archive
index
gp originals
google i
google ii
celebrating porn
idiot voters
| Notice: GeekPress is back up and running, thanks to Paul! It's still a not-so-serious tech news blog, but the format is significantly looser. Diana, having given up programming for philosophy, has her own philosophical blog NoodleFood. More of her work can be found at DianaHsieh.com. |
| Zero-gravity beer dispenser |
| 5:00:00 am mst / 24 December 2000 found by paul / filed in inventions / source New Scientist 41 hits / 0 comments / 1 e-mail |
| Normal beer kegs won't work in a zero-gravity environment because they rely on compressed carbon dioxide to force the liquid out of the container. In zero-G, the keg would release an awkward and undrinkable mixture of gas and fluid. Fortunately, Dutch scientists have invented a beer dispensing system which will work in zero-G. The beer comes out in liquid spheres the size of a ping pong ball, which are then drunk by sticking a straw inside them and sucking. |
| Soon we'll be able to have fraternity parties in space! |
 |
| Tolkien Film: It's In the Baggins |
| 11:04:32 am mst / 24 December 2000 found by paul / filed in culture / source Wired 49 hits / 0 comments / 0 e-mails |
| The cast and crew of the upcoming movie The Lord of the Rings held their wrap party, to celebrate the end of a year and a half of filming. The first part of the trilogy, which is expected to be a blockbuster, will premiere in December 2001. |
| Computer graphics and special effects technology have now advanced to the point that movies based on classic fantasy/SF novels TLOTR and Dune are now feasible, and have a reasonable chance of pleasing even the most demanding fans of the original books. This is a great era in film making. |
|
| Cloned Goat Would Revive Extinct Line |
| 6:50:58 pm mst / 24 December 2000 found by paul / filed in science / source LA Times 18 hits / 0 comments / 0 e-mails |
| US and Spanish scientists plan to revive the extinct species of Spanish goat known as the bucardo by taking cells from the last living specimen Celia, which died one year ago. Because Celia was female, they will need to incorporate Y-chromosomes from another species if they wish to create a viable male and female breeding pair. If successful, this would be the first revival of an extinct (as opposed to an endangered) species. |
| Interestingly enough, many animal conservationists are opposed to this project on the grounds that it takes resources away from other goals they consider more important, like preserving viable habitats. I'm not convinced that it's a zero-sum game. |
|