Ryan Parker

Micro World

From Boston.com

A team of University of Michigan researchers have recently created a set of electron microscope images of carbon nanotube structures depicting images of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama. John Hart, leader of the research team says it wasn’t a political statement, but an attempt to draw attention to what is possible these days with nanotechnology, and imaging at the very small scale. I’ll take him up on this invitation and share with you some other images of very tiny things in our world. For visualizing the scale, most measurements below are in microns - one micron is a millionth of a meter - human hair is approximately 100 microns thick.

Electron micrograph close-up of a weevil (Curculionidae family) - its snout is just over 100 microns wide.

Scanning electron microscope image of a leaf from a Black Walnut tree. Image shows a cross-section of a cut leaf, itsupper epidermal layer, mesophyll layer with palisade cells and vascular bundles, and lower epidermal layer. The protrusion at center is just over 50 microns tall.

An Ant

The exoskeletal morphology found on one of the six legs of an unidentified hornet

Black Walnut tree, lower leaf surface.

Eye of a moth

Pyralidae moth, a side view of its head and curled proboscis

Twitterank Hoax?

Twitterank has been going around on Twitter today. Recently someone posted about it being a hoax. It is a bit phishy that you need to put your password. And even more phisy that the creator said he’s going to do “interesting things.” Unless he mass spams everyones twitter I would say those who have many followers, change your password. Why would he target those who just have a few hundred?

Just to be on the safe side, change your password. You never know what this person will do. I would expect within 24 hours this guy will do something.

Out of curiosity I went to twitter search and put in almost the whole thing that is posted in a tweet when you put your information on the website. Page 100 is as far as you can go.

100 Pages

15 Tweets Per Page

All in 1 hour

While I was searching, within 5 minutes 150 more results came in.

That’s over 1600 passwords given to this guy just within the hour.

Couldn't help but post this

Led Zeppelin Tour Confirmed

It’s definitely happening, it’s just a matter of who will be involved. Yes, the long running saga of whether Led Zeppelin will properly reform and embark on a tour seems to be almost over, with bassist John Paul Jones confirming the band, with the exception of Robert Plant, are working together again.

Not only does it seem like Led Zeppelin will reform for a full tour but new material also looks likely. Because of Plant’s decision not to be a part of the reunion, the band are trying out new singers, and Steve Tyler from Aerosmith is the latest name to be mentioned.

According to BBC News, Jones was talking to BBC Radio Devon when he revealed the current state of play. He said:

“We are trying out a couple of singers. We want to do it. It’s sounding great and we want to get on and get out there.”

“It’s got to be right. There’s no point in just finding another Robert. You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don’t want to be our own tribute band. There would be a record and a tour, but everyone has to be on board.”

“The most pleasure is making music. I love listening to it, but nothing as much fun as having an instrument in my hand and communicating with people.”

I think it’s a good decision not to try and replace Plant like for like, as no-one would actually be able to slot in on that kind of level. Instead, the rest of Led Zeppelin seem keen on evolving to a new level and becoming a whole new band. And if they get the right singer, they could instantly become the best rock band in the world for a second time around.

Tyler is the latest name to be mentioned as a possible new singer for Led Zep, but personally I don’t think he’s right. In the same way as Jack White is a magnificent musician, he does his thing in his own unique way and it just wouldn’t fit in to the style and feel of the band.

I actually think Myles Kennedy, a man who I hadn’t heard of until the Led Zeppelin rumor arose, is the best bet. He’s similar enough to Plant to be able to cover the old material while offering enough new ideas and input to make any new material worthy.

Now all we need is for the remaining members of Led Zeppelin to choose their singer, announce details of the tour, and get in the recording studio. Is that too much to ask? Probably, as Jones and Page aren’t getting any younger. 2009 though, surely? Fingers crossed.

Mars Phoenix, RIP.

From Gizmodo:

If you are reading this, then my mission is probably over.

This final entry is one that I asked be posted after my mission team announces they’ve lost contact with me. Today is that day and I must say good-bye, but I do it in triumph and not in grief.

As I’ve said before, there’s no other place I’d rather be than here. My mission lasted five months instead of three, and I’m content knowing that I worked hard and accomplished great things during that time. My work here is done, but I leave behind a legacy of images and data.

In that sense, you haven’t heard the end of me. Scientists will be releasing findings based on my data for months, possibly years, to come and today’s children will read of my discoveries in their textbooks. Engineers will use my experience during landing and surface operations to aid in designing future robotic missions.

But for now, it’s time for me to hunker down and brave what will be a long and cold autumn and winter. Temperatures should reach -199F (-128C) and a polar cap of carbon dioxide ice will envelop me in an icy tomb.

Seasons on Mars last about twice as long as seasons on Earth, so if you’re wondering when the next Martian spring in the northern hemisphere begins, it’s one Earth-year away—October 27, 2009. The next Martian summer solstice, when maximum sunlight would hit my solar arrays, falls on May 13, 2010.

That’s a long time away. And it’s one of the reasons there isn’t much hope that I’ll ever contact home again.

For my mission teams on Earth, I bid a special farewell and thank you. For the thousands of you who joined me on this journey with your correspondence, I will miss you dearly. I hope you’ll look to my kindred robotic explorers as they seek to further humankind’s quest to learn and understand our place in the universe. The rovers, Spirit and Opportunity (@MarsRovers), are still operating in their sun belt locations closer to the Martian equator; Cassini (@CassiniSaturn) is sailing around Saturn and its rings; and the Mars Science Laboratory (@MarsScienceLab)—the biggest rover ever built for launch to another planet—is being carefully pieced together for launch next year.

My mission team has promised to update my Twitter feed as more of my science discoveries are announced. If I’m lucky, perhaps one of the orbiters will snap a photo of me when spring comes around.

So long Earth. I’ll be here to greet the next explorers to arrive, be they robot or human.