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Last Christmas, I got an unexpected text message from [livejournal.com profile] leathellin: she was in London, did I want to meet up (I think we went and ate pizza, but that's not important right now).

She'd been in town the previous evening for some sort of Christmas extravaganza organised by Robin Ince and Brian Cox. It all sounded like fun. Should she get tickets for us when she bought next year's? Yes please, we said.

Brian and Robin's Christmas Compendium of Reason )

Ince and Cox announced that - apparently because they've burned through all their favours now - there wouldn't be a Christmas Compendium in 2016. On Saturday, ChrisC spotted that they'd lied. Tickets are on sale, I highly recommend it.

Dinosaurs )

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Yesterday, I pottered along to the Barbican to see what was going on at their Brainwaves Weekender. Among other things, I parked myself on the floor to watch Helen Arney present the unappealingly-titled I'm a Neuroscientist, Get Me Out Of Here!.

I'd have titled it "Listen to five smart people, who are neuroscientists, talk entertainingly and informatively about their subject". Which isn't as snappy, but there you go. Anyway, they were entertaining and informative.

But... I'm a mathematician, get me out of here )
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Help me, LJ, you (and your knowledge of physics) are my only hope.

Why do LEDs bounce up and down in car mirrors?

The mirror never lies, it's just these foolish eyes )

So... has anyone else seen this happen? Anyone know why it happens?
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Newsflash! Science can save you money!

I take glucosamine tablets, because I have lots of joint problems. I don't know whether it does any good, but it seemed like a worthwhile idea. I'm running out of pills.

Just before popping out to the shops, I idly went to Wikipedia to read up about glucosamine. Among other things, I have discovered that according to a Cochrane review, it doesn't do much (although they were looking more at effects on athritis). So maybe I won't bother.

If, in a few weeks time, bits of me are hurting more, I may go back to taking them because I'm willing to pay a few quid for a possibly placebo-based effect. If not, hurrah, money saved.
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Today's foolish experiment:

Look at the sun, or a lightbulb, or something brightish. Use common sense, please do not blind yourself.

Now close your eyes, or put your hands over your eyes, and you should see the bright after-image.

What does this image do? Does it stay still, does it drift? I keep observing that my after-images always drift to the right. I have no idea if this is significant of anything in the slightest.

Be my data points, darlings...
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LHC )

Out of interest, does anyone know when they're first scheduled to do any colliding ? Apparently estimates are that they might have beams going in both directions by this evening, but I assume that actual collisions will be some time in the future.

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