This is a pretty good summary of the Ingenuity helicopter that nasa placed on mars.
It was wildly successful and continues to guide future development that can be used far away from home.
Monday, May 25, 2026
The Mars helicopter Ingenuity completed 72 flights in an atmosphere less than one percent as dense as Earth's before rotor blade damage grounded it in 2024, and JPL had originally designed it for just five test flights, and the lessons from its overperformance are shaping NASA's next generation of Mars aircraft
Disney pulled back the curtain on Imagineering’s robotics lab during its Week of Wishes for a young fan — and showed how its next-gen characters come to life | TechRadar
It makes me happy to see Disney doing some good. In this case, they offered a tour of the robotics lab to a “make a wish kid”…
And the fact that Disney is creating and innovating on the cutting edge is great, and carries on the fine tradition started by Walt and his WED designers.
Saturday, May 23, 2026
About AI...
I've been thinking about the advent of AI, and how we really don't know *what* it is, how it will be used, or how it will affect us.
And yet, AI is the answer to everything! And it will cost all kinds of jobs! And it will make our lives better (or worse, I'm confused)!
The headlines promoted by companies tell a story that they want to tell (and ignore that they are taking an opportunity to "rightsize their workforce" while hailing innovation - lower payroll = more money to the wealthy investors).
So instead, I prefer to focus on the fact that each new innovation does change some aspects of our lives, but doesn't end the world as we know it. A relatively recent analogous example being the advent of the personal computer - which we were told would eliminate humans from most jobs.
AI is probably overstated in how it can be applied, though it definitely has use cases that can be helpful and improve on some things we as humans do. And industries will surely change. But it seems unlikely that it will "eliminate humans from most jobs." That's my take, anyway.
But I don't think I'm alone on that. I found this video, and it talks about the same general topic from a slightly different perspective, and is worth a watch.
Oh, and by the way, I did note that Lowe's is investing in training tradespeople. They, too, see the headlines, and realize that no matter what, trades can't be replaced by AI. Plus, being in construction broadly, they see a deficit on people who can do plumbing, electric, and carpentry. So they are looking to fill that need, and take a part of that business. Kudos to them.
Keep calm, and carry on
A few weeks ago, we heard about a few people getting sick on a cruise ship, from something most of us never heard of, the hantavirus. Then, a couple of people died, and some others got pretty sick and the news media started to do what they do best: breathlessly report on it. It's the next pandemic!
Scientists, particularly those with experience in diseases and epidemiology, were drowned out. The truth is that while this is "something," it's not quite what its been built up to be. It's treatable if caught early. Different strains spread differently, but generally you have to be in close quarters. It originates via rat droppings, and much of it originates in Argentina, as it turns out (hence why there was an outbreak on a ship that left from that country).
The media just focuses on it being awful, and will report on stories like the woman who is quarantined here in the states, but who wants to leave and is throwing a fit about her rights. (I would assume because it makes a great headline and gets clicks).
And they miss the story about another man in the same facility, who sees that this is the right thing to do, and talks about how the kindness of strangers touched him. People send care packages, and drop off coffees. He's had some unexpected and pleasant interactions with the staff - and he adds that he will not let what's happened deter him. He still plans to travel the world!
Oh, and of course the media also decides to add ebola into the story, for good measure. They conflate both diseases, even though they are vastly different in almost every way.
That's not to say there's no danger and we shouldn't pay attention. But, we should focus our attention in the right places.
My point is that once again, we should look behind the hype. Listen to those who know something about the topic. Don't doom scroll and immediately assume the worst because that's what you see popping up on social media.
Watch "You've Seen Her Face THOUSANDS of Times & Here's Why!" on YouTube
This is just a fun break from the everyday.
Friday, May 22, 2026
Watch "How Differential Gear Works | QUOTED" on YouTube
This is one of the most well articulated description of differentials that I’ve ever seen.
It’s well worth a few minutes of your time.
Monday, May 18, 2026
Climate scientist finds large errors in a global climate pollution database
The finding of large gaps in the climate data are maybe not so surprising. They do note that the way data is collected and the use of automation does affect the data that’s reported.
And of course there is observer bias. But they note:
“We will never estimate emissions with perfect accuracy, but we must ensure that the data shared with policymakers and the public is unbiased and meets best practices and the most rigorous scientific standards available. Without this, we mislead decision makers and potentially lose public trust in our ability to tackle climate change.”
And yes. That should be the fundamental basis for all scientific endeavor.
Beavers Turn Rivers Into Powerful Carbon Sinks, Study Finds
Let’s give it up for the beavers!
They turn out to be more important in a changing climate than anyone ever assumed.
A Chemical Breakthrough That Could Fix the Plastic Crisis
Denovia, a company based in Canada, has come up with a compound that more efficiently breaks down plastics and lower temperatures, meaning that plastic waste can be recycled at scale.
There’s more to be done, but it’s a step in a better direction.
Scientists build near-invisible solar cells thinner than human hair
Here’s another step forward in the development of solar cells. Thin, transparent cells that can cover a surface and still be clear enough to see through is an intriguing use case.
Nasa Beamed 484 Gigabytes From The Moon, And It Could Redefine How Humans Experience Deep Space Forever
I noted on a previous post that nasa was using a laser to send compressed data back to earth. It had less lag than a traditional radio broadcast (as we used in Apollo), and contained way more data in the stream. They were able to broadcast near HD video from the spacecraft.
Here some additional details on how this worked, and what they learned.
Scientists “bottle the sun” with a liquid battery that stores solar energy | ScienceDaily
The intent here is:
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara believe they may have found an answer that avoids the need for massive battery systems or reliance on the electrical grid. Writing in the journal Science, Associate Professor Grace Han and her research team describe a new material capable of absorbing sunlight, storing that energy in chemical bonds, and later releasing it as heat whenever needed. The material is based on a modified organic molecule called pyrimidone and represents a new step forward in Molecular Solar Thermal (MOST) energy storage technology.
Now that’s an advancement in a clean energy storage system.
The DOJ Is Demanding Apple And Google Identify Over 100,000 Users Of This Car App
This can’t end well. The DOJ asking for a list of everyone who downloaded an app sets a dangerous precedent for surveillance. These people may not have done anything wrong, or perhaps downloaded it in error.
And yet their names will appear on a list that will surely lead to enforcement.
World’s largest operating tokamak restarts with 8-meter coils upgrade
Europe and Asia continue to lead in finding alternative fuel sources. Here’s a story about a tokamak that is being tested.
A tokamak is an experimental device that uses powerful magnetic fields to confine a superheated plasma in the shape of a donut (torus). It is the leading design for harnessing nuclear fusion—the process that powers the sun—to create clean, limitless, and on-demand energy on Earth.
California farmer prepares to rip up 9-year-old peach trees worth $12,500/acre after largest buyer collapsed
This is the story of fallout from sweeping changes by this administration. However it’s framed, Delmonte closed a packing plant, laid off workers, and now the effects are being felt by the growers who supplied produce.
And of course, we’ll feel it at the grocery stores when we are unable to get fresh produce.
FAFO indeed.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Soarin over the USA
In case you missed the memo, the Soarin’ attraction at Epcot made a change this week to temporarily go from “Soarin around the world” to “Soarin over the USA” in honor of our nations 250th anniversary (or as Patrick refers to it: the Semiquincentennial; And yes, his opening bit is cute)
Some kind soul recorded it and put it online. And my honest opinion is that it sucks.
It’s a lot of CGI and things don’t look “right”… plus the things they chose to show aren’t really representative of America. What of our historical places, landmarks that really define the country, our great national parks (and the redwoods maybe?), or a sense of how vast our country is?
It’s just underwhelming. I am disappointed that Disney whiffed on this opportunity. Especially given how good they often are at such things.
You can watch it here:
To be fair, I opted to write some code which reads the question and gives the right answer most of the time, within milliseconds. But it was always fun to see my player on the leaderboard.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
A cautionary tale about spirit airlines
What happened a few weeks ago with Spirit airlines is maybe a little dispiriting (pun intended) for several specific reasons: we lost a low cost carrier that drove the competition to keep pricing down, there were many thousands of workers who were laid off, and we got a not-so-great lesson in economics.
Its that lesson that I wanted to talk about. Spirit was a Fort Lauderdale - based airline, and that made it an employer of note in my hometown. Did I love them? No. Had I ever flown them? Also no. But they drove some amount of economy here locally.
Sometime around 2016, Frontier looked to acquire them, but the price point was too low, and the shareholders rejected that. Then, in 2022, there was a much-hyped offer for JetBlue to acquire them. This one was complicated. It wasn't entirely clear what JetBlue would get out of it, other than adding planes and some routes to its portfolio. But it wasn't.a great fit and there was internal strife, and several rejections by shareholders and the board was also wwrking to reject it.
Ultimately, it was nixed by the Biden-era DOJ who said that allowing them to merge would raise prices and stifle competition. To be fair, if the DOJ had allowed it to proceed, its still possible (maybe even likely) that the board of JetBlue would have killed the deal anyway. But, sure, lets "blame it on Biden" ...
The thing that was clear 4 years ago was that without a change, Spirit would not be able to continue operation for very long. It was a well-known fact that they needed operating capital in an ever-changing landscape.
Enter private equity in around 2024, who bought stakes in the airline and helped manage it along, with an intent to have it sold somewhere.
But it still wasn't enough, and in early 2026, Spirit needed an influx of capital. The airline and the private equity ownership asked the government for a bailout.
The T-rump administration asked for a 90% stake in the company, which would make it government owned. The board of Spirit wasn't aligned with that. And that private equity firm said no thanks; there would be little return for them.
So they declared bankruptcy, and are selling their planes, and their routes to other airlines (notably: JetBlue). And in the end, they. went out of business and we lost a low-cost airline anyway. Based on the desire to have it be state run, its funny that almost no one is saying "blame it on T-rump" and point back to the failed merger as their reason for the bankruptcy.
But its as much the problem of private equity as anything.
Is sad that the media can't wrap their head around all that's happened here. The debt should get mostly paid off, but the private equity firm will also get a nice payout for their "help" ... and as always, we consumers get screwed.
We seem to have forgotten our humanity …
I was standing in line the other day with a friend while we were waiting to order an ice cream.
And as we waited, we each struck up conversations with the people in line around us. Just random talk. It was so unusual in this day and age that it caught my attention.
But WHY did it feel so unusual? Because we’ve lost that human connection with our noses buried in our phones (and no, the irony of me writing this online isn’t lost on me). We don’t often have that moment to talk, smile, and laugh with a complete stranger.
My grandfather was always one to talk with anyone about anything (he was pretty proud of his ability to yak with anyone and would say the most ridiculous lines to engage with people). I have that skill, too, but it doesn’t come out as often as I’d like anymore.
Our society is weird that way. So much technology. You can’t just pick up the phone and call a company or a store and talk with someone. These kids today mostly text and will only call when it necessary. It’s about not knowing your neighbors the same way. (Not that knowing them too well is a good thing sometimes)
I was remembering a story from years ago. They were installing the first automated toll booths on a few highways. And the Miami Herald interviewed some people who lamented the move to automation because it lacks that personal touch. And one couple talked about their “meet cute” moment. He drove through the same toll booth every day, and she was the toll collector. Their interactions were but a few moments every day, but they ultimately went on a date and they were at-that-time happily married.
While that didn’t happen often, it was a chance for a small amount of human interaction. I would chat with the toll workers, say something fun, and sometimes in a random act of kindness I’d hand them double the amount of the toll and say it was for me and the car behind me. The person in the car behind me, who I didn’t know, would now have to interact with the person and had a moment to tell their friends about.
We are missing out on that sort of thing all the time now.
I guess my message here is that we each have an opportunity to do something more personal. Talk to that person in line next to you. Talk to the worker in the store. If you do manage to get someone on the phone, ask how their day is, and where they are located. Tell a terrible dad joke randomly to a stranger. Be kind. Practice a random act of kindness.
We can be better. And it starts with each of as individuals.
The world is difficult sometimes
And when I’m “feeling it,” I think about this infamous diddy from Monty Python. It’s sung during the crucifixion scene in “Life of Brian.”
Whilst trying to come up with a way of ending the film Monty Python's Life of Brian, Eric Idle wrote an original version of the song on a Gibson J-50 guitar using only jazz chords he learnt from a course by Mickey Baker. Originally the song was sung in a more straight fashion, which the other Python members eventually agreed would be good enough for the end of the film. However, Michael Palin noted in his diary for 16 June 1978 that during a script meeting, "Eric's two songs—'Otto' and the 'Look on the Bright Side' crucifixion song—are rather coolly received before lunch." Despite being initially underwhelmed, the group warmed to Idle's efforts and the song was retained. While practising during a break in filming, Idle found that it worked better if sung in a more cheeky manner by a character of his called "Mr Cheeky", which in turn was based on the film's Cockney lighting crew. This new version was used in the film and became one of Monty Python's most famous compositions.
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