The Social Network

Holy bloody hell!

I heard a rumour a little while ago about this film & thought it was a joke. It sounded like Hollywood jumping on the Facebook bandwagon. But this trailer looks awesome!





Definitely going to see this. I can't wait!

I used to write letters, I used to sign my name...

The Wilderness Downtown is a collaboration between Arcade Fire and Google via Chrome Experiments. Arcade Fire's latest single "We Used To Wait" is a charming tale of a boy (I believe their lead singer) spending his summers waiting for letters from his pen-pal. I love this band and all three of their albums so far are incredible.

For this song they decided to create and interactive, data-driven Chrome Experiment (you'll need a Chrome browser to run it), using HTML5 video, audio and canvas. It utilises a series of choreographed windows, an integrated drawing tool, Google Maps and Street View. Go there and put in your address, you'll be glad you did.

An Introduction To Infinity

Look! The blog has had a makeover! Hope you like it.


I'm going to talk about the concept of infinity, something I find mind-boggling but fascinating. If the universe is infinite, there are infinite possibilities. There is another version of you reading this blog right now, doing exactly the same thing. One of you is the king of the World and one of you is a tramp.


Imagine a universe where there are only 2 possible kinds of atom, green and red. These atoms can only bind together in a particular way to form molecules consisting of 4 atoms. Therefore, our model only contains a certain number of possible combinations.


If we take our model and add just one more molecule, we get a duplicate of one that already exists in a finite universe. This is true which ever way the atoms are arranged.


In an infinite universe there is an infinite number of atoms. Thus, an infinite number of molecules and combinations and therefore an infinite number of duplicates.


Expand our simple model to contain all the atoms, all the laws of physics and all the possible combinations in our universe. Now we can begin to visualise an infinite universe... the possibilities are endless.


However, our universe probably isn't infinite and it only contains a limited amount of mass. But, it is destined to continue to expand indefinitely, eventually becoming a cold, dead wasteland.


But... This begs the question:


If our universe isn't infinite, does it have an edge? And if so, what's beyond it?

This kid means business

The headache continues... looking forward to some rest this weekend.

Today's post is brief, but no less amusing. As I was channel-hopping earlier I caught an amazing quote from a kid being interviewed for a TV programme. I have no idea what the programme was called, but I'm pretty sure this line will stay with me forever...

"People have got to take us seriously! We're not seven... We're ten!"

Brilliant.     

Not-so-Miami Vice

Apologies for not posting something yesterday... My sister got back from a 3-week trip to Kenya, with an amazing charity Moving Mountains, so I was busy catching up with her.


Tonight... Well I'm suffering with a splitting headache. I even turned down the chance to go to the cinema with some mates and watch The Expendables. Normally two hours or so of constant explosions and gun-slinging is right up my street, but I couldn't face it.


I didn't want to go another day without posting, but my creativity has been sapped by what feels like a vice around my head. Now off to bed to carry on reading 'What Would Google Do?' by Jeff Jarvis - something of a media/news guru. His blog BuzzMachine is worth following.

This is my blog... but YOU are the reader.

I can write about whatever the hell I like, but that doesn't mean you're interested. Most of you probably don't give a damn. I've set my theme (vague though it may be) but I don't know if I'm hitting the mark.

You are the consumer, so shouldn't you be able to decide what you read?

I'll continue to write about whatever randomly flies through my brain. But if you agree, disagree, hate it, love it, think you know better, learn something, have any opinion what-so-ever... then let me know!

Want to hear my views on a subject? Want to know what I think? Want my opinion on band/song/scientific research/type of bread? Anything! Ask and you shall receive. Email and I shall reply.

I may be the author, but you are the reader, and that is infinitely more important. The doors of this blog are open and I'm inviting you in.

A Brief Apology

I'm going back to junior school to learn English. My last few posts have been terrible, even when apologising. I dare not write more through fear of the universe imploding from my terrible grammar.

Funny Buisness

Apologies for the appalling English in yesterday's post. I was rushing whilst between painting a ceiling and de-constructing a wardrobe.

Check out The Fun Theory. It's a website dedicated to making boring things more fun, changing people's ideas and behaviours for the better.

Here's one of my favourites, the Bottle Bank Arcade Machine...

If Carlsberg did archaeology digs...

I'm currently living in a village, just outside the city of Newport in South Wales, called Caerleon. It's one of the nicer (real word? ah well, you know what I mean) areas of Newport. Not much goes on here. However, there's a lot of boring history.

There's lots of Roman stuff here, it was the site of one of Britain's three permanent Roman Legionary Fortresses. There's a pretty groovy Roman amphitheatre and there's always some archaeology going on. Anyway, enough of the boring background stuff, I'll cut to the chase...

What follows is a genuine photo from the Caerleon website about the most recent dig and their 'findings'...

I'm not making this up. They claim that this box contains some of their 'findings'!

A can of Carlsberg.

A old golf ball.

A clothes label.

A rusty screw.

You can find all these things in my bin! I mean, what the hell!?

I can imagine someone scrabbling through the mud with a tooth-comb, uncovering a shiny piece of metal, grabbing hold of it and thrusting it in the air, exclaiming to their fellow diggers...

"Look what I FOUND!"

Only to then realise it's an old beer can.

"Well... It still counts!"

Then chucking it in the box with the golf ball.

Giggles galore.

Big Brother

I know there wasn't a post yesterday, but I have a perfectly good excuse. I had taken a trip to Elstree Studios and the set of Big Brother. I was interviewing Daniel Marlowe, the executive producer of Big Brother. He was a very nice chap, and kind enough to take some time to talk to us and show us around the control room & set of sister-show Big Brother's Little Brother.

Daniel also arranged for us to have a tour through the 'camera-runs' (the very dark corridors behind the two-way mirrors throughout the house). It was an incredibly surreal experience to be able to look in and see all these people within reach and not have them see you. One contestant was running back and forth in the garden, heading towards one of the mirrors. He looked at us dead in the eye, but was oblivious to our presence. Very, very weird.

I resisted the childish urge to burst through the one of the doors that lead directly into the house.

I've never been a huge fan of Big Brother. I've watched the occasional bits of the odd series, but have been turned off by the nature of the majority of the contestants (bitchiness doesn't sit well with me). However, you can't help but admire the huge operation that goes into such a show and it was a rare treat to see everything yesterday.

This is not the farm shop

I was about to post something yesterday, but since I was still knackered from Saturday night's antics I was being incredibly pompous and cynical. So deleted the whole thing and got some rest. Today's post is going to be much more light-hearted.


Every day, on my way to work, I drive past a farm. They have the most amazing sign outside. In painted letters 3-foot high it exclaims:


'THIS IS NOT THE FARM SHOP'


It makes me giggle every time I see it. Since I think such a statement applies to anything which isn't actually a farm shop.



The icing on the cake is that the field this sign is outside contains most random combination of things ever...


A tractor.
An old cannon.
Five Llamas.


I kid you not. It's clearly the best farm ever!

Something for a sore head

Today's post is going to be minimal since I'm incredibly hungover. Check out Questionable Content, it's a kooky indie comic that brings a smile to my face. It's also pretty cool to see how J. Jacques's drawing style has evolved over time.

David Bower

Firstly, I apologise for not posting something yesterday. To be honest, I was at a film set all day - interviewing, reporting and the like - and by the time I got back, I just crashed. If I had managed to post something, it probably would have been even more nonsensical than normal.

David Bower

So yesterday I interviewed David Bower. David is a deaf actor whose most famous role is that of Hugh Grant's brother in Four Weddings and a Funeral. David was an incredibly charismatic, down-to-earth man and was kind enough to spend almost an hour being interviewed by us when we were told by the producers we'd only be allowed 10-15 minutes.

He then invited us to follow them around on location; a particular highlight being the sign-language fingerspelling race between David and my colleague. The crew were a great laugh and very kind to put up with us running around them with various recording equipment. 

Once the feature has been edited I'll post a link. The interview will be worth watching since David provided us with some fascinating insights into media and the deaf culture.

Also, my reporting blooper reel is bound to contain a few moments of hilarity.

Fairytale Inflation

Here's a novel way to measure inflation over the past 40 years: Fairytales.

When I was young (and slightly more naive) I believed in the Tooth Fairy. I used to receive 50 pence for each tooth hidden under my pillow. This seemed to be the going rate at the time.

Today my mother was telling me about my 7-year-old cousin, who had been showing off a tidy profit in exchange for an old tooth. Two whole pounds!

My mum & dad then told me that, 40 years ago, they only used to get something called a 'Thruppennybit'. And since they don't appear to be showing any signs of dementia, I believe this actually used to be genuine, bonafide money.

So, the next time you find yourself complaining about the economy, spare a thought for the fairies.

New Name & The News

I've been trying to come up with a new name for the blog since I've fallen out of love with 'Dead Air' (A radio term for when only silence is being broadcast, an ultimate faux pas when your means of communication is purely audio). Racking my brains to come up with something witty but relevant... So don't be surprised if things change over the next few days.

Also, if you aren't already following The News Grind, you need to be. It's a refreshing satirical news website, keeping a smile on your face through the murky depths of news coverage. It'll also appeal to any fans of Charlie Brooker's Newswipe (surprisingly only deemed to be shown on BBC Four, probably through fear). If you've heard of neither, then I strongly suggest you acquaint yourself.

Science to Media

Over the next few months I'm going to be covering how I'm adapting to a course in Media.

How can someone who was previously a scientist adapt from a subject of logic, and numbers to one of creativity and essays?

I've always been comfortable with presenting and talking in front of large crowds, so easily slipped into my role as a presenter. But the coming months are really going to push my creative skills, so it should be interesting.

I'm hoping that by using both logical and creative skills I can reverse engineer the confusing world of media & be able to take a fresh, clear look at a subject which is proving increasingly complex.

I am a complete novice at this, and there are probably journalists out there who have already deconstructed everything I'm going to be covering (If I stumble across any blogs or books from these people, I'll be sure to mention them). However, I hope to truly explain everything in layman's terms for everyone out there... because I am that layman.

Also, if anyone wants to contribute to any discussions, then feel free.
Like I said, I'm a novice and welcoming to any input.

So that's what's on my mind this evening. I promise to come up with something more entertaining tomorrow.

A-MAZING!

Quickly need to post this before the day is out.
Had an incredibly hectic day, down the studio first thing this morning. Got back home to find a book I'd ordered had arrived...
Very much looking forward to reading 'What Would Google Do?' by Jeff Jarvis. The first step into my media research... I'll let you know how it goes.

I get a call from my buddies.
We're going to see the new A-Team film.

I've just got back home from said film...

One word. AMAZING!

If you are a guy & want to feel like a 10-year-old kid again. Go see this movie.

There are more explosions than you can shake a stick of dynamite at. What I thought would be incredibly cheesy turned out to be incredibly entertaining. Even such lines as 'I love it when a plan comes together' crop up, you don't find yourself recoiling in your seat with embarresed horror. Instead you have to stop yourself jumping up and shouting 'HELL FREAKIN' YEAH I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER!!!'...

Or something of that persuation.

The acting is fantastic and you immediately love every member of the team. The visual effects are flawless, and even when you know that none of these situations are remotely possible... you don't care. So what if the plane they were in blew up and now they're hurtling towards the ground in a tank shooting at the other planes?...

It's awesome!

Sexy Rats

I am continuing to be a complete noob.
I found the original draft of the previous post... more cursing.
AND Totally forgot to mention TED... the coolest of geeks! Seriously if you have a spare 10 minutes, check that site out there are some amazing innovating stories that I can't even begin to describe.


So anyways... todays little story is brief, but fun.

Sex can boost brain growth.... at least in rats.
Proof that science isn't all about test tubes...
Check out the full story at Live Science

So go get yours.