Science Friction

Another Luas Milestone

It has been running for less than two weeks and already the Luas has achieved a major milestone. According to Newstalk 106, a bus has broken down in Harcourt Street blocking the Luas.

X-Prize attempts in September

Following the successful flight of SpaceShipOne a few weeks ago, it looks likely that Scaled Composites will make its official attempts on the X-Prize in September. Competitors are obliged to serve 60 days notice of their intention to try for the X-Prize and none of the entrants, Scaled Composites included, has done so yet. However, Mike Melvill the pilot on the test flight has said in an interview that the flights will take place in September.

Meanwhile rival entrant The Da Vinci Project is planning to launch its entry, Wildfire, in September if a report in Wired is accurate. According to the report, Wildfire will be carried to a height of between 70,000 and 80,000ft by a Helium balloon at which point it will separate and the rocket engines will fire. At an altitude of 80km the rocket will separate from the passenger capsule and descend to earth by parachute. The capsule will continue on a ballistic course to a height of 110km. The capsule will use a combination of parachutes and airbags to return to earth safely.

Risks of passive smoking underestimated?

At least that's what New Scientist thinks. A long term study by the St George's Medical School and the royal Free & University College looked at a pool of over 2000 men, who, between 1978 and 1980 underwent tests for Cotinine, a breakdown product of nicotine that remains in the blood for around two days.Their health was then monitored for over 20 years.

The results of the study have now been published in the British Medical Journal and they do not make pretty reading. They established that high levels of cotinine among non-smokers is associated with between 50 and 60 percent excess risk of coronary heart disease. Earlier studies used more indirect methods e.g. looking at non-smoking partners of smokers and had found the excess risk to be in the region of 30 percent.

The 'Good News' is that the researchers found no link between passive smoking and increased risk of stroke.

Ken MacLeod and an alternative reality

Ken MacLeod takes an oblique look at the news:

Earlier today, the government suffered acute embarrassment when a drafting error resulted in the House of Lords approving a bill that bans smacking in pubs.

While a similar mistake in this country might not have any impact on Fibber Magee's, it might put Taylor's in Galway's Dominick Street out of business. Earlier this year this traditional Irish pub decided to attract custom by putting on some, how shall I put this, gentlemen's entertainment.

Fibber Magees - The True Story

The owners of Fibber Magee's pub in Galway are being hailed as heroes because of their 'stand' against the smoking ban. Never mind his bar staff who were exposed to carcinogens. Ciaran Levanzin was quoted extensively in the press as saying that he experienced a 60 percent drop in trade because of the ban.

Unlikely! Eyre Square, where the pub in question is located, is a building site and the side where Fibber's is located is closed to traffice with very little concession made to pedestrians either. So the drop off can be explained more readily by that.

And the real reason Levanzin and Lawless caved into the Western Health Board was revealed in yesterday's Irish Times. An article in said paper explained that the owners had been granted a number of bar extensions for their other premises. However, when the judge heard about them allowing smoking in Fibber's, she cancelled the extensions and summoned them to court to explain that unless they complied fully with the law the extensions would remain cancelled. In poker terms, Levanzin and Lawless folded and the excemptions were reinstated.

Riding the Jerry Lee

Jerry Lee Lewis - Luas. Geddit?

I personally prefer the Tram in the Jam but in fairness that's not accurate. The ride from Harcourt to Sandyford was smooth and quick and the ride back to St Stephen's Green the same. The only problem was I had to stand most of the way to Sandyford due to the crowds. What was interesting was the number of people who got off at Sandyford and promptly got onto another one heading back into town. Obviously, the fact that one has to pay is not deterring the sightseers.

Bloggers meet

Well all told we were ten, at different times of the afternoon. I turned up in the market bar to meet Dick O'Brien & John Ihle of Back Seat Drivers, Bernie Goldbach of Irish Eyes, Frank McGahon, the Internet Commentator himself, Tony Awlright of Tallrite, Chris from Alt Tag, that girl (and her friend Gary) of Thinking Out Loud, and Gavin Sheridan of Gavin's Blog. (I think I got everyone)

The Market Bar is a new one to me, although I'm told it's been open for about two years now. A Rock Shandy only costs €4.60 - which so far is about the cheapest I've found in Dublin. It also does a nice bar food menu. Some of the bloggers partook of the fare but I declined. (And I'm regretting it now)

Sir Clive does it again

From Gizmodo:

Sir Clive Sinclair, inventor of the pocket calculator and the nigh-on-legendary Sinclair personal computer, has unveiled a new, folding bicycle design he's calling the 'A-Bike.' To be launched in 2005, the 12-pound bike can be folded and unfolded in around 20 seconds and rides on tiny, air-filled tires. The idea is (if it weren't obvious) to provide a cheapish alternative to full-sized bikes that can be folded up and taken with you wherever you go, although the $300 price is considerable more than it would cost to purchase a capable, if basic, street bicycle and chain. Still, I am intrigued. Portable urban transportation is one of my new pet pastimes, and the A-bike would be much easier to recharge than the electric scooters I've been eyeing (they sell pizza almost everywhere). (Thanks, Tim!)

Read - Clive Sinclair peddles world's smallest folding bike [Yahoo (Reuters)]

Blog party in Dublin

Gavin Sheridan over at Gavin's Blog has organised a bloggers get together in the Market Bar this Saturday. The Market Bar can be found in George's Street Arcade on Fade Street, Dublin 2. You can't miss it. It's the old sausage factory. Gavin has suggested a kick off time of about 6pm but some people will be there earlier.

Blogging from Amsterdam

I'm presently in Amsterdam covering Tech Ed – Microsoft's Annual European Developer Conference – for Silicon Republic. I thought I'd be the only Mac user here but it turns out I'm not. One other journalist brought his 17" Powerbook with him and yesterday two different Mac users turned up in my Rendezvous buddy list in iChat. So that's four. Make that five. Another individual has popped up in my list.

Being in Amsterdam of course I missed the launch of Luas. Not to worry there are plenty of trams here. Interesting facts about Amsterdam trams:

1. Taxis are allowed use the tram tracks. Can't wait for them to try it in Dublin

2. The tram from Centraal Station to the conference centre passes through a pedestrianised street. Sort of the equivalent of running the Luas down Grafton Street. Now that would be fun.