Caveat emptor:
Physics Product Warnings!
Man of the Century!
Who says that physicists never get the respect they deserve? Time
recently named theoretical physicist Albert Einstein its "person of the
century" in its year-end issue (December 27, 1999), citing not only his intellectual
brilliance but his humanitarian concerns, and describing him as a "paramount icon of
our age."
As everyone knows, Uncle
Al won the 1921 Nobel Prize in physics for uncovering the theory of the photoelectric
effect... Think of him each time the door opens automatically for you, at the
supermarket.
[ More Info about Big Al ]
NASA TV
See what NASA TV is broadcasting right now.
If the shuttle is currently in space, see what is going on in real time. If a ship
is poised for launch -- catch the space workers strap in. Try to catch a shot of the
actual launch in real time, like the picture at left. NASA TV broadcasts launch
coverage of other space vehicles as well!
Catch the Space Station
Have you seen the International Space Station fly overhead? Even though there are
only two components assembled together so far... you can actually see the Station
pass by in the evening sky from your own backyard. Get the time and direction from
NASA's
Realtime Data page.
VR Tour
Take
a Virtual Reality tour
of the International Space Station... This is a serious tour of the facility, and
can be computationally intensive for your PC. Make sure you take the tour without
other programs running at the same time.
Cosmic CD Available at
Last!
Us diehard fans of the "Physics Chanteuse" -- a.k.a., cosmological
physicist turned entertainer Lynda Williams -- will be thrilled to hear that the diva has
finally released her first CD compilation. The CD contains both music and data,
including lyrics, film clips of her live show, Cosmic Cabaret, and links to her
colourful website www.scientainment.com.
It also contains some of ther most popular tunes, many of which were performed during the
APS Centennial meeting in Atlanta, GA, last March: "Hi-Tek Girl," "arbon is
a Girl's Best Friend," "Super-symmetry" and just for Valentine's Day,
"Love Boson," whose lyrics appeared in the February 1999 issue of APS News
(American Physical Society) newsletter.
A
Flying Dinosaur?
Feathers of T. Rex?
Found: Four new dinosaur fossils with stunningly birdlike bones and indications of
feathers. Not enough to prove that these dinosaurs ever flew but strong evidence
that feathers were widespread among meat-eating dinosaurs -- the group that includes
Tyrannosaurus rex.
For a 3-D view of a feathered dinosaur, go to www.nationalgeographic.com/dinorama.
Going Places?
Got an address to get to? Don't have a Pearly's?
MapQuest: Zoom in on a street map guide that can get you there with less fuss.
Highway Webcams
Are
you in central Ontario and want to check out the road conditions before you hit the road?
Look though the eyes of the MTO highway web cameras (you may have noticed them in your
travels).
A note about the direction of the field of view: The cameras are
generally pointed away from
the sun.
The physical location of each camera is usually on the south side of the east-west
highways, and on the east side of the north-south highways. So depending on the
camera location you select, the roadway closest to you is either the east bound side or
the north bound side.
