FF - Will Using Superpaper Get You Into Harvard?

Friday Fragments is back to help you get through the last day of the week....

Superpaper...is scissors it's kryptonite?

-Superpaper to the rescue!  It's magnetic, waterproof, antibacterial, and will do your taxes.  Well 3 out of 4 of those our true, I'll let you figure out which is false.

-For those of you who like video games, specifically Portal, this mini-golf course was made just for you. I got to be honest, the Portal hole looks incredible!

-The first time ever, am organ (kidney in this case) was transplanted TWICE.

-I absolutely love this take on trying to get into college. (Note, comical not serious).  I am curious what would happen if you used that superpaper to write your entrance essays?

-This is a little bit random but some Little Leaguers wore throw back jerseys recently. This throw back fad is becoming an epidemic (and how do I get to be a part of it???).

-Lastly, take a look at this video below...it is total destruction of household stuff in super-slow motion!  Pure awesomeness!

Friday Fragments - Quantum Lasers using Teamwork?

After about a month hiatus the Friday Fragments are back.  For those of you who are new to my site, the Friday Fragments are just a collection of interesting stories and links that usually are centered around science but can offer a wide arrange of info.  Enjoy!

-First, my shameless "Plug of the Week."  The Bucket List is a new blog that my friend Rob started to document his experiences trying to complete his baseball bucket list. It's the off-season now but head on over, slap a bookmark on it, and check it out from time to time if you're a baseball/sports fan.  It may inspire you do check off a few items on your bucket list as well.

-Fun with Lasers and Balloons!  Always love a good laser video, but wait and see what happens when they pull out the white balloon!




-Now while the jury is still out on the whole breaking the speed of light theory, scientists have recently published a paper about the quantum speed limit (which I thought would be the same as the speed light but once again quantum mechanics throws me a curve ball).  If you like physics, read this quick summary of their findings.


-This kid got lost inside a computer....granted it was in the 1950's when computers took up the size of whole rooms but still.


-This week I came across a small article about pharmacies and the controversial Plan B birth control.  A new study has found that some pharmacists are taking the moral issue into their own hands and not allowing girls of legal age to buy the emergency contraceptive (17 years or older) even when they have some in stock.  Now whether or not you agree with Plan B and whether it is morally and ethically alright, pharmacists do NOT have the right to deny someone of a medicine if they are legally allowed to purchase it.  I'm just saying!


-I hope you're all ready for the massive solar storm coming our way.  Wait, it's happening as we speak.  That's right, one of the largest solar storms in the last decade is bombarding our planet right now and fortunately nothing major has been affected.  Unless you are traveling in space or use precision GPS (down to the foot) for your job, you probably wouldn't notice the effects at all.


-I'll leave you with one of the best displays of teamwork...

All this work just to play the Demo of Mario Kart 7?  Worth it!

Bush League Update!

Here is a great example of what a "Bush League" move is...

Erick Aybar of the Angels tried to bunt for a hit in the 8th inning against Justin Verlander just to try and break up his no-hitter.  Some may look at it as just trying to get anything going, but to me that is pretty close to Bush League and Verlander agreed.

Return to the Promise Land?

As my senior year of college comes to a close, I realize that even though I continued to play sports I have no real athletic accomplishments. In grade school, I was on a championship soccer team (actually I believe my younger brother Adam scored 2 goals to my 1 in the championship game, and like 20 to my 3 all season but whatever), a championship and runner-up little league baseball team, and even a runner-up basketball team. In high school I was a freshman when the baseball team went to state, won two district titles playing Big League baseball, and played in the state tournament twice for the district team. Not to mention the intramural basketball team of "Team 4.0" beating the likes of 3 former varsity basketball players (and a couple of other guys we didn't care too much for) in a game where I sprained my ankle in the first 10 minutes. By the way, "Team 4.0" referred to the fact the everyone on the team had a 4.0 GPA. This also doesn't include having friends play in the Little League World Series, State Baseball Championships, and cheering on my brothers success (Adam in travel soccer and basketball tourneys, Jacob in State rugby championships and travel baseball). And those of you who consider competitive marching band as a sport like I do, we went to State my freshman year and came within one out of step clarinet player away from State my senior year. Overall, I was highly involved in athletics, WINNING athletics! Oh, and none of that includes the dynasty of ping pong known as the BPPL (there will be a post about this soon).

But in college, I have had no real connections with any players on any significant teams. So I turn to intramural sports, and I have NO intramural championships. Four years of basketball and football have only produced one quarterfinal football appearance. I have tried table tennis and racquetball but neither remotely panned out. I reluctantly tried co-ed softball last year with a group of girls that had previously won the Women's division, but evidently mixing with some guys produced a team who went 0-4. But maybe...just maybe...I can see a return to the promise land. Tonight, my Men's softball team played in the final four and was just two games away from that elusive intramural championship. And this is not some B-league or dorm league...it's the Men's Open league with literally only one rule-"You must go to Purdue." My team, Taco Tuesdays, was 6-0 and has outscored our opponents 67-19. And our pitcher has the nastiest knuckleball, IN SLOWPITCH SOFTBALL!

Now, me even thinking about posting this entry jinxed it as we lost 8-7. We actually rallied in the top half of the last inning to score 5 runs and go up 7-6. However, the other team hit a walk-off 2 run HR. Oh so close! But I see the potential. This same team of pretty athletic guys has only one senior that I know of, ME! And with me returning in the fall for graduate school we will have at least one more run at the softball (and football) titles. Granted I play 2nd base and hit anywhere from 6th to last in the line-up, but I could care less. If you didn't know already, I hate to lose...at anything. Mariokart, basketball, Trivial Pursuit, paper football, Chuzzle Deluxe, Bananagrams, you name I want to win it. Now, I understand that as I get further and further into the realm of science my athletic career will continue to diminish (except for maybe table tennis which again will be another post). So here's to hoping for one final return to the podium and to winning that elusive intramural championship!

Oh here is a funny clip I found of a baseball rain delay...I do miss hanging out on a baseball field, so a sandy intramural softball field will have to do!