Category: Curiosities

Mind map

Apparently in the past you could visualise the relationship between different streams of science by tracking the references and citations in scientific journals.

You got something like this:

Now, because most scientific journals are posted online research has been conducted into deeper, broader connections between journals. Using the method described here:

“Over the course of 2007 and 2008, we collected nearly 1 billion user interactions recorded by the scholarly web portals of some of the most significant publishers, aggregators and institutional consortia. The resulting reference data set covers a significant part of world-wide use of scholarly web portals in 2006, and provides a balanced coverage of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.”

It’s only really interesting because it produces a picture like this…

Kevin Kelly simplifies the research methodology into easier to understand terminology.

“Instead of mapping links, this new method maps clicks. The program reads the logs of the servers offering online journals (the most popular way to get articles today) and records the clickstream of a researcher as they hop from one article to the next.”

YouTube Tuesday: Super Smashing Pumpkins Brothers

The Smashing Pumpkins have been one of my favourite bands since Ben introduced me to them in grade 11. He incessantly talked about them. They were impossible to avoid.

Super Mario Brothers is one of my favourite games of all time. How can you not enjoy taking the guise of a plumber and running around a world full of walking fungus and drain pipes filled with treasure?

So combining the two is pure awesomeness.

No Beard? Darn it

I’ve always wanted a beard. I mean, who wouldn’t. Shaving is a pain in the neck. But alas, unlike my facially hirsute father I am follicly challenged on the lower part of my head rather than the top. But now, thanks to the miracles of modern knitting technology “I can hast beard”… and can even order a moustache to match every occasion. I give you. The Beardhead.

Interior Design: Putting the pieces together

Robyn loves a good puzzle. So no doubt if she had her way our house would be decked out with this sort of classy furniture. They’re available for an unspecified but no doubt expensive price from here.

Me, well, apparently I’m a nerd (or a geek) so I’d be more likely to deck our place out with these chairs of retro gaming awesomeness. Pacman eat your heart out.

Bear necessities

If you go down to the woods today and you’re short of a bear disguise – how bout this sleeping bag? It’s sure to keep pesky nocturnal intruders away – and ensure your picnic basket doesn’t get pinched. If you want one you have to email the designer.

Magic storage solution

So you’re a budding magician – or someone with a swordid past. And you’re looking for a novel solution to storing all your tricks and miscellaneous items. Well. Look no further. Get them before they disappear. Actually – they’re just an illusion – a concept – waiting to be developed. This guy designed them.

Found here.

A bunch of links – March 16, 2009

laughometer

The funnyometer. I rate my own blog “haha”. Your thoughts?

Perspective

Further to the one trillion dollars visualisation I posted the other day Mint.com has produced a bunch of images putting a little perspective on the size of the bailout. Like this one.

Let them eat cake

If you want to resign in style perhaps take a leaf out of this guy’s book (from Flickr) and bake your notice of resignation into a cake.

The written message on the icing says:

“Dear Mr. Bowers,

During the past three years, my tenure at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard has been nothing short of pure excitement, joy and whim.

However, I have decided to spend more time with my family and attend to health issues that have recently arisen. I am proud to have been part of such an outstanding team and I wish this organization only the finest in future endeavors.

Please accept this cake as notification that I am leaving my position with NWT on March 27.

Sincerely,

W. Neil berrett”

Found here.

Fat chance

This is a bus shelter. You might think it’s a normal, everyday, run-of-the-mill public transport hailing vestibule. But no. It’s more awesome. It tells you how fat you are. With a built in scale. Currently it’s advertising Fitness First. It would be extra handy if it was near a post box so you could weigh your oversized mail. From Neatorama.

Fun stuff from spoon sisters

Here’s a site full of useful, intriguing and stupid gadgets.

Click the images for links to the product.

Pick your nose party cups

The Wally - wallet sized bottle opener

The Wally - wallet sized bottle opener

Give your Brownies an edge

Give your Brownies an edge

Posts you might have missed

Too many posts to handle? Here’s a quick list of the posts you might have missed this week:
  • A bunch of links – March 12, 2009
    Posted on Thursday, March 12th, 2009 in web
    How To Make Any Firefox Add-on Compatible With All VersionsFree Fonts Of The Month: Myndraine, Museo SansPortions Calculator Cuts Down on Waste, Makes Just What You Need [Cooking]The difference between PR and publicityThousands of foreigners splurge stimulus overseas | smh.com.auWhoops.Crabb on K-Rudd, the toxic boreDear GodLetters to God from young children.Why committing suicide doesn’t change a Christian’s standing before God.
  • A bunch of links – March 9, 2009
    Posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 in web
    Excellent public speaking adviceCreate Flash Content with WidgetMeScrewed … in anyone#39;s language | smh.com.aunm.campbell – Crabb on Economic obfuscation. A nice comparison between Rudd’s ability to explain the economic situation and Obama’s ability to do the same.Which animal did we domesticate first?
  • Ad value
    Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Church
    Tim Challies is one of the world’s preeminent Christian bloggers. Today he wrote about advertising and the church – mostly advertising but this was a great quote about his approach to ads:”I guard against this because I’ve seen what happens to churches when they adopt a marketing mindset. Every church markets; the moment a church places a sign outside or puts an advertisement in the phone book or the local newspaper, it is marketing.
  • Apologetics accepted
    Posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 in Church
    One of the things I do in order to increase my levels of frustration is read annoying things written by atheists who feel intellectually superior to us “unenlightened Christians”.I spend a lot of time arguing with three of my friends – two of whom are declared atheists – one is a notorious fence sitter. I often ask myself why I bother.
  • Driscollisms
    Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Church
    I’m about to break an unofficial rule – and post something about Mark Driscoll. If you’ve never heard of him – look him up on wikipedia – or check out his blog at his church’s website.I’ve mentioned him a couple of times – but I know that he doesn’t really like bloggers. Unless they’re flattering. I also don’t want to appear to be a fan boy.
  • Election Scorecard: Candidates in Townsville
    Posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 in Politics
    The campaign proper has been underway for two weeks now. Here’s part one of my take on the candidates for Townsville’s three seats:Townsville:Mandy Johnstone – Labor’s factional darling somehow got the nod to replace Mike Reynolds, the seat’s former member. It says a lot about Mandy Johnstone’s campaign that her campaign website features a prominent photo of Anna Bligh and a tiny photo of Mandy Johnstone.
  • Election Scorecard: Change, can we believe it?
    Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Politics
    The latest roundof election ads are out – the ALP has gone negative. They’re telling us that despite poll results the other guy – Lawrence Springborg – is not ready to lead us. Labor seems concerned. Government media releases (still being sent via Government distribution lists despite “caretaker mode” being in full swing) are consistently refering to the LNP as the Nationals.
  • Election Scorecard: Poll
    Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Politics
    Your thoughts in the comments – is the scarcity of political talent around an indication of market failure and a justification for closing down State Governments?I think so. The Labor Party is so desparate to fill out all the seats around Queensland they’ve picked a Brisbane uni student to run in Hinchinbrook who won’t do recorded interviews with the ABC – the Premier had to chastise him via the media.
  • Foetal position
    Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Church
    Ben just sent me a link to this ABC story where Tony Abbott attacked Kevin Rudd for allowing changes to Australia’s aid policy and aid money being used to fund abortions.The comments thread is telling. These discussions always bring out the rabid atheists who want to accuse Christianity of “holding back society”… I do like it when they put together a coherent argument.
  • Get write on it
    Posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 in Links
    The things I create using these online web tools that I keep posting are never that funny. Maybe I should spend more time thinking before I post – but WriteOnIt has so many cool features that you should check out that I just couldn’t wait.
  • I dare you
    Posted on Friday, March 13th, 2009 in Links
  • I’m a generator
    Posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 in Links
    A while back I posted another online comic strip generator – perfect for re-envisaging airline safety cards. Here’s a different, better, platform that does the same thing. You can even “stripblog” which would be cool. If I had anything funny to say.
  • Manlyness
    Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Media
    It’s obviously a pretty difficult time to be a Manly supporter – what with guys who punch fathers of attractive girls who dare to interfere in their advances and alleged sexual assaulters named to turn out for the team on Friday.The NRL has just suspended Stewart for five rounds.It makes me feel sick.I don’t even want to trot out the “innocent until proven guilty” line in their defense.
  • Ninjaroo
    Posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 in Media
    Turns out I was wrong. The platypus may not be the ninja of the animal world after all. I feel like I’m a little behind the times only posting this now – I saw it on the Today Show this morning. A kangaroo broke into a house in Canberra and the owner had to take it down wrasslin’ style in just his undies.
  • Periodic table for nerdy nerds
    Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Computers
    Robyn and I had a fairly long discussion last night over whether or not I’m a nerd. I think I’m a geek, but not a nerd. She thinks I’m a nerd. This post may well decide it. I give you the periodic table of video game characters. Which I think is clever. Nerd? Maybe.
  • Question Mark: persuasion, influence and manipulation
    Posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 in Media
    In the comments of a previous post Mark asked: “when it comes to presenting a message, how clear are the boundaries between persuasion, influence and manipulation?” As I’m a renowned “PR Spin Twit” (according to the local paper’s nasty “Magpie” column) I feel I’m qualified to tackle that question.The organisation I work for is a “marketing” and “economic development” body – by our very nature we engage in all three of the above.
  • Sans serif
    Posted on Thursday, March 12th, 2009 in Life
    I just swapped the font on our website from Verdana to Helvetica. It looks nicer already. I don’t know why it was in Verdana to begin with.Speaking of our website – if you’re from North Queensland and haven’t spammed your local candidates and the party leaders to tell them to fix the Flinders Street Mall – you totally should. Here.
  • Shout Out Townsville
    Posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 in Life
    This one’s for Townsville locals – but those of you who don’t live here should check it out too. We’ve launched a new campaign with the Townsville Airport – and you can win prizes by chucking your photos and videos of North Queensland on the website. Then using them to lure your friends and family up here. It’s called “Shout Out Townsville” – and you’ll find a few of my pics up there as placeholders.
  • Watching Watchmen
    Posted on Thursday, March 12th, 2009 in Church
    On Saturday afternoon I caught the Watchmen with a bunch of guys from church. Having not read the Graphic Novel I wasn’t sure what to expect. Having caught the movie I now want to catch the graphic novel.The movie was violent. Graphically violent. And had a fair bit of sex – so it’s hard to “recommend” to Christians if that’s likely to cause you to stumble.
  • Written by man…
    Posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 in web
    According to GenderAnalyzer my blog is written by a man. You probably knew that already.I guess my predilection for toilet humour probably gives it away. The uncertainty in the result probably comes from my deep, emotionally charged insights. Thanks to Simone and Ben (Vanishing Point) for the link.”We think http://nathanintownsville.com is written by a man (62%).
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A bunch of links – March 15, 2009

A bunch of links – March 14, 2009