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A molecule, photographed

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, pictured for the first time ever, the “detailed chemical structure of a single molecule”:

pentacene_anatomy

Apparently, some IBM researchers in Zurich used an atomic force microscope (AFM) to create the image shown above. Their version is like a tuning fork: the fork is vibrated, and one of the tines is placed near a molecule. The amount of vibration recorded on the other tine is then recorded, and by carefully repeating the process, an image of the molecule is formed. While carbon nanotubes have been photographed before, this is the first time that the actual chemical bonds have been photographed.

Learn more here.

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-30

  • Lisa loves fabric softener! #
  • It's about time my illegal download of "Mad Men" came around! Thanks for nothin', Internet! #
  • "She broke my heart in the trailer park…" #
  • And the people of Chappaquiddick are now safe… #
  • "haha… kitty wins!" #
  • Remember folks: Ted Kennedy KILLED a woman in 1969. #
  • "The last person as wrong as you are was Neville Chamberlain!" #

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More fun with Bawlmer

Saw this on a the Bawlmer Sun’s “Ravens Insider” page via Twitter:

Early in training camp, three-time Pro Bowl linebacker/defensive end Terrell Suggs goaded the reigning champion Pittsburgh Steelers by wearing a black t-shirt that read, “You Bet Your Sweet Ass I Hate the Steelers” on the back.

Well, cornerback Frank Walker showed off his own Steelers-themed apparel this morning and the sentiment was similar in tone.

Walker wore a black t-shirt that had “Hey Pittsburgh” in big yellow letters and a Raven extending a purple middle finger.

What’s funny about it are the comments from Ravens fans:

– “Hey Frank, don’t worry about the Steelers until you stop getting burned off the line. You suck.”

– “hopefully frank walker will be wearing his t shirt and watching from home in November, rather than being on the field making ben rothelsburger look good.”

Continue reading “More fun with Bawlmer”

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The freak show that shamed Britain

Big Brother, one of Britian’s most popular TV shows in the recent past, has been canceled due to plummeting ratings. Daily Mail commentator Richard Littlejohn compares the death of the show with the death of New Labour in an amusing post:

For most of the show’s 12-year run, Gordon was biting his nails and banging his head against the wall. Whenever there was a scandal in the New Labour house, he hid behind the sofa, away from the cameras.

After Blair was evicted in 2007 and went on to become a global star, earning millions of pounds a year, Gordon attempted to become the main character, but ratings continued to slump and he soon realised there was nowhere to hide.

He resorted to a bizarre act of self-abuse on YouTube, in the belief that the audience had migrated to the internet, but it was too late.

Although I got a good laugh out of the piece, it was sad and unnerving to read all the nasty bits about New Labour. I suppose that any government in power for 12 years will have some scandals, but jeez – these people are just… something!

via Good riddance to the freak show that shamed Britain

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Deliciousness!

Ritter Sport is a 100g (3.5oz.) square chocolate bar from Germany. Although frequently sold in gourmet and specialty shops here in the US, in its German homeland the Ritter Sport is roughly equivalent to a Hershey bar – the one chocolate bar you can buy at almost any news stand, gift shop or gas station.

I’ve loved them for years, especially the Voll-Nuss (hazelnut) and Alpenmilch (extra milk) versions. But when my local Walmart started carrying them, I was intrigued by one type I’d never seen before:

Ritter cornflakes

Yes, it’s a chocolate candy bar… with cornflakes! I had seen them on several trips to the store, but this week temptation got the better of me and I finally bought one… and they’re indescribably delicious!

Continue reading “Deliciousness!”

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FRIDAY FUN: Simpsons go African!

The Simpsons might be celebrating their 20th year on the air here in the US this December, but the show has never been aired before in Africa… but not for long. Digital provider DStv will begin airing the show next month in Angola and, to celebrate, the network has “Africanized” the family in all its advertising:

Angola Simpsons

Notice that Snowball the cat is missing entirely, the end tables have been replaced with giant, 70s-style speakers, and the “yacht picture” behind the sofa has been replaced with one showing a Serengeti elephant scene. Marge’s hair is now jet black, Lisa is sporting braids, and Bart… well, Bart apparently has a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air-era fade. Note also that the entire family are wearing Angolan-style flip-flops.

In case you’re curious, the “Africanized” Simpsons will only appear in advertisements; they’ll still be yellow when the show actually airs in a few weeks.