Les Paul Doodle

Heads up Waukesha - Today's Google Doodle is a tribute to to local legend Les Paul. The best parts is you can play it! (Not this image tho, go but go to Google.com and try it.)

This will appear on Google.com for the rest of the day, and starting tomorrow it should be archived at http://www.google.com/logos/ .

Here's a Forbes article with more details about this tribute to Les Paul, and another from Geek.com.

Musical Accompaniment for the End of the World

In the unlikely event that Harold Camping is correct, wouldn't it be nice to go out humming along with some appropriate music? The selections are presented here in alphabetical order by artist, because I think it especially silly to be highly organized in my response to the apocalypse.

Barry McGuire: Eve of Destruction
(does double duty as a protest song)

Billy Joel: We Didn't Start The Fire
(or maybe Only the Good?)

Blondie: Rapture
(sort of)

Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper

(And the MORE COWBELL! version, with Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell)

IT BOYS! End Of The World

Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around

(Good old Man-in-Black)

Kansas: Dust in the Wind

(or the studio version)

King Crimson: Epitaph
(a classic)

Metallica: The Four Horsemen
(It would really make me happy if I never have to listen to Metallica again)

Pink Floyd: Goodbye Blue Sky
and
Pink Floyd: Goodbye Cruel World/Is There Anybody Out There?

REM: It's The End Of The World
(This is a no-brainer)

Sawtell & Shefterr "Apocalypse Jazz - The last man on earth OST"

(Have you seen the movie?)

The Doors: The End
(really should have let this one go last)

2012 Movie Theme ( it aint the end of the world )

(original artist uncertain)

YES: Tempus Fugit
(maybe)


OK - that's enough from me, but please contribute your personal "end notes" if you like. - Happy last day on Earth everybody!


Hat-Tip(s):
 This IGN article was the idea source for some of these.
 NPR has some creative suggestions too, and there are over 3800 responses on Facebook.

And now for our next musical number!

And now for our next musical number!

 [Found on Pharyngula]

edit - forgot a title! Silly me.
edit = forgot the video! Doh!!

Solenoid Jam Session

The lights are dimming, everyone take your seats for the show.



Or view here

[Found on Pharyngula]

crab cannon nonnac barc crab cannon nonnac barc

Bach's Crab Cannon: forwards, backwards, looped, and twisted.



[Hat Tip 2 Newton Excel Bach]

Symphony of Science

Very nice!


Check out The Symphony of Science for more.

[Tip-o-the-Hat to RabidApe]

Giant Steps

Just because it's cool.


[HatTips2 dancohen, Open Culture, @hughmcguire, and MetaDeb]

Not to ruin the nice Coltrane vibe, but compare that to a saxophone playing robot. The video below shows the robot in action. The tone is awful, but it will give you some idea of what Coltrane is doing on the keys. Unfortunately it only shows the left-hand keys and we miss out on all the right-hand action, but you see can some of the high-note valves moving, which are operated by the right hand.

[Sax-playing robot image from Hosei University Takashima R&C Laboratory]

[Video nicofar]

The keys are the easy part. The robot can get the notes, but isn't even close to making sounds like Coltrane.

Science is Real

This is SO going on my Christmas list! Click thru for a preview of the new TMBG album: Here Comes Science.


More at the TMBG site. [HatTip2 Pharyngula]

Richard Feynman likes Orange Juice (and the Bongos)

[from OpenCulture.com and MetaFilter and Cosmic Variance and Cynical-C and (maybe originally?) Pablompa]

That seems to have been recorded shortly before his death from cancer. Here's is an older video of a bongo player in his prime.