Blew my mind: IC1396

Here is the IC1396 Nebula.  Its 100 light-years across and about 2,400 light-years away from earth.  Just watch it for a bit.  Is your jaw on the floor yet?

IC1396 Nebula

An astrophotographer took several pictures of the area, set them up in layers then made a good guess as to what this nebula looks like.  I really don't care how close it is.  This is mind-blowingly awesome!
Here is the link to the article with a lot of stellar pictures!

FXI. The worlds smallest computer matters.

 I haven't posted anything in a while.  I plan on post a lot more about da Vinci kind of soon.  Also some lectures that I was blessed to hear while at college last month... simply amazing.

Here is a new product that was at CES this year and is now available for pre-sale.  It is literally a thumb drive computer!  Powered by android, it is a little computer that plugs into any screen.  Check it out!
fxitech.com/products/

 

The top 5 most interesting numbers of all time, ever | ksl.com

The top 5 most interesting numbers of all time, ever | ksl.com

All I have to say is that I have used all of these numbers in school and you got to love Euler's Identity:
e^(i*x) = cos(x)+i*sin(x)
e^(i*(pi)) = -1

Leonardo da Vinci (Part II: Our Education)

Part I mentioned that da Vinci's education was unorthodox and boundless.  There was no one there to tell him what subjects were... he learned knowledge rather than math or history.  With the way the American school system is set up (that is really all I know enough about) breaking ideas into subjects is a method of organization that is used as a measuring stick.  Students must do well to graduate high school for example.  I did well in high school, performed really well in math and science (particularly calculus and physics), somewhat well in my English classes, and okay in my history classes.  My getting a diploma and going to college shows that I gained quite a bit of knowledge, but it all was given to me in small segments that were disassociated from one another.  According to my personal religious and psychological views, I believe truth is one whole; no matter the truth it is all the same pie.  Not seeing that in my education until far later in my student career has hindered me somewhat.  History has had a tremendous effect on literature in society, which has shaped science, helped develop mathematics, change religious views, which has altered political systems, and the world.

Figuring out that everything is intertwined, there is a curiosity that emits from the student to find out what silicon is, how that is connected to Silicon Valley, and how money flows into the equation.
What are the similarities exist between our education and da Vinci's?  The better question is how has da Vinci influenced learning, invention, and curiosity?

KHAN Academy... new Free School

 Teaching is one of the most difficult, underpaid, and rewarding jobs in the history of the world.  Right now, however, technology (e.g., the web, video, Google) has allowed children to learn a little different than in the past.  The truth is, everyone that has access to a computer learns very different than the past.  A relatively new company called Khan Academy.  It is a free website to either aid in education or be the main core in education.  The creator Salman Khan was invited to TEDtalk in March 2011 to talk about his new company.  Take a look!

So what do I think.  He talks about a new paradigm: We encourage you to experiment and encourage you to failure, but expect MASTERY!  That is what this blog is about.  A new paradigm from a convoluted one.  I have been familiar with the site for some time but recently made an account on the site.  I hope to use the site with my family.  The coolest thing is all of the data that is available to the teachers/coaches.  There is no asking what the student doesn't understand because the data is presented so the teacher can see what the student struggles with and address that directly with teacher-student time.

A comment made at the end of the video is, "I think you just got a glimpse of the future of education."  I think so as well!

Kindle e-reader

I am a college student.  This semester I have four different text books, all rather heavy.  Now electronics can hold much more than a book and do so in a smaller and light space.  Here comes the world of e-readers.  Arguably the most popular e-reader is the Amazon Kindle.  As an engineering student, there are not very many text books that are available for the Kindle, but for a friend of mine, who is an English major, it is perfect!  Still I really like the new Kindle Touch that comes out the day before my birthday.

Reading old classics (which are usually free), the new best seller, or the scriptures, it is a great devise to have for even the occasional reader.  And with the available 3G with and experimental Web Browser, you have the internet everywhere. 

The exciting point of discussion is the new Kindle Fire tablet.  There is virtually no user information as it comes out the same time as the Kindle Touch, but it may prove to be the best foe to the iPad thus far.  The Kindle Fire still has some growing up to do to fill the expectations of the masses who want a cheaper, effective, user friendly tablet.  The future is rich with possibilities.

jetlev.com: One Amazing toy

I found a new toy that I will get when I become rich an famous!  It is a Jetlev water jet pack!  It uses water to push a person up into the air.  There are some limitations... only 30 or so feet in the air, there is a little boat connected to you by a long tube.  But here is the thing, that boat does all of the work of pumping the water and you can fly around for about 3 hours before you run out of gas.

Now why must I wait until I am rich and famous?  Because the MSRP on this thing is $99,500.