Certainly not physics, but for some reason I found this book really fascinating when I read it years ago. Then I loaned it to a friend and never got it back. Pick up a copy if you chance across it.
Linguistics? Anthropology? Neuroscience?
MAKE
A simple plug for one of my favorite magazines, MAKE. After a few issues it spun off an artsier offshoot, CRAFT, which is now defunct.
One day when I have some extra time on my hands I’m going to pull out the old issue and start restoring old pinball machines, but for now it’s just a dream. Actually, if I had that kind of time (and room in my basement), first I would build my own grappa distillation apparatus.
Physics on xkcd
A selected subset of the (often NSFW) comic, in no particular order. xkcd is the best comic strip ever created.
- Dimensional analysis
- Crackpot theories
- Snide comment about physics professors
- Subtleties of special relativity
- I miss my HP 15C
- Fictitious force
- Irresponsible suggestion
- String-theorist bashing
- The LHC is low-hanging fruit
- It’s funny because it’s true
- Actually, question 2 is surprisingly difficult
- Snide comment about SETI
- Probability and sampling rates
- Overly rigorous
Cliffs Notes for particle physics
Ultra-short explanations of some particle physics terminology. Embedded in the site of a particle-physics-oriented magazine that has some quirky content. A random selection includes:
- an essay about the debut of antimatter in science fiction – back when it was purely hypothetical and the name “antimatter” wasn’t even established yet.
- using cosmic ray muon detectors to map the pyramids.
- a review of Les Horribles Cernettes (who apparently posted the very first picture on the Web) at Hadronic Music Festival.
- ultra-cheap recipes from graduate students.
History of Science
I stumbled across this magazine at the house of a historian of science. The subjects vary from mind-numbingly boring to absolutely riveting. Articles are generally aimed at the well-educated layperson; clearly many of the authors are graduate students in history of science who need a little extra cash, so they put together a popular version of what their thesis will be, if they actually manage to get the thing written before starving to death on a grad student stipend…
Some great articles that I remember:
- The technology of tunnel-digging machines. Each one is designed from scratch for the particular tunnel size and particular type of earth to be excavated, assembled in place and used only once.
- The technology of the Star Wars IV (the first one, that is). Lucas’ crew built a state-of-the-art precision computerized 5-axis camera controller to shoot multiple takes of the surface of the Death Star to be superimposed for the final film.