A small world

After seeing this entry on BrainWagon about making a video microscope out of a webcam, I tried it with an old webcam I had lying around.

Basically you take apart the webcam until you have exposed the sensor, place a drop of water directly on the sensor, and illuminate with a point light source, such as a toilet paper tube with an aluminum foil cap with a pinhole.

I tried it out with Charles River water and was able to see lots of critters swimming around. I didn't take videos, but here are some stills:




Jim on 05.27.07 @ 02:56 PM ET [link]

Pink then white

Brilliant. That's the only word I can think of to describe Glidden's new ceiling paint. Goes on pink, dries white. I would never have thought of it. The next time I paint a ceiling, this is what I'll use.
Jim on 05.23.07 @ 01:09 PM ET [link]

Burritos At The Speed Of Sound

Here's a brilliant description of the Alameda-Weehawken Burrito Tunnel, that famous engineering feat that delivers fresh California burritos to hungry New Yorkers. How often do you find a sentence like:

"...it took six months to persuade suspicious taqueria owners to switch to a salsa with lower magnetic permittivity."

Its author, Maciej Ceglowski, maintains a weblog called Idle Words with archives of his writings, including my other favorite, Argentina On Two Steaks A Day.
Jim on 05.05.07 @ 06:03 PM ET [link]