In 1960, the first working laser was demonstrated, and promptly dubbed “a solution looking for a problem.” In the ensuing fifty years, lasers have found lots of problems to solve, but there has been no consensus about which of the many amazing applications of lasers is the most amazing. Now, in 2010, as we celebrate… Continue reading Laser Smackdown: Vote for the Most Amazing Laser Application
Category: Polls
Dorky Poll: Would You Like Constants With That?
I wanted to test whether I can put links into PollDaddy poll items for the Laser Smackdown wrap-up tomorrow, so I needed a test poll. But, of course, if I’m going to go to the trouble, I might as well post it, so here’s a dorky poll inspired by the fact that the book I’m… Continue reading Dorky Poll: Would You Like Constants With That?
Optics Quiz Answer
Around 470 people voted in yesterday’s optics quiz. I continue to be amazed at the power of radio button polls to bring people into the blog. As of early Friday morning, the correct answer is solidly in he lead– 63% of respondants have correctly replied that the image remains intact, but is half as bright.… Continue reading Optics Quiz Answer
Optics Quiz: What Do You Get With Half a Lens?
I was starting to type up the next Laser Smackdown entry, when it occurred to me that this was a good point to talk about a neat little thing from optics. It further occurred to me that this would be a good poll/quiz topic, to see what people think before I give you the real… Continue reading Optics Quiz: What Do You Get With Half a Lens?
Dorky Poll: TV Technology
I won’t attempt to explain the chain of reasoning that led to this topic this morning. The poll itself doesn’t need much explanation, though: As any geek knows, the tv show(s) CSI: Descriptive Subtitle rely heavily on fake technologies. which of these would you most like to be real? Which imaginary technology from CSI would… Continue reading Dorky Poll: TV Technology
Poll: What Do Students Need to Learn About Technical Writing?
I am currently on a committee looking to set some standards for technical writing in the introductory engineering sequence (which means the first two terms of physics, as they constitute 50-67% of the classes common to all first-year engineers). One of our jobs is to come up with a list of skills that we want… Continue reading Poll: What Do Students Need to Learn About Technical Writing?
Dorky Poll: Numbers
I’m still getting things squared away after my blogging break, but as a step on the way back toward normal programming, here’s a Dorky Poll: What kind of numbers do you most like to work with? What kind of numbers do you like best?online surveys You can only choose a single answer, which I’m sure… Continue reading Dorky Poll: Numbers
Non-Dorky Poll: Time to Rise and Shine
No substantive blogging for you today, as my alarm clock decided not to go off, causing me to oversleep by the hour that I usually spend on bloggy things. So that you’re not left without blog-related entertainment, though, here’s an appropriate poll topic: How early do you have to set your alarm to get to… Continue reading Non-Dorky Poll: Time to Rise and Shine
Sports Science Poll: Super Bowl
We’re mere hours away from the start of the Super Bowl, the biggest football game of the year. Obviously, the question of who will win has been the subject of much debate over the last couple of weeks on sports media and in offices around the country. What these discussions have lacked, though, is Science!!!… Continue reading Sports Science Poll: Super Bowl
Musical Poll: The Scenic Route
I’m safely back, well ahead of the Snowpocalypse!!! I’m kind of out of it, though– yesterday was a very long day, and I find air travel draining at the best of times– so in lieu of substantive blogging, I offer you this thematically appropriate poll: Which of these travel-related songs is the best?(survey software) (Strictly… Continue reading Musical Poll: The Scenic Route