PolyThinkers Pad » Fun http://www.poly.edu/library/blog fueling polythinking with library news, tips and more Tue, 13 May 2008 21:02:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 en Friday “Phun”: a virtual playground http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/25/friday-phun-a-virtual-playground/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/25/friday-phun-a-virtual-playground/#comments Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:24:43 +0000 Ingrid computer sciencephysics http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/25/friday-phun-a-virtual-playground/ If you’re in need of a study break, play around in Phun - a 2D physics sandbox. A Swedish computer science student developed Phun for his Masters thesis. The program (which is free to download) lets you flex your creativity and build fantastic contraptions, all while obeying the laws of physics.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/25/friday-phun-a-virtual-playground/feed/ Friday Fun: LOL graphs http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/11/friday-fun-lol-graphs/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/11/friday-fun-lol-graphs/#comments Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:36:17 +0000 Ingrid http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/11/friday-fun-lol-graphs/ mathgraph

For more funny graphs, check out GraphJam, the latest from the creators of I Can Has Cheezburger?

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/04/11/friday-fun-lol-graphs/feed/ Friday Fun: Viewing the ghosts of web pages past http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/28/friday-fun-viewing-the-ghosts-of-web-pages-past/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/28/friday-fun-viewing-the-ghosts-of-web-pages-past/#comments Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:23:36 +0000 Gavin http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/28/friday-fun-viewing-the-ghosts-of-web-pages-past/ archive-smaller.jpgDo you remember a website you used to frequent, and find yourself wishing you could see part of it again?

In the annals of recorded information, there have not been many things as ephemeral as web pages — few things are as literally “here today, gone tomorrow.” The Wayback Machine, part of the marvelous Internet Archive, is meant to preserve a part of this rich web history as a cultural record.

Generally, you see only one or two levels on the Archive, and retrieval is painfully slow (you sometimes have better luck with the mirror site). Although there is much content that is not available — preserving a part of every website that has ever existed is an impossibility — a vast quantity of material can be found. Most of the web trawling is done by software, but if you think that a site is worthy of inclusion, you can submit it for approval. However, it must meet certain technical requirements to be included, as not all sites work well, or can be loaded into the archive.

So, if there is a website you fondly recall that you would love to view once more as it used to look, perhaps you can take a trip through time with the Wayback Machine.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/28/friday-fun-viewing-the-ghosts-of-web-pages-past/feed/ Friday Fun: Indulge your musical curiosity with Pandora http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/21/friday-fun-indulge-your-musical-curiosity-with-pandora/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/21/friday-fun-indulge-your-musical-curiosity-with-pandora/#comments Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:54:09 +0000 Gavin http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/21/friday-fun-indulge-your-musical-curiosity-with-pandora/ You may have heard of the Human Genome Project,  but you might be surprised to learn that  there is also a Music Genome Project that uses a panel of experts to associate hundreds of variables with a particular song.   Once you choose a song or artist, similar songs and artists can be identified by matching these variables.  The online showcase for this technology is Pandora.  One of the most fun and effective applications of web 2.0, Pandora is named after the figure in Greek mythology famed for her curiousity (this curiousity ultimately caused us all a bunch of trouble as it resulted in her opening a box that imprisoned all the evils that afflict humanity).   After creating an account, a user can select a  song  or artist, and the software will play similar songs.   You can offer positive or negative feedback on a song to indicate whether you do, or do not,  want similar songs.  You can even create several stations and have the software mix the selections to play a wide variety of music but with most of the songs having qualities that you like based on your indicated preferences.  So go ahead and explore your musical tastes with Pandora. Hopefully, you will not cause as much trouble as the original Pandora!

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/21/friday-fun-indulge-your-musical-curiosity-with-pandora/feed/ Friday Fun: Virtual Reality sites for the armchair traveler http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/14/friday-fun-virtual-reality-sites-for-the-armchair-traveler/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/14/friday-fun-virtual-reality-sites-for-the-armchair-traveler/#comments Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:56:35 +0000 Gavin http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/14/friday-fun-virtual-reality-sites-for-the-armchair-traveler/ trevi.jpg

Spring break is almost upon us, and many students will be traveling. But for those of you too busy to travel, a brief periodic respite from your studies is recommended. To partially satisfy your longing to visit “far away places with strange sounding names,” the web provides some stunning interactive panoramas for the armchair traveler. Full screen virtual reality sites feature panoramic views that allow you to zoom in or out and move around in the picture.

“AROUNDER gives travelers a vivid sense of what a city has to offer: historical cathedrals and works of art, museums featuring famous artists, local cafes and stores, breathtaking mountain-top views, quiet parks and gardens.”

FullScreenPanos.com functions more like a blog, featuring interesting panoramic shots taken by photographers.

Panoramas.dk features many images of events around the world.

Vrmag is “the magazine for the virtual reality (VR) photography community and industry.” It features not only stunning VR photography, but articles and reviews.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/14/friday-fun-virtual-reality-sites-for-the-armchair-traveler/feed/ Friday Fun: Library Arcade http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/29/friday-fun-library-arcade/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/29/friday-fun-library-arcade/#comments Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:41:32 +0000 Ingrid http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/29/friday-fun-library-arcade/ They might not be as riveting as Guitar Hero, but the games in the Library Arcade can actually help you develop your library skills.

shelvinggame.jpg

The first game is “I’ll Get It,” where you take the role of a librarian helping students find the right research materials. In the second game, “Within Range,” you must shelve books according to their LC call numbers, but hurry - the clock is ticking!

Graduate students from Carnigie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center developed the games.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/29/friday-fun-library-arcade/feed/ Are you ready for Valentine’s Day? http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/12/are-you-ready-for-valentines-day/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/12/are-you-ready-for-valentines-day/#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:51:42 +0000 Ingrid http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/12/are-you-ready-for-valentines-day/ valentine.jpg

Valentine’s Day is upon us. Whether you love it or hate it, here are some resources to help you celebrate (or ignore) V-Day:

  • Show your friends and loved ones you care with these fantastic Scientist Valentines. Print and cut and they’re ready to go!
  • Check out what Dibner Library has for romantics, cynics, and the oblivious:

Non Fiction

The alchemy of love and lust: discovering our sex hormones and how they determine who we love, when we love, and how often we love
Theresa L. Crenshaw
QP251 .C925 1996

The man who loved only numbers: the story of Paul Erdos and the search for mathematical truth
Paul Hoffman
QA29.E68 H64 1998

For the love of enzymes: the odyssey of a biochemist
Arthur Kornberg
QP 511.8.K68 A3 1989

Romantic fantasy and science fiction
Karl Kroeber
PN 603.K76 1988

(more…)

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/12/are-you-ready-for-valentines-day/feed/ Friday Fun: Sci-doku http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/01/friday-fun-sci-doku/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/01/friday-fun-sci-doku/#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:57:40 +0000 Ingrid http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/01/friday-fun-sci-doku/ If you’re one of the millions addicted to Sodoku, the logic puzzle that became a popular craze within the last few years, try your hand at Sci-doku.

Science Sodoku, or Sci-doku, is a sudoku puzzle that uses letters instead of numbers, with an added twist: a science-related clue accompanies each puzzle and the answer is spelled out in one row or column of the puzzle. scidoku.jpg

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/01/friday-fun-sci-doku/feed/ Friday Fun - A stroll down computer memory lane http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/25/friday-fun-a-stroll-down-computer-memory-lane/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/25/friday-fun-a-stroll-down-computer-memory-lane/#comments Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:39:06 +0000 Ingrid computer scienceelectrical-computer enghistorytechnology http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/25/friday-fun-a-stroll-down-computer-memory-lane/ Ever thought of your out dated computer as a work of art? Perhaps you’ll change your perspective after seeing Mark Richard’s remarkable photographs of old school computers. oldcomputer

Richard’s book, Core Memory: A Visual Survey of Vintage Computers, reveals modern technology’s evolution by combining computer history with a series of striking photographs of the world’s most renowned computer collection, the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley.

Pictured above is Apple 1, a far cry from MacBook Air, it’s the first computer built by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs back in 1976.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/25/friday-fun-a-stroll-down-computer-memory-lane/feed/ Friday Fun: The wonderful world of altoids tins http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/18/friday-fun-the-wonderful-world-of-altoids-tins/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/18/friday-fun-the-wonderful-world-of-altoids-tins/#comments Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:21:53 +0000 Gavin http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/18/friday-fun-the-wonderful-world-of-altoids-tins/ ShuttleIf you enjoy altoids mints, there is a good chance that you just cannot throw away the empty tins. We feel your pain, but we have some good news. There are a number of resources online that offer suggestions on what to do with them.

If you are artistically inclined, you can cover them with painted artwork, or you can try copper plating and etching them.Altoid Tin

For the more technologically gifted among us, i.e., those with “The Knack” featured in a recent post, you can try creating a simple robot and a doublet amplifier, or an MP3 player. How about an ipod charger using “AA” batteries.

Have fun!

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