Category Archives: Technology, science, and math

The science of fire

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Great story about how scientists have been figuring out what really happens when a building burns, and why so much arson “evidence” is bunk: At laboratories throughout the United States—some large enough to contain a three-story house—researchers have been lighting … Continue reading →

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“How to Choose a Texas Electric Provider the Wrong Way”

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Recently, my friend Dan Wallach wrote a guest post here about how to find the best deal on electricity in Texas. Robert Nagle, another friend of mine, took issue with some of the things Dan wrote and penned a response … Continue reading →

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Can we have some of your rainwater?

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This is just crazy enough that you would hope it might work, but it probably can’t. As the soggy East tries to dry out from flooding and Texas prays for rain that doesn’t come, you might ask: Isn’t there some … Continue reading →

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On getting the best deal with variable electric rates

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Note: The following was written by my friend Dan Wallach, who thought I might be interested in sharing it here. He was right. My thanks to Dan for putting this together. Everybody in Houston has the ability to select any … Continue reading →

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Hacking cars

Posted on August 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You can add this to the list of things you didn’t know you needed to worry about. Computer hackers can force some cars to unlock their doors and start their engines without a key by sending specially crafted messages to … Continue reading →

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Wouldn’t it be nice to have solar panels on your roof right now?

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Some people do. More people should. Despite Houston’s sweltering heat, Grady Hill hasn’t paid an electric bill since 2009. He keeps his thermostat set at a comfortable 78 degrees when he’s home, but a combination of solar panels and an … Continue reading →

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We’re running out of helium

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Am I the only one that finds this a little disturbing? Deep beneath the dry, dusty ground outside this Panhandle city lies something lighter than air: helium. But the supply of the gas that inflates balloons, cools MRI machines and … Continue reading →

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SBOE manages to not screw up science supplements

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Baby steps. The quietude of yesterday’s State Board of Education meeting came to a screeching halt during today’s final vote over supplemental science materials. After a unanimous preliminary vote on Thursday, the board appeared split over alleged errors in how … Continue reading →

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Time to vote for the new corpse flower name

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You may recall that the Houston Museum of Natural Science has a new corpse flower to go with its star attraction Lois, and they have a contest going on to name the newbie. They’ve narrowed things down to five finalists, … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Space, the final frontier

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In honor of the last flight of the space shuttle, I give you Elton John’s “Rocket Man”, as interpreted by the one and only William Shatner: Of all the Shatnerian performances in the world, I think that one is the … Continue reading →

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Name the new Corpse Flower

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Houston Museum of Natural Science needs your help. You remember Lois the Corpse Flower, right? Of course you do. Because no one could forget our favorite stinky plant! As it turns out, the fine folks at CultureMap – the … Continue reading →

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Doggy DNA detectives

Posted on July 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I love so many things about this story. Here’s the scoop: Some apartment complexes are using DNA testing on dog doo to find out who’s not cleaning up after their pets. The Timberwood Commons in Lebanon, N.H., opened this year … Continue reading →

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Charge your cellphone wirelessly

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. San Antonio-based Pree Corp. is developing multiple technologies, including one that would pluck wireless transmissions from the air and convert the energy to power mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and MP3 players. Rudy De La Garza, the company’s … Continue reading →

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Ticket to Mars

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

To boldly go where no one has gone before, and not come back. How would you like to take a trip to Mars? That’s right, only to Mars. There would be no coming back. […] The idea was floated by … Continue reading →

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Hospital infections

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There’s something missing from this story. Do you know what it is? The most common hospital-contracted malady among older patients in Houston is systemic vascular infections, a problem often caused by unsanitary or improper procedures during their hospital stay, a … Continue reading →

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Tinker the T-Rex to come to Texas

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your dinosaur lawsuit news for the week. The fossilized remains of Tinker the teenage T. rex soon could be returning to the prospectors who unearthed them, after a recent ruling from a federal bankruptcy court. Most of the 65-million-year-old … Continue reading →

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“Born To Be Wild”

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The family and I had the chance to see a preview of “Born To Be Wild”, a 3D IMAX movie at the Museum of Natural Science about saving orphaned elephants and orangutans on Thursday evening. We all loved it. I … Continue reading →

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Measles

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Something we haven’t seen around here in awhile. The Houston Area Health Alert Network sent an e-mail on Friday noting that an 11-month-old child, who attended the Cirque du Soleil performance at Sam Houston Race Park on March 20, developed … Continue reading →

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The first people

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Great story. Texas scientists have found the oldest confirmed site of human habitation in the Americas just north of Austin, where the Edwards Plateau meets the coastal plains. The unprecedented haul of artifacts from as far back as 15,500 years … Continue reading →

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No, I can’t hear you now

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I haven’t attended that many events at Reliant Stadium – a couple of Rice football games, including the 2008 Texas Bowl, and a U2 concert – but that’s enough for me to confirm the lack of wireless coverage in the … Continue reading →

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Baby, you can charge my car

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Plug it in, plug it in. The city of Houston will make it easier for locals to buy and own electric cars, including speeding up permitting of home charging stations and opening up HOV lanes to the vehicles. Mayor Annise … Continue reading →

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Facebook mail

Posted on November 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure by now you’ve heard about this. On Monday, Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the world’s largest social network plans to launch an updated version of its messaging service that will allow users to send emails … Continue reading →

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Tourists…In…SPAAAAAAAAACE!

Posted on October 31, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Now how much would you pay for a trip to the exosphere? In the half-century since humans first touched the stars, just seven people have paid their way into space, each forking over tens of millions to orbit around the … Continue reading →

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Creationists concede

Posted on September 6, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

A small bit of good news for Texas education. Henry Morris III, the CEO of the Institute for Creation Research, has announced the end of the school’s fight with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In 2008, after the board … Continue reading →

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The quest for a better solar cell

Posted on August 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe this will be a big step forward. A research team led by [UT chemistry professor Xiaoyang] Zhu, who refers to his Center for Materials Chemistry as the XYZ Lab, has shown that it’s possible to convert much more of … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: I’m just a mean green mutha from outer space

Posted on July 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I can’t be the only person who has followed the story of Lois the corpse flower to think of this, can I? (Warning: Some naughty words in the video.) Now, now, I know fully well that Lois is not in … Continue reading →

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HISD needs math tutors

Posted on July 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

If you’re a numbers person, HISD needs you. From the inbox: The Houston Independent School District is seeking dynamic college graduates to provide in-school math tutoring to middle and high school students as part of the district’s groundbreaking Apollo 20 … Continue reading →

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Score one for science

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good. On its website, the Institute for Creation Research promises an education that is “Biblical. Accurate. Certain.” But there’s one thing they can’t promise: a master’s degree in science education. In 2008, after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board denied … Continue reading →

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Archaeopteryx chat

Posted on June 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

And now, a brief moment of Science from HMNS: On Thursday, June 17, from 10 – 10:45 a.m., HMNS is hosting a live online discussion with paleontologist Pete Larson, president of the Black Hills Institute. Pete will be discussing his … Continue reading →

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The technical solution to texting while driving

Posted on May 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

There’s nothing revolutionary about a device like this, but it could have a big effect. I s a teenager’s life worth $99.95? Is avoiding a lawsuit arising from unsafe driving practices by fleet drivers worth that investment? Rodney, Robbie and Rocky … Continue reading →

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The Texas Stadium geological survey

Posted on April 26, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

When Texas Stadium went boom, in addition to providing space for transit-oriented development, the explosion itself provided the opportunity to do a seismological study of the area. Dr. Jay Pulliam is a professor of geophysics at Baylor University and one … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: The pale blue dot

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

In honor of Earth Day, a few minutes with the late, great Carl Sagan. You can read the text of his narration here. Sadly, he never does say “Billions and billions”. Rest in peace, Carl Sagan.

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West U and Bellaire on the Google Fiber bandwagon

Posted on April 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The deadline for submitting an application for a city to be a part of Google’s experimental fiber network was last Friday, the 26th. The cities of West University Place and Bellaire got theirs in before the deadline. Cindy Siegel and … Continue reading →

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Perelman wins but won’t accept Clay Mathematics Prize

Posted on March 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Grigory Perelman, the reclusive Russian mathematician who solved the Poincare Conjecture in 2003 has officially been awarded the one million dollar Clay Mathematics Prize for doing so. The prize was announced [March 18] by James Carlson, president of the institute. … Continue reading →

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