This just in from Roy G. Biv

Computer simulations shed light on the physics of rainbows: "Computer scientists at UC San Diego, who set out to simulate all rainbows found in nature, wound up answering questions about the physics of rainbows as well. The scientists recreated a wide variety of rainbows -- primary rainbows, secondary rainbows, redbows that form at sunset and cloudbows that form on foggy days -- by using an improved method for simulating how light interacts with water drops of various shapes and sizes. Their new approach even yielded realistic simulations of difficult-to-replicate "twinned" rainbows that split their primary bow in two."

‘Game of Thrones’ Season 2 Trailer - SF Signal

‘Game of Thrones’ Season 2 Trailer - SF Signal – A Speculative Fiction Blog: "Game of Thrones Season 2 is based on A Clash of Kings, the 2nd book in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire series."

Star Trek Bridge | eBay

Star Trek Bridge | eBay: "This is the ultimate buy for the ultimate Trekkie! A full sized, fully operational Star Trek bridge themed party room! The room comes with a working main screen, computer consoles, automatic sliding doors, and a hidden fridge. This one-of-a-kind buy even features surround sound and a "depressurization" chamber! The set was originally constructed for a well know celebrity for 1.5 million dollars but can now be yours for only a fraction of that at $200,000. The room can be shipped to you upon purchase so that you can be the proud owner of a federation star ship that your neighbors will drool over! For more information and a better look at this amazing piece of fan construction please look at this video of Fox's interview with the builder. Enjoy your new lift and "live long and prosper!"

Hublot painstakingly recreates a mysterious, 2,100-year-old clockwork relic - but why?

Hublot painstakingly recreates a mysterious, 2,100-year-old clockwork relic - but why?: "Why on Earth would you want to strap one of these to your wrist? It barely tells the time, and it can't take pictures, tweet or connect to your Facebook. In fact, very few people would have the faintest idea what it is, or why you'd want one at all. But for those that do recognize its intricate gears and dials, this tiny, complex piece of machinery tells a vivid and incredible tale. It's a story of gigantic scientific upheaval, of adventure and shipwreck on the high seas, of war and death. A story of amazing intellect, lost riches and impossible chance - a sunken treasure that Jaques Cousteau once described as "more valuable than the Mona Lisa" - and it's connected with an ancient celebrity whose star shone so brightly that he's still a household name more than 2200 years after his death... Read on!"

Studying random structures with confetti

Studying random structures with confetti: " Chance and probability play a natural role in statistical physics. Inspired by confetti, researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, are gaining better understanding of random phenomena and refine the tools that can be used to study them.  "The result of small disturbances to random systems can be illustrated by throwing confetti. If simple rules are constructed at a small scale, it is possible to study the characteristics at a broad level. Small changes at local level can result in widely differing phenomena at global level," says Daniel Ahlberg at the Department of Mathematical Sciences of the University of Gothenburg."

'Space Hurricane': Huge Solar Storm Is Pounding Earth Now | Solar Storm, Solar Flare & Coronal Mass Ejection | Space Weather, Sun Cycle & Sun Storm | Space.com

'Space Hurricane': Huge Solar Storm Is Pounding Earth Now | Solar Storm, Solar Flare & Coronal Mass Ejection | Space Weather, Sun Cycle & Sun Storm | Space.com: "A wave of charged particles from an intense solar storm is pummeling the Earth right now, which may trigger stunning aurora displays and cause minor disruptions to satellites over the next two days, NASA scientists say.

The storm began when a powerful solar flare erupted on the sun yesterday (Jan. 23), blasting a stream of charged particles toward Earth. This electromagnetic burst, called a coronal mass ejection (CME), hit Earth at about 9:31 a.m. EST (1430 GMT), according to scientists at the Space Weather Center at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md."

International Slide Rule Museum

International Slide Rule Museum: "The ISRM is dedicated to the Students, Educators, Scientists and Engineers of the Past and Those Still Present, and to promote the lost art of Numeracy by providing resources and slide rules for education and other historic institutions. ISRM is a member of the American Association of Museums and the Association of Northern Front Range Museums."

A New Faster Fourier Transform Can Speed One of IT's Fundamental Algorithms | Popular Science

A New Faster Fourier Transform Can Speed One of IT's Fundamental Algorithms | Popular Science: "An algorithm called the fast Fourier transform is one of the most important aspects of your digital life that you never think about. It’s a core concept in information technology, making possible the signal processing, image and audio compression, and other complex mathematics necessary for you to cram every episode of Breaking Bad onto your mobile device alongside every track Jay-Z ever made, and then play it all back without a hitch. Basically, the Fourier transform turns irregular signals into pure frequencies, so the fluctuating voltage signal traveling through a wire from your MP3 player to a set of speakers can be translated on the fly into the sounds you want to hear. The algorithm does this so quickly it earned the name “fast” (as in “fast Fourier transform,” or FFT). And it’s about to get faster."