saturn return to sender

So there is this gravitational analogue to the magnetic field generated by moving electrons. Apparently researchers have now used it to generate acceleration, and the effect is much stronger than expected:

Although just 100 millionths of the acceleration due to the Earth’s gravitational field, the measured field is a surprising one hundred million trillion times larger than Einstein’s General Relativity predicts. Initially, the researchers were reluctant to believe their own results.

That’s pretty cool. They best get right to work developing speeder bikes like in Return of the Jedi. That should definitely be priority one.

The spots you cannot reach when applying sunblock to your back are the same spots you cannot reach when applying aloe to your back.

Notable milestones in Apple’s computer-making history:

• Switching to PowerPC
• Moving to OS X
• Switching to Intel
• Removing the “open apple” from the command key

It is a new era, ladies and gentlemen.

This past week, in response to Bad Astronomy Blog commentary on a news item about a transcendental meditation group in Iowa, I wrote the following, and then failed to post it as a comment, but eventually posted a shorter version. I am not an expert on the subject but make myself sound like one, and the comment was way too long, and jumping into internet conversations among strangers sometimes feels like jumping into a pool of angry fish with creepy translucent little teeth.

Um. Anyway. I spent so long writing it, and this blog has been so mundane lately, that I figured I’d post it here.

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