06 Apr 2008

IKEA products are experiencing a shrinking process. A case history of this disturbing phenomenon is described here. First image shows LAMPLIG, a stainless steel travit purchased in 2001 (boiler is a non-IKEA item). LAMPLIG has 10 ribs spanning 30cm, and it weights 1500 grams. Same article seven years later (second image). Two ribs disappeared, width shortened to 25.5cm and weight decreased to 600 grams. Rib diameter is constant, while rib interleave slightly increases. The graph assumes that shrinking process is linear in time. According to this, LAMPLIG will become weightless during the summer of 2012, and will continue to lose ribs at a rate of two each seven years. Last image shows LAMPLIG as in the 2029 edition of the IKEA catalogue. Link to this article

25 Mar 2008

I posted some of my drawings from the mid eighties. They are not directly related with Sir Arthur, but they strongly witness my background. Computheroes was intended to be a serie of short comics. Fellows with jacks sticking from their brain were in direct contact with powerful machines. Notice the Aracno-mobile: a similar vehicle can be seen in “Ghost in the Shell”. Last entry is a Hibernaut. Space travels are something for lonesome folks. Link to this article

28 Feb 2008

I like homemade carnival disguises. My son wanted a Transformer outfit, he loves the 1986 version of Optimus Prime (Commander in some italian versions). First we did some research, drew sketches, took measures. The mask proportions were obtained folding a sheet of paper around my son’s head. Elements of the outfit were drafted with CAD and plotted in full scale. Download here the AutoCAD file (64kB). Paper was spray glued on cardboard (light for mask, heavy for body and other elements), cut and folded. Below you can see my son proudly wearing his Commander disguise. Check out this site for amazing paper robots! Link to this article

02 Feb 2008

HAVING A VISIBILITY PROBLEM? YOU HAVE TO THINK BIG!!! NOW AUDIENCE IS WORLDWIDE!!!!! FIRST CHOOSE AN ACCESSIBLE FLAT ROOF. PAINT YOUR TAG WITH A ROLLER, MAKE IT AS BIG AS POSSIBLE, MAXIMISE CONTRAST. LOCATE THE ROOF ON GOOGLE MAP (or similar program), WAIT FOR IMAGE TO BE REFRESHED (it can take several months). SOONER OR LATER YOUR TAG WILL BE VISIBLE FROM SPACE!!! ADD URL TO HELP PEOPLE LOCATE YOUR SAT-ART. (Thanx to Nero for using his tag) Link to this article

27 Gen 2008

Check out these links: Ulysses spacecraft in depht. Ulysses trajectory in Java. Extraordinary SOHO movies. Link to this article

16 Gen 2008

Great tension between the Vatican and the Italian scientific community: the Pope was invited to hold a Lectio Magistralis during the opening ceremony of the academic year at the University of Rome, La Sapienza. Professors insurged declaring unfit the presence of the Pope, while radical leftist students have staged a sit-in. Read the letter of professor M. Cini which firmly explains scientists’ point of view (in Italian). In short it is argued that the Church is trying to split the front of the scientific community relying on moral issues and bringing forward the thesis of Intelligent Design versus Darwinism. The Pope chose to withdrawal. Still burning the ashes of Giordano Bruno, still burning the humiliation of Galileo! Link to this article