Stream of Stuff

[stephen63]

Can't sleep. Weird observation I made a while back that I just thought of:

When Pat holds my iPad while it is plugged in and charging, if I run my fingers lightly on the skin of his leg, I feel a very delicate tingling, vibration. Pat was dubious about my claim and he tried to do the same except with me holding the iPad but couldn't. However, if I shut my eyes I could accurately tell whether or not he was touching the iPad based on the sensation at my fingertips. Our hypothesis immediately centered on electrical conductivity of the human body. We tried using the multimeter to measure it but couldn't find anything consistent with the measurements.

Use your multimeter to test the resistance from the 12v pin/connector to the ground/case shielding on your adapter. It should be very high/infinite resistance. Also, check the resistance from the ac plug to the ground case/case shielding. It should be very high as well. Compare your readings to a similar 12v adapter around the house. But, since you already can tell if the iPad is plugged in, then there must be a problem, no matter what the readings are! Get a new one.

[geckzilla]

I should definitely test it some more. I am cautious about calling it an "electrical" tingling. It's something so faint that only my sensitive fingers could feel it. They are super sensitive because usually at any given point it is relatively new skin covering them because of the eczema. I have noticed this for a long time when trying to run hot water over my hands. Water that normally only feels warm to them feels painfully hot. I remember after some really bad eczema when I didn't have any steroids to put on I had really large patches of new skin and when I compared it to my other hand I could feel so much more texture on, say, my arm. It was like I could feel every crack, hair, and bump not even visible to my eyes. They aren't that bad anymore, but it was interesting, however inconvenient.

Anyway, it's a really odd thing. I could be fooling myself. Could have gotten lucky or used other contextual clues subconsciously to tell he was holding the thing. I'll mess with it some more.

[Chris Peterson]

Anyway, it's a really odd thing. I could be fooling myself. Could have gotten lucky or used other contextual clues subconsciously to tell he was holding the thing. I'll mess with it some more.

You are most definitely not fooling yourself. What you describe is exactly what electrical leakage feels like. Google "tingle" and "ipad" and you'll find all sorts of references to people feeling this, especially when plugged into 220 volt mains.

If you make any measurements, the two most likely to be useful are the resistance between either of the wall prongs and the metal case (this should read as open... if not, you have a dangerous device), and the AC voltage between ground (you can use the ground receptacle of an outlet) and the metal case. This must be measured with a digital meter (which has high input impedance- most meters these days) and should ideally be near zero. More than 10 or 20 volts and I'd also be worried about the safety of the device.

[Beyond]

Van Gogh Work Missing for Century on Show in Amsterdam.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-0 ... ports.html

[makc]

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

[Beyond]

Spacey. But i can't tell what it's about, as i don't speak Russian.

[makc]

this is the remix, so the guy doesn't say much except that he wants to sing a song to his fellow prisoner. in the original, there was a song about green elephant who has bad time living in the circus.

[makc]

Do any of you have this thing:

Click to view full size image

It's perfect for stuff streaming.

[makc]

One more from same DJ:

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

It's about three kids who killed taxi driver, I think, but it has some space in background.

[Beyond]

Well, foreground in the video sucks Background is nice. I found the 24 minute World Trade Center video after it, to be very interesting. Thanks, makc.

[makc]

well, the key phrase of their speech, "пацан к успеху шёл" (≈ "the guy was on his way to success") became russian internet meme, that's why the video was made. these killers clearly have no vocal talent.

[geckzilla]

"Putting Time In Perspective "
An amusing read. Contains some profanity.
http://www.waitbutwhy.com/2013/08/putti ... ctive.html

[Beyond]

"Putting Time In Perspective "
An amusing read. Contains some profanity.
http://www.waitbutwhy.com/2013/08/putti ... ctive.html

All i have to say about it, is Incense and Peppermints.
Little to winning, but nothing to lose.

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

[makc]

I give you

Click to view full size image

the space cat

[Beyond]

It's Galaxy Cat

[Ann]

Swedish newspapers are full of the claim that British scientists have found alien bugs floating in the upper atmosphere of the Earth.

I guess you folks here at Starship Asterisk* don't put much stock in the veracity of this story, or you would already have reported it.

Ann

[bystander]

Has Alien Life Been Found In Earth's Atmosphere? I'm Gonna Go With "No".
Slate Blogs | Bad Astronomy | Phil Plait | 2013 Sep 20

[geckzilla]

Yup, already read Phil's blog entry, hehe. He makes some good points especially about how the guy seems to see alien microbes everywhere. More wishful science.

[Ann]

I know why you shine,
little big stars.
Source: http://www.layoutsparks.com/1/166802/my ... -made.html

There was a poem in a newspaper here a few days ago, a sort of slightly sentimental ode to the fall. The poem said something about how beautifully the stars shine in the autumn sky, and how they do so for really no reason.

But actually, the stars have reasons to shine. They really have exactly two reasons: they are so inordinately heavy, and they are mostly made of stuff that is so inordinately light.

There is a bit more to say about the whole thing, but nevertheless, that is the long and the short of it.

Of the heavy and the light and the shiny of it.

Ann

[Beyond]

Do We Live in a Saddle Shaped Universe?
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/weird-fi ... e=obinsite

[konradpow]

I give you
the space cat

Ohhh, that is wonderful!!! I love cats at all, and this Space Cat is connecting my love to cats and to astronomy

[Beyond]

I give you
the space cat

Ohhh, that is wonderful!!! I love cats at all, and this Space Cat is connecting my love to cats and to astronomy

Sounds like you are having a purrfect experience.

[Ann]

I have to return to the supposedly alien bug in the Earth's atmosphere. The British scientists, among them that guy Chandra Wickramasinghe who apparently sees aliens in a variety of places, found a bug high up in thin air that looks exactly like a species of bug that is abundant down on the Earth. But since this specimen was so high up in the stratosphere, it had to be an alien. Of course, since it looks just like its brethren (and sisthren) on the Earth, they, too, have to be aliens. Unlike the one in the stratosphere, the other ones have all fallen down to the Earth.

Wow. My mind boggles at the brilliance of the logic.

Ann

[wonderboy]

i dont know how to upload videos or inbed them so heres a youtube clip of some strange cloud activity

explanations?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt7gE1zIt1U

[Beyond]

i dont know how to upload videos or inbed them so heres a youtube clip of some strange cloud activity

explanations?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt7gE1zIt1U

Just put the youtube url into the youtube tags.

Click to play embedded YouTube video.