The Engineer's Notebook

Memorial Day is dedicated to remembering those who lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces. Since many of you are probably off enjoying the long weekend and (hopefully) beautiful weather instead of trolling CR4, I decided to do a fun short post.

I wish I could take credit for this since it's ingenious, but alas CNN beat me to the punch. I introduce to you, the Geek Constitution of the United States!

PREAMBLE

We the Geeks of the United States, in order to form a more perfect circle, solve equations, ensure scientific literacy, cast magical spells, build the next killer apps, and reap the blessings of geek literacy for ourselves and our geeky friends, do ordain and establish this Geek Constitution for the United States of America.

^{Image Credit: CNN}

It goes on for 10 sections outlining how each branch of government should embrace and encourage geeky behavior.

I especially like Section 10:

Section 10

No Geek shall enter into situations in which they feel ashamed of their interests or skills;

No Geek shall feel that their ideas are unwanted in society;

No Geek shall fear that they will be bullied because they are a little different;

No Geek shall skip the latest episode of "Doctor Who";

No Geek shall pass up an argument about whether "Star Wars" or "Star Trek" is superior to the other;

And Section 6:

Section 6

The Senators and Representatives shall receive good compensation for their services, commensurate with abilities and education.

No Senator or Representative shall be forced by circumstances to eat ramen noodles, but they may still eat such soups because they are tasty.

This was done in response to the White House's initiative (#WeTheGeeks), which is a series of online video chats meant to "highlight the future of science, technology and innovation in the United States."

You can follow the discussion on cnn.com, but I'm interested in hearing - what Amendments would you add the Geek Bill of Rights?

Whether this is a geeky thing or a nerdy thing is a matter for a different discussion.

Paul Miller did for a year. He is a senior editor for a tech site called The Verge and on May 1, 2012 he sent a Twitter message saying good-bye to the internet. A year later he's back on and sharing his story about what he learned and discovered along this journey.

^{Image Credit: fastlanepc.com}

Miller gave up web browsing, streaming videos, texting, and online backing. While Miller thought he was going to miss out on practical things like looking up directions and sending an email, he actually found that he missed out on much more. He missed the social aspect and realized how easy the internet makes communicating and making plans. Miller said that he felt more in the moment, but many of the moments were spent in his apartment playing video games since all of his friends and family were making plans to hang out using social media and text messaging.

One thing that I agree with Miller on is that too many people can't quit their phone or get off their laptops. "And in their opinion they're listening, but I know they're not really because I've experienced what full-on, true interaction is, and it's different than someone glancing back and forth at their phone, or glancing back and forth at their e-mail. So that became really frustrating," says Miller.

^{Image Credit: thecuriousbrain.com}

It's funny when he describes the trouble he had logging into different accounts like his Facebook or Twitter. So much had changed on the websites that he felt instantly overwhelmed and it madehim anxious. Still, not much has changed on the internet: it's still full of cat videos and memes.

Miller said he did learn to prioritize family and friends, and productivity and learning over just generally consuming and being entertained. He also noted that "We need to learn how to give each other a break and not always expect immediate responses, to be OK with this new wave of people who only check their e-mail twice a day."

While I could never give up the internet or streaming videos (I don't have cable), I do think I could give up texting (I talk too much for texting) and I appreciate Miller's sentiment about prioritizing friends and family. I often become frustrated with my friends who will look at their phone during dinner or while we're all hanging out, and just the other day I reminded one of my friends to think back to when we were teenagers and had to call the person we had a crush on….on the phone, and have their parent answer, and then make conversation that used our personality and not our thumbs.

So what do you think? Could you give up the internet for a year?

When you sit in the (hopefully-not 4D) movie theater this summer on a 100° F afternoon and consume the latest superhero-saves-the-action-genre blockbuster, I ask you to consider the inspiration for each of our supernatural protagonists.

Man of Steel, due out June 14, portrays Superman as a noble hero fighting an alien invasion. Yet Superman is rooted deep within the progressive politics of the Great Depression: his first foes were crooked politicians and slum lords. The Wolverine will be released a month-and-a-half later, and it chronicles Wolverine's time spent in Japan - a world away for a young Canadian from the frost-bitten Yukon. Last weekend, Iron Man 3 was released. In this instance, we have a billionaire in an impervious metal suit, but he has personal issues ranging from alcoholism to marital issues to heart problems.

It's often been noted that villains are viewed by audiences as a mechanism of self-juxtaposition. It's why it is so easy to pass judgment on the losers on Cops who get arrested. In no way do viewers feel akin to the 'perps'; instead, they feel sympathetic to the hero. It's the attempt to humanize Superman, Wolverine, and Iron Man which draw audiences even closer to the narrative.

However, if the five following superheroes ever become truly famous, storytellers may have a tough time having audiences relate to them. That's because they're real humans with very real superpowers.

1. Ma Xiangang Conducts Electricity

Ma Xiangang is a Chinese man who is actually rather dim. One day in 1993, the wind blew hard enough in his home city of Daqing to knock electrical lines down near his house. Since it interrupted his favorite TV program, he went outside and began handling the electrical lines with his bare hands…electrical lines that were conducting 220v.

Scientists have agreed that Ma Xiangang has an electrical resistance seven to eight times that of a typical human. Biologically, he has very dry and coarse skin, so his hands act as a pair of insulated gloves. He's demonstrated on Chinese TV the ability to hold a negative wire in one hand, a positive wire in the other, and electrically illuminate a light bulb - turning his dimness into brightness.

Ma Xiangang isn't the only individual to do this. Jose Ayala, in the video at left, is a Puerto Rican man who possesses similar conductivity.

2. Dutchman climbs Everest in shorts

Wim Hof has the amazing ability to control how his body reacts to freezing cold temperatures. Researchers have learned that through meditation and concentration, Hof can control his autonomic nervous system and immune responses. No other individual has the reported ability to do the same things as Hof. Hof is a disciple of Tummo, a type of yoga which stresses the maintenance of an "inner fire." Other Tummo monks have shown an ability to increase their body temperatures as well.

Hof holds several world records and has many cold-related accomplishments. He's climbed Mounts Kilimanjaro and Everest in bike shorts, and he has completed a marathon above the polar circle in similar attire. He holds the record for longest ice bath, and the program Fact or Faked conducted an experiment on him where he held a consistent body temperature and heart rate after 20 minutes in an ice bath. Outerwear manufacturer Columbia has even used him as a marketing technique.

3. The Little Hulk

Liam Hoekstra is pretty normal 5-year-old Michiganian, outside of the fact he has a condition called myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy. This promotes extreme skeletal muscle growth. As such, Liam has almost no body fat and not a single adverse health issue from this birth defect. Liam gets to eat whatever he wants because his body is particularly efficient at digesting nutrients. Liam is 40% more muscular than other children his age, and at age 6 he is dominating the elementary school wrestling circuit. (No, seriously.) Liam was able to walk at 2…days. The more I type about Liam, the more ridiculous these facts seem.

There are some downsides for Liam. He doesn't have the same flexibly or balance as other children his age. His family is also pestered by documentary crews and news stations, and they try to insulate him from negative experiences. He also faces a breadth of criticism based on his appearance, something never helpful for the esteem of anyone, let alone a child. Little Liam won't be spectacular until after puberty, but I'm sure we'll hear more about him very soon. Though a few other individuals are reported to have this condition, Liam is the only one whose identity is public knowledge.

4. Ultra-ultramarathoner

You may recall a 2006 news story about a man who ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days. That man is named Dean Karnazes, and it's just one of many highlights from his storied running career. He's also: run 350 miles in just 80 hours; has won the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile race through Death Valley, Calif.; and has run from Disneyland to New York City.

After his 50-in-50 feat, Karnazes underwent medical testing to see what makes him stand apart. Doctors found that Karnazes' CPK levels, a measurement of how much creatine has been consumed, was often five to six times less than a typical athlete. His muscles actually stop breaking down during exercise. Furthermore, his circulatory system contains more blood than average to keep him hydrated longer. Finally, if Karnazes was kept hydrated and fed, he could virtually run forever.

5. Samurai Slices Bullet

Modern-day samurai Isao Machii never actually sees some of his most impressive feats, but that's because it's impossible. Machii has been trained in laido since he was five, and has fortunately provided YouTube with some breathtaking accomplishments. To the right is a video of him cutting an Airsoft round which is traveling at 200 mph.

Researchers believe that Machii possesses an innate sense of physics, because in order to cut something which is near-impossible to see, he must have hand-eye coordination comparable to no one else along with a type of sensory premonition.

There it is; a list of people who truly define superhuman.

Resources

Huff Post- - Isao Machii, Modern-Day Samurai...

Cri English - Secret of "Electric Man" Revealed

Ranker - 10 Amazing Real-Life Superhero Technologies

MLive - 3-year-old Liam Hoekstra makes a very strong impression

Wikipedia - Dean Karnazes

If you're looking for an attractive, low-maintenance houseplant that also makes delicious fruit, you might want to think about growing your own pineapple plant. Growing pineapple plants indoors is very easy, making it a great project for just about anyone. You will only need a few things to get started, and after a few days you should have your very own pineapple plant.

You Will Need:

• Ripe pineapple
• Sharp knife
• Planting pot at least 8 inches (about 20 cm) in diameter
• Potting Soil
• Plenty of sunlight

Selecting the Pineapple

Head over to your favorite local grocery store and look for a pineapple with nice golden-brown skin and firm green leaves. Avoid pineapples that appear green, as they are not fully ripe yet as well as pineapples that appear to be overripe or unhealthy. If you're not sure, try smelling the bottom of the pineapple. If it smells sweet and heavenly, it will probably work for your new plant. Be sure to inspect the leaves of the pineapple for any signs of pests or diseases.

Preparing the Pineapple

After you select the perfect pineapple, you are ready to begin your pineapple plant. The first thing you need to do is separate the crown from the fruit. Grasp the crown firmly (watch out for spikes) and twist it until it comes out. Once you have separated the crown, remove the lower levels of leaves and any remaining fruit from the base. You should have about 1 inch of the crown exposed at the bottom. Next, look at the base of the crown for little brown dots around the outer edge. These are the root buds. If you cannot see them, cut very thin slices from the bottom until they are exposed. At this point, it is best to let the crown dry out for a few days so the scars have some time to heal. This helps prevent rot, and gives you plenty of time to enjoy eating the remainder of the pineapple.

Plant the Pineapple

Now that the pineapple crown has had some time to itself, it's time to plant. Place some potting soil in a pot at least 8 inches in diameter. Place the crown firmly at a depth of 2 inches below the surface of the soil. Some people prefer to let the roots sprout in a glass of water before they plant the pineapple crown in soil, while others find this extra step unnecessary. Feel free to experiment, and stick with whatever method works best for you.

Caring for the Pineapple Plant

Place your new houseplant in an area where it will get plenty of sunlight and have room to grow. If you've planted your pineapple successfully, it may very well grow to be about 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide. If you plan on bringing your pineapple plant outdoors, keep in mind that they are damaged at 32 F degrees and could die at 28 F degrees. Depending on where you live, you may need to bring them indoors during colder months, or if the overnight temperature in your area dips particularly low. Pineapple plants do not require a lot of water, so they will be fine if you only water them once a week.

Reaping the Reward

You won't see pineapples growing right away, but don't be discouraged. Your plant could start to produce fruit after only a couple of years. Though the fruit you get will likely be smaller and less sweet than the fruit you will find at the grocery store, I have enjoyed eating many fresh pineapples grown by my father in New Hampshire. When you do finally see a fruit growing, wait until it ripens on the plant before you harvest it. Consuming the fruit or juice from unripe pineapples can make you sick. If you grow your own pineapples, don't forget to save the crowns and repeat the process!

References

Image Credits: Preparing Fresh Pineapple, Growing Plants from Your Groceries

http://www.rickswoodshopcreations.com/pineapple/pineapple.htm

http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/growing-pineapples.html

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/pineapple.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/407906-pineapple-side-effects/

http://thailandfruitsandfood.blogspot.com/2008/12/how-to-grow-pineapple-in-your-home.html

It's no secret that I'm a LEGO fan, and I'm not the only one. I'm sure HUSH will back me up on this one. I can't even remember a time in my life when we didn't have LEGOs in the house. My fiancé even made LEGOs an integral part of his proposal. How could anyone say no to that?

I was going through some old boxes the other day and came across a huge tub of LEGOs that hadn't seen the light of day in quite a while. It dawned on me that most of that jumbled assortment of bricks was handed down to me from older friends and relatives. I estimate the oldest LEGO bricks to be at least thirty years old as at least one set came from the late 1970s. That got me thinking about LEGOs in a different way. It's pretty amazing to me that the bricks that were manufactured several decades ago still fit perfectly with modern bricks. The older bricks barely look any different than the new ones. The only way I can distinguish the old 2x2 bricks from the new ones is the extra layer of grime they so lovingly acquired after being handled by dozens of small, sticky hands.

How many other toys are made with such quality that they can survive multiple owners and still be in any condition to pass down to the next generation? The only other toys from my childhood that I have held onto this long with the intention of handing down to my own children are my Barbie dolls. I can assure you they do not look as nice as they did when they were new, and they look very different from the Barbie dolls one can find on store shelves today.

The anatomy of the LEGO

To better understand how LEGO lives up to such a high quality standard, let's take a look at what it takes to make a LEGO brick. Anyone who has ever played with LEGOs is familiar with the studs on the top and the tubes on the bottom, but not everyone knows that friction is actually what makes the bricks stick together. The interference fit between the studs and tubes keep the bricks from falling apart, but easily allow for little fingers to break the bond.

Where LEGO bricks come from

Most LEGO pieces are manufactured in the Czech Republic and Denmark. These facilities can produce 3,000 types of pieces including hundreds of millions of tires. In fact, LEGO is the largest producer of vehicle tires in the world! Besides tires, which are made from rubber, almost every basic LEGO piece is made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic granules. The plastic that is used to make LEGO pieces today is what gives LEGO pieces their grip, gloss, and color stability. Its composition has changed very little in the last twenty years, and all raw materials are tested internally and externally to ensure the highest quality.

During production, the ABS plastic granules are melted at temperatures up to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C) and are then injected into the injection molding machines. The molds used to make LEGO pieces are primarily made in Germany. They are expensive to make, but are extremely accurate with a precision tolerance of 0.002 mm. After a few minutes and a lot of pressure, the LEGO pieces cool off, and a conveyor drops them off into a bin. Complex LEGO pieces that are made of more than one part, like minifigures, are put together later on with very precise assembly equipment.

Bins containing various LEGO pieces open and close automatically to drop a specific number of pieces into polypropylene bags. To ensure that the correct number of pieces ends up in each bag, a machine weighs the bag to make sure the weight is what it is supposed to be. Have you ever built a LEGO set and had extra pieces left over? This is common, and usually happens with the smallest pieces in the set that do not weigh enough to be measured by the scale. When this happens to me, I consider it a bonus because the smaller pieces are the most likely to get lost and I'm happy to have extras.

A large part of the reason that LEGO sets are handed down year after year is the company's commitment to quality. Finished LEGO pieces go through drop, torque, tension, compression, bite, and impact tests to ensure they can withstand all kinds of wear and tear and remain sturdy and safe. Amazingly, only 0.00002 percent of pieces do not pass these tests. LEGO has had absolutely no product recalls since 2004.

I have enjoyed playing with LEGOs since before I could walk, and decades later, they still hold a special place in my heart. I especially love the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit sets. These days I mostly consider myself to be a LEGO collector rather than a LEGO builder. I'm not going to say I don't enjoy spending a few hours building with LEGOs now and then, because I definitely do. And why shouldn't I? What's not to love about those colorful bricks and smiling yellow faces?

References

Image Credits: lego.com, fastcodesign.com, wikia.com

How Lego Bricks Work

Product Quality and Safety

LEGO Progress Report 2012 (PDF)

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Lego

Join CR4 for an appreciative review at LEGOs! This week HUSH covers the ways constructionist toys shape our educations, and next week SwissMiss takes a thorough look at just how the tiny blocks earn their shape.

Decades ago, I would spend the earliest days of autumn plotting my Christmas list. Reaching exorbitant levels of childish greed, not only would I have my wish list completed by Veteran's Day (November 11 here in the U.S.), but I carefully constructed my list to emphasize what my parents were most likely to purchase. Red herrings were common; I was fully aware the rhinoceros, mini bike, and BB gun were unlikely to come on Christmas morning. Other toys, no matter the price tag, were an easier 'yes' afterwards.

And while army men and snow sleds came as well, LEGOs were without a doubt at the top of my list. I recall an entire childhood of green, red, blue and yellow 2 x 2s, 2 x 4s, 4 x 8s and so on. Erector and K'Nex sets were in my toy chest as well, but my mother swears to a fortune drained in plastic components, as well as one or two foot injuries.

Well what once was child's play has developed into serious fun. Since LEGO's introduction of Mindstorms in 1998, LEGOs have become the go-to source for rudimentary robotics. Getting children playing with these toys can be viewed as an early way to initiate designing and assembly, but university classes based on these toys prove there is an everlasting lesson in these playthings.

The Lego Group estimates that it has produced some 400 billion pieces in the last 50 years, and in 2011 they made 381 million model-sized rubber tires, more than twice the number of leading full-size tire manufacturer Bridgestone. A common complaint is the cost of a LEGO set, but a variety of reasons lead to the price. Petroleum prices directly affect the cost of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), the synthetic monomer from which LEGO pieces are made. The average cost of manufacture per piece is 12 cents and this includes the diligence with which each piece is crafted. Since each piece must interconnect with every other LEGO ever made, tolerances for construction are extremely slim, just two micrometers. LEGO also has to pay licensing fees for some of its most popular designs, like Batman, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. Click the video on the right for a look at NatGeo's coverage of professional LEGO-ers are work.

Research has shown that some children gravitate towards toys that can indicate career preferences. Based upon constructionist psychological theory, such research states that learners begin to view the world through whichever lens helps them filter knowledge and order. Children who use construction toys like LEGO are more likely to become architects or engineers. (Check out the life-sized LEGO house on the left.) Recently, a building toy called GoldieBlox was introduced to encourage girls to be more interested in science and engineering-related fields and this blogging dad attests LEGO was the reason he became an engineer. Other toys-to-career links help advance this hypothesis: nurses and teachers often played with dolls and figures; bankers and accountants enjoyed board games and puzzles; marketers and advertisers enjoyed doing crafts; and IT workers liked computer and console games.

This tangible link between construction toys and STEM careers has birthed a series of college courses on using LEGOs to develop elementary software programming and mechanical design skills. Java programming often accompanies lectures, and the students must analyze and problem-solve through the use of small, LEGO-powered robots. At UNC Chapel Hill, Professor Anselmo Lastra noted that once students learn to deconstruct problems in steps, they are able to provide meaningful solutions. The results are small robots to compete in races, mazes, or other events designed to test the model's efficiency. Here is a small look at UNC's Lego seminar.

University courses often rely upon the LEGO Mindstorms educational pack to build models of embedded systems. While retail versions contained a Mac or Windows software interface to program the models, educational variants relied upon the ROBOLAB programming software. ROBOLAB could be replaced with Java and C languages. The first Mindstorms release contained 32K of RAM, as well as three input and three output ports. Input was provided by light, sound, and touch sensors, while outputs were typically motors and actuators. Since the first Mindstorms release, more than 17,000 replicable designs have been shared, ranging from toilet flushers to bumper cars.

Though there was an improved version released in 2006, 2013 will see the most advanced Mindstorms release yet. While not cheap at the MSRP of $350, the 600 piece set will offer budding electrical engineers a creative outlet. Included in that set will be a 300 MHz processor, 64 MB of RAM, and 16 MB of storage. This new set will also include an IR proximity sensor and an add-on gyroscope. The three motors included in the base package will be faster than their incumbent equivalents, making the robot's performance much more robust. Tech upgrades will allow the robot to be controlled by phone apps from around the world, and daisy-chaining multiple processors will allow more complex, uninhibited machines to be erected.

Does this mean you should be shoving LEGOs in your kid's face as soon as they're born? Probably not; buying them one or two sets and letting them explore their imaginations is probably the way to go. Does this provide a completely legitimate reason for you to travel down the toy aisle next time you're shopping? Yes, yes it does.

Resources

(Images credits: Linda Thompson; Toy Detectives; Geeky Gadgets; John Harvey Photo)

Wikipedia LEGO; Constructivism; Lego Mindstorms;

LEGO - More Than Child's Play...

UNC - First Year Seminar: Robotics with LEGO