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Viscoelastic Mysteries

September 20, 2023 by J.R. Johnson

It’s starting to feel like fall here now, but still early enough that it feels right to cast my eyes back to a childhood summer treat: saltwater taffy.

Ever wondered what makes taffy both so sticky and so slippery?

The sweet physics of saltwater taffy | ScienceDaily

When measuring how the taffy responded to applied forces, Chan and their colleagues found taffy occupies the intriguing middle ground between solid and liquid material.

Ever wondered “how the ingredients and confectioning process contribute to the rheology of saltwater taffy”? Read on!

“In some sense, oil droplets and air bubbles are like rubber balls. When deformed in the taffy, they tend to return to their original, spherical shape because of surface tension. In other words, emulsification and aeration make taffy more elastic, hence, chewier.”

Also and alas, no saltwater is used in the making of saltwater taffy. 

Why is it Called Salt Water Taffy? | Mental Floss

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The Secret of Creativity

September 19, 2023 by J.R. Johnson

According to Ray Bradbury (who ought to know), this is the secret to creativity:

As soon as things get difficult, I walk away. That’s the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you. If you try to approach a cat and pick it up, hell, it won’t let you do it. You’ve got to say, “Well, to hell with you.” And the cat says, “Wait a minute. He’s not behaving the way most humans do.” Then the cat follows you out of curiosity: “Well, what’s wrong with you that you don’t love me?” Well, that’s what an idea is. See? You just say, “Well, hell, I don’t need depression. I don’t need worry. I don’t need to push.” The ideas will follow me. When they’re off-guard, and ready to be born, I’ll turn around and grab them.

― Ray Bradbury, Zen in The Art of Writing

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You Are Awesome

September 18, 2023 by J.R. Johnson

It seems as though every step I take I trip over yet another project to do. I have made it to the end of my workday having done many, many things, but not the items that were actually on my list.

So congratulations, all those who like quotes and pretty pictures, today is (once again) your day!

“Don’t worry about looking cool. Do you because you are awesome.”

— Hank Green

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Something Old and True

September 17, 2023 by J.R. Johnson

We read fantasy to find the colors again, I think. To taste strong spices and hear the songs the sirens sang. There is something old and true in fantasy that speaks to something deep within us, to the child who dreamt that one day he would hunt the forests of the night, and feast beneath the hollow hills, and find a love to last forever somewhere south of Oz and north of Shangri-La.

― George R.R. Martin

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Or Any Age, Really

September 16, 2023 by J.R. Johnson

“There’s a point, around the age of twenty, when you have to choose whether to be like everybody else the rest of your life, or to make a virtue of your peculiarities.”

— Ursula K. Le Guin

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Great Deal on Sci-Fi

September 15, 2023 by J.R. Johnson

Storybundle, home of the “pay what you want and if it’s more than $20 we give you a whole bunch of extra books” e-book bundles, has a new bundle out: 

https://storybundle.com/scifiTo the Stars Adventure SF StoryBundle

The site has a rolling roster of interesting bundles, so why do I mention this bundle in particular? Because it happens to include a certain story collection with a certain author in it (a.k.a. me, in case you’re wondering).

That’s right, Writers of the Future: Volume 39 is available as a bonus book. So if you pay more than $20 for the bundle, you’ll get e-books by the baker’s dozen, including v39.

Am I biased? Sure, I happen to think our collection is great. But the bundle is curated by Kevin J. Anderson and also includes books by other names sci-fi/fantasy fans may have heard of, like Todd McCaffrey and Nancy Kress, as well as others I look forward to discovering.

Like all bundles, this one is a limited-time offer, expiring in 20 days. So if you are in the market for e-books and sci-fi, this may be the deal for you.

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Maybe Next Time?

September 14, 2023 by J.R. Johnson

NASA just released a report on the current status of research on unidentified anomalous phenomena, more commonly referred to by Area 51 enthusiasts as UFOs.

Here’s the full report:

UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA: Independent Study Team Report

Don’t have time for the full document? Here’s a summary article:

NASA UFO report finds no evidence of ‘extraterrestrial origin’ for UAP sightings | Space

NASA’s UFO study team released its long-awaited first report today, and while its experts found no signs of extraterrestrial origins for reported sightings, the space agency is appointing a new chief to study the phenomenon.

The takeaway? Sorry, folks, it’s not aliens.

But.

When it comes to mysteries like these, we still have a lot more to learn. 

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Here They Do Magick

September 13, 2023 by J.R. Johnson

Yes, the internet can sometimes be a bit of a drag, but then you stumble across the one thing your six-year-old heart most desired: A map of Fairyland.

An anciente mappe of Fairyland – newly discovered and set forth

Excerpt from Sleigh, Bernard, and Sidgwick & Jackson. An anciente mappe of Fairyland: newly discovered and set forth: imaginary locality. [London: Sidgwick & Jackson, ?, 1920] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2006628749/.

Found when perusing Texas A&M Libraries’ Maps of Imaginary Places.

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Awaiting Discovery

September 12, 2023 by J.R. Johnson

This week, you have a once-in-a-430 year chance to see a new comet. Comet Nishimura was just discovered last month, and will be gone by the end of the week.

Nishimura green comet: what is it, how to see it and when it will be back – NPR

Scientists determined that this comet takes about 430 years to orbit the sun.

So the last time it was visible from Earth was in the late 1500s — before Galileo Galilei pointed his telescope to the sky.

The last time this comet came through these parts was just a few years before Galileo invented his telescope. The comet was discovered just last month, by an amateur astronomer named Hideo Nishimura.  

There are good images of the comet as well as detailed location information here: The new comet Nishimura is closest to Earth today.

I should have posted this a few days ago, because the comet is now passing us. If you’re interested, the comet is visible this week with binoculars or a telescope, but only with effort and only from the northern hemisphere. Try looking toward the east, low on the horizon, before sunrise, and look for the constellation Leo.

I don’t have good binoculars or a telescope, but that’s fine. It’s enough for me to know that this comet, and so many other fascinating objects, are still out there. 

Waiting to be discovered.

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That Day, and After

September 11, 2023 by J.R. Johnson

On this day in 2001 I was home in Pennsylvania, getting ready to fly back to Boston. At least that was the plan, until I got a call telling me that all flights had been grounded.

For more on what was behind the cancellation of my flight, and all the others, check out this article from Now I Know:

Ben’s Big Decision

In all, Ben Sliney’s initiative makes for an incredible story. When Universal Pictures decided to turn the heroism of the passengers of United Flight 93 into a movie, they did not overlook Ben Sliney’s role — they even asked him to play himself in the movie…

Here’s to all the heroes from that day, and after.

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