Month: April 2012

  • Google’s Employment Applicant’s Hourglass Problem

    Google’s Employment Applicant’s Hourglass Problem

    Ref: March 2012 issue of Wired magazine. It seems the Google job interview process requires a problem to be solved. I’ll take this hourglass problem, “Using only a four-minute hourglass and a seven-minute hourglass, measure exactly nine minutes.” Solution Principle: Use one hourglass to measure out a smaller amount of time on the other hourglass. Repeat until…

  • Rolling Resistance of Bicycle Tyres

    For those who ride bicycles to work, the rolling resistance of bicycle tyres may be of interest. So check out Terry Morse’s web page.

  • Flipping Heck It’s A SmartInversion

    Flipping Heck It’s A SmartInversion

    Revised On 24 December 2021 Introduction It’s an unusual flying object – this SmartInversion – that propels itself by flipping inside out. Created by engineers at Festo in Esslingen, Germany. It was originally reported in a New Scientist blog in April 2012 which is no longer online. I decided to investigate it further and found…

  • Should You Worry About Your Bath Overflowing?

    Should You Worry About Your Bath Overflowing?

    Introduction Bragging bath owner, “Me, worry about my bath overflowing? It’s got an overflow pipe. I shan’t worry.” Plumber, “Oh! Has it? Well I would still worry.” Why you DO NEED to worry about your bath overflowing? I know someone who has had a bad experience with a bath overflowing, but it wasn’t their bath…

  • Goldfinches Feeding In My Garden

    Goldfinches Feeding In My Garden

    Introduction I can’t tell you how pleased I am to have goldfinches feeding in my garden regularly now I have erected a nyjer seed feeder. See this one in my feature image. A friend across the road has goldfinches feeding regularly but I never have. Why? They never had anything to feed on in my garden. So I…