Category Archives: coolness

Science Dork Alert!

There is an awesome article how engineers are retrofitting UC Berkley’s stadium. Why?

Memorial Stadium was built in 1923 atop the Hayward Fault, which the U.S. Geological Survey said has a 70 percent chance of hatching a 6.7-magnitude or greater quake by 2030. The earth could move up to 6 feet horizontally and 2 feet vertically, presenting a challenge to engineers charged with saving the stadium and the football fans who might be inside.

While plenty of buildings around the world sit atop earthquake faults, Memorial Stadium is unique because of the sheer quantity of people it holds: 75,662. It’s also unique because seismologists know exactly where the fault lies – under Section LL, through both end zones and out Section XX.

Cool.

(HT: Instapundit)

Its Hip to be Nerdy

Queen’s guitarist Brian May finished his PhD in Astronomy last year from Imperial College in London. Now his doctoral thesis is being published. Apparently he was working on his doctorate when Queen began to take off so he put the PhD on the back burner.

As a stay at home mom it brings me joy to see someone who took a 30 year break in education getting critical acclaim for their research. It brings me hope that someday I may actually go back to school.

As a nerd it brings me joy to see a rock legend say things like this:

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my years playing guitar and recording music with Queen,” said May, 61, who earlier this summer received his doctorate in a ceremony at the Albert Hall. “But it’s extremely gratifying to see the publication of my thesis. I’ve been fascinated with astronomy for years.”

You don’t have to collect knowledge for the sake of making money in it but the pure joy!

(HT: Physorg.com)

Everyone Has Their Line

First, watch this. Now don’t pause halfway through and start formulating your arguments. Watch all the way to the end but there is a bad word beeped out.

Stephen Colbert is usually pretty irreverent and chooses to point out ridiculousness that way. But apparently there are somethings you don’t leave unsaid (which I agree with) and hope that people catch. Even someone on Comedy Central can take a stand for God.

(HT: The Anchoress)
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