TIFI

Lewis Page in The Register:

Professor David J C MacKay of the Cambridge University Department of Physics holds a PhD in computation from Cal Tech and a starred first in Physics, so we can take it that he knows his numbers. And, as he points out, numbers are typically lacking in current discussion around carbon emissions and energy use.

MacKay tells The Reg that he was first drawn into this field by the constant suggestion — from the Beeb, parts of the government etc — that we can seriously impact our personal energy consumption by doing such things as turning our TVs off standby or unplugging our mobile-phone chargers.

Anyone with even a slight grasp of energy units should know that this is madness. Skipping one bath saves a much energy as leaving your TV off standby for over six months. People who wash regularly, wear clean clothes, consume hot food or drink, use powered transport of any kind and live in warm houses have no need to worry about the energy they use to power their electronics; it’s insignificant compared to the other things.

The article goes on to summarize some of the solution scenarios MacKay worked out for the UK, and as you would expect nuclear is the only one that is close to achievable.

Via Arts & Letters Daily.

Ted talk by Arthur Ganson:

Sculptor and engineer Arthur Ganson talks about his work — kinetic art that explores deep philosophical ideas and is gee-whiz fun to look at.

Via Wohba!.

Posted by Doug Schulkind to WFMU’s Beware of the Blog.

Recorded sound had no greater friend than Tony Schwartz, the audio documentarian, advertising guru, media consultant, and exalted citizen of the aural universe, who passed away Saturday a few months shy of his 85th birthday. He’ll be forever linked to his best-known work—the infamous “Daisy” ad from Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 re-election campaign—but to many, Schwartz is beloved for sharing with the world his lifelong infatuation with the musicality of prosaic sounds.

And Doug posted some great clips from his albums, go listen.

ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW WITH SAMUEL BRONKOWSKI AT HIS HOME IN TUCSON RESERVATION, BY GALEN PARR 5.1, DATED JUNE 17, 2078

SB: This one’s called, “Bruce Schneier and the King of the Crabs.” It mostly must have really happened, too – it’s how we lost Barbados, or Bermuda, or some island down there anyway.

GP: I don’t believe we have that one on file. But it would probably be Barbados, because that’s still a restricted zone. I don’t know why. I thought it was nuclear, though.

SB: Well, may well be I can shed some light on that. I personally don’t think this actually happened to Bruce Schneier, but that’s the way it was told to me, and it’s still worth telling. Story goes, ol’ Bruce Schneier was vacationing on Barbados with his dog once. And they’d go out walking on the beach, as men and dogs often do.

Via Schneier on Security.