science – Ryan Sholin

“The site, near Sarnia in Ontario, Canada, will be enough to power between 10,000 and 15,000 homes on sunny days, drawing on a monstrous 40-megawatt capacity.”

Secretive Silicon Valley company, OptiSolar, builds largest solar farm – VentureBeat

Wired 15.01: The Meteor Farmer

January 6, 2007 Ryan SholinLeave a comment

“Using a souped-up metal detector, a shovel, and a treasure map, Steve Arnold combs the flat Kansas wheat fields for rocks from outer space.”

Wired 15.01: The Meteor Farmer

So I don’t get it wrong again

September 14, 2006 Ryan Sholin

Here’s the physics joke I’m always trying to retell:

Professor Heisenberg is cruising along the highway when he suddenly gets pulled over. The motorcycle cop sidles up to Heisenberg’s window. Heisenberg rolls it down.

“Do you have any idea how fast you were going?” asks the cop.

“I have no idea,” Heisenberg replies. “But I know exactly where I am.”

New York Times: The Universe is a mouse brain

August 15, 2006 Ryan SholinLeave a comment

Visual evidence that Douglas Adams was on the right track.

New York Times: The Universe is a mouse brain

Making the inconvenient accessible

August 6, 2006 Ryan Sholin

We finally made it out to see An Inconvenient Truth last night.

Remind me again why Al Gore isn’t running for President in 2008? Sorry, but I haven’t heard a good enough reason.

Personally, I’d like to see him grow his beard back, put on a flannel shirt and a pair of jeans, and go on a “No Bullshit” tour of the country where he gives the global warming talk, and then goes ahead and gives us some data on poverty, hunger, war, crime and health care, where he applies the same passion and attitude we see in Inconvenient Truth to issues that lots of different folks will see as “their” issue.

Oh, and screw the Democrats, Al – you don’t need a party. Just run. I’ll vote for you.

In other words, the movie is great and informative and digestible, and everyone should go see it. I worry that he’s preaching to the converted, but I still left the theater with a clearer understanding of the science behind the issues, and places like Mother Jones will give me all the political background I need to understand.

So, friends, go see An Inconvenient Truth, and then tell two friends about it. And then blog about it. In fact, you probably already did, and I’m late to the party.