Science festivals are extremely nifty

The NSF is setting aside $3 million for the creation of Science Festivals.

What if you perceived beauty on the subway?

An older Washington Post article discusses an experiment with a violinist and a subway terminal:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

Extremly nifty.

History as it happens!

Amanda is published in Graybeards with an article on her Korean experience. The UAH history department has blogged about it.

Tony Gwynn Retires! Long Play Tony Gwynn!

ESPN has a great article about Tony Gwynn, Junior and how he's come to play with the Padres. San Diego and Petco Park seem to have done him a lot of good. He's playing full time and his numbers are great (.300/.380 BA/OBP) and considerably up this year over his past career.

The Internet Culture Users Guide

I've thought for years about starting a class on internet culture, but I think this site may have already accomplished that goal: http://knowyourmeme.com

The beauty of a vibrator

Standing waves, created by matching the dimensions of a vibrating medium with the frequency of the vibration, are one of the easiest ways to demonstrate the connection between understanding science and creating beauty or art. They're the fundamental mechanism of any melodious musical instrument.

Once you grasp the concept, you can do other cool things as well, like creating a flaming music visualizer called a Rubens' tube.

It allows you to understand the mesmerizing patterns you can create just by shaking a steel plate with some powder on it.

Not so Nifty Link

Iran seems like a bad place to be at the moment. I've read reports of massacres.

Apparently, they're also sacking members of their national soccer team.