Exasperated Calculator

Exasperated Calculator: Star Trek & Economics

  • Water pistol? Hah!

    Cower before [the water-mortar](http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/summer-shenanigans/water-mortar-drenches-the-competition-260323.php).

  • Hugo Best Novel Reviews 2007: The Final Chapter

    To finish the unofficial [Hugo](http://www.nippon2007.us/hugo_nominees.php)-week on this blog, a recap of my thoughts on the five nominees for [Best Novel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Award_for_Best_Novel). The five nominees (with a link to my review) are: * [*Temeraire*](http://www.exasperatedcalculator.com/archives/2007/03/hugo-review-temeraire/) by Naomi Novik * [*Glasshouse*](http://www.exasperatedcalculator.com/archives/2007/04/hugo-review-glasshouse/) by Charles Stross * [*Rainbows End*](http://www.exasperatedcalculator.com/archives/2007/05/hugo-review-rainbows-end-by-vernor-vinge/) by Vernor Vinge * [*Eifelheim*](http://www.exasperatedcalculator.com/archives/2007/07/hugo-review-eifelheim/) by Michael Flynn * [*Blindsight*](http://www.exasperatedcalculator.com/archives/2007/07/hugo-review-blindsight/) by Peter…

  • Evacuating the A380

    [Watch the biggest passenger plane ever run through a test evacuation](http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/speedy-evac/video-873-people-ditch-a-downed-airbus-in-77-seconds-257841.php).

  • Japan leads the way

    [An enormous T-shirt vending machine](http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/i.m-still-partial-to-the-gap/t+shirt-vending-machine-store-eliminates-annoying-salesmen-257807.php).

  • Mixing breakfast with computers

    [A waffle iron that makes waffles in the shape of a keyboard](http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/03/keyboard-waffle-iron-cooks-up-your-favorite-peripheral/).

  • Making exercise a little lazier

    [The easy way to cycle up a hill](http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/norwegian-bicycle-lift-proves-europeans-are-just-as-lazy-254664.php).

  • More geek toys

    Your very own [Sonic Screwdriver](http://www.thinkgeek.com/8cff/?cpg=wnrss).

  • Has the tone of SF changed?

    Just recently I found myself listening to a reading of [*Nightfall* by Isaac Asimov](http://escapepod.org/2007/04/05/ep100-nightfall/). This is a fabulous story that I’ve read many, many times. But the slower pace and forced attention of the audio book led me to notice a change in the tone compared to the SF stories that I normally listen to.…

  • Culture clash

    [Tribeswoman with AK-47 and iPod](http://www.boingboing.net/2007/04/22/mursi_tribeswoman_wi.html).

  • Guns don’t shoot people

    [People demonstrating gun safety to a classroom shoot themselves](http://www.reason.com/blog/show/119713.html).