Daily Archives: 2/28/2006

Check out Re-Imagineering

I must admit: I haven’t a clue as to how the whole Disney-acquires-Pixar thing is going to work out, but I do know one thing: it’s probably good that John Lasseter will be helping out on the whole theme park thing for Disney. The one thing that the Disney parks seem to have suffered from over the last couple of decades is story and imagination, and I can’t help but think that JL will bring a fresh (and desparately needed) perspective on the Disney theme parks.

Along that line, try checking out the Re-Imagineering blog. Their charter?

A forum for Pixar and Disney professionals passionate about the Disney Theme Parks to catalog past Imagineering missteps and offer up tenable practical solutions in hopes that a new wave of creative management at Imagineering can once again bring back the wonder and magic that’s been missing from the parks for decades. ‘

Amen brothers. I actually really like Disneyland and even like California Adventure, but they fall well short of the promise of Walt’s original vision, and the commentators on this blog have practical, thoughtful discussions of how the parks could retain their original charm and glory. I’m adding it to my daily read list.
[tags]Disney,Pixar,Imagineering,Disneyland,Disneyworld[/tags]

Save a Snowflake for Decades – Popular Science

We don’t get much snow here, but I thought I might archive this for future reference, just because it’s cool.

Save a Snowflake for Decades – Popular Science

1. Set microscope slides, coverslips and superglue outside when it’s 20°F or colder to chill them. Catch flakes on the slides or pick them up with cold tweezers.
2. Place a drop of superglue on the snowflake. Note: Gel glue doesn’t work. Find a brand that’s thin and runny.
3. Drop a coverslip over the glue. Don’t press down hard or the flake could tear or melt from the heat of your finger.
4. Leave the slide in a freezer for one or two weeks and don’t touch it with warm hands. The glue must completely harden before the snowflake warms up.

Tick destroying rover

Courtesy of hack-a-day comes this awesome story of a student project to make a robotic rover whose purpose is to eradicate ticks.   It basically follows a buried underground wire along the perimeter of the property, all the while releasing carbon dioxide gas.   Ticks are apparently attracted to the CO2, anc collect along the course, and then the ticks are sprayed with Permethrin.  Since the hill behind my house is literally teaming with ticks, I think it’s a darned cool idea, although I suspect their rover would find climing my hill to be rather challenging.

[tags]Science,Mad Science,Hack[/tags]