Note: Wired can’t get its act together with HTML doctype and encoding tags, so Mac users will have to click View->Text Encoding->Western (ISO Latin 1) to make the weird garbled characters in the story display properly.)
Sex
New Scientist: Spanking and BDSM bring couples closer together
The title says it all, really.
Art
From drjon, who has a habit of posting links that cause me to waste tremendous amounts of time:
Naked Urban Exploration.
Not safe for work, but quite lovely. If you like the (female) human body and you like urban decay, this site’s for you. I’m especially fond of this photo.
Colorful high-speed photos of air rifle pellets hitting stuff
I have an entire essay brewing about the physical world we live in and how it’s only a tiny, crude approximation of all that exists on the back burner right now, inspired by these pictures.
My Little Pony gets a Hollywood makeover
My Little Pony, re-imagined as Slave Leia, Edward Scissorhands, the alien from “Alien,” and more.
Houdini Chair Ensure Your Guests Will Stay for Dessert
One part functional utilitarian object, one part bondage, one part art.
Humor
50 reasons why nobody wants to publish your book
“The world isn’t quite ready for an illustrated children’s book called SOME MOMMIES ARE INTERNET PORNSTARS” and 49 more.
World of Warcraft: The Lich King in IRC chat
Spider pride!
Excellent bunch o’ Links.
I loved the sex article. Though why it’s taken people this long to figure that stuff out is a bit of a “duh”. *sigh*.
The Naked in the City is interesting – except for the Catacombs in Paris. ::shudders::
lol and the Lich King IRC chat? What can I say… >8< Spider Pride!
Excellent bunch o’ Links.
I loved the sex article. Though why it’s taken people this long to figure that stuff out is a bit of a “duh”. *sigh*.
The Naked in the City is interesting – except for the Catacombs in Paris. ::shudders::
lol and the Lich King IRC chat? What can I say… >8< Spider Pride!
Thanks for sharing!
That IRC chat was hilarious. I liked a lot of the science articles too, but I have to stop myself from clicking on any more of your links or I’ll be up all night…
Thanks for sharing!
That IRC chat was hilarious. I liked a lot of the science articles too, but I have to stop myself from clicking on any more of your links or I’ll be up all night…
If you like the human body…
You mean the female body.
I feel cheated.
Poopyhead.
If you like the human body…
You mean the female body.
I feel cheated.
Poopyhead.
8. The market for IRON CHEF slash fiction isn’t quite as broad as you may have assumed: “’Oh, Morimoto,’ Chef Batali sighed, ’stuff me like a pepper!’”
Well played.
8. The market for IRON CHEF slash fiction isn’t quite as broad as you may have assumed: “’Oh, Morimoto,’ Chef Batali sighed, ’stuff me like a pepper!’”
Well played.
A veritable smorgasbord of tasty treats there 😉
Naked City Exploration is awesome, some of those shots are kind of chilling! I actually really like the Paris Catacombs one.
A veritable smorgasbord of tasty treats there 😉
Naked City Exploration is awesome, some of those shots are kind of chilling! I actually really like the Paris Catacombs one.