Alfonso Hernandez is a farmer who grows infected cacti on the Canary Islands (Pop Quiz! Where in the world are the Canary Islands?) While cactus plants are generally considered a nuisance, and plant infections don’t rank high on Top 10…
The Robert Y. Love was the little towboat that could. It spent its time merrily chugging up and down the Arkansas River, pushing barges loaded with asphalt, construction debris, coal, or oil. While it was only 104 feet long and 30 feet…
It was clear that Paul Bryant was different the moment he was born. He did look a bit strange, his head seemed almost bigger than his body, but all babies are born looking a little strange, so his parents weren’t…
The information presented below is based on an article by Jordan Weissman in The Atlantic magazine, which appeared on Dec 27, 2013. I had my first whole cup of coffee at the age of ten. Oh, how I savored that…
Call me Nano-Man. I am the future. I laugh silently at the geek in front of me as he pulls a 5 pound laptop out of his carry-on, and places it its own basket in the security line at the…
When I was about seven years old, I wanted to be a motorcycle-man. This was way before I would dream of becoming a basketball star, a pro-snowboarder, or a brilliant mathematician (O.K. so that last one never really happened). At the…
Hello Everybody, Los Angeles International Airport, July 2029 As he stepped onto the curb, David waved Josh a hurried goodbye, hoping he’d get out of the airport before the five minute mark when he’d get hit with another $5.20 in…
It’s time to talk about mining. Not mining for gold, not mining for silver, not mining for coal, and not even mining for rare earth metals like neodymium, gadolinium, and dysprosium. No, it’s time to talk about bitcoin mining. Bitcoin…
Papa Joe was dead and the people of Plattsville were mad. Papa Joe was the grandfather of the whole town. He was the man who magically produced lollipops from his sleeves every time a kid walked into his hardware store.…
Ladies and Gentleman We’re going to do something a little bit different this week. I hope to write a children’s book soon, and I’m going to give you not just a sneak preview, but rather a very rough draft of…