Nothing Is Perfect http://nothingisperfect.dolben.org/ life, the universe, and everything Copyright © 2011-2012 Hank Dolben http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/ generate 1.5.4 2012 Pan-Mass Challenge Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:04:00 GMT http://nothingisperfect.dolben.org/2012_01.shtml#031104 For the thirteenth straight year I'll be riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge which, through the Jimmy Fund, raises money to support research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. For more information you might look at this year's fact sheet (PDF).

You can contribute online if you'd like to support my effort.

]]> 2012 GLOBE at Night Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:18:00 GMT http://nothingisperfect.dolben.org/2011_12.shtml#200818 2012 GLOBE at Night

Join the world-wide hunt for stars during GLOBE at Night in January, February, March, and April 2012.

]]> Pan-Mass Challenge Gives $35 Millon Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:43:00 GMT http://nothingisperfect.dolben.org/2011_11.shtml#110843 This evening, the Pan-Mass Challenge will present a check to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for $35 million, $67,681.09 of which was contributed on behalf of Team Dolben. Thanks to all who supported this year's ride.

]]> Visual Proof of the Pythagorean Theorem Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:42:00 GMT http://nothingisperfect.dolben.org/2011_10.shtml#221242 Because it is so simple and visually obvious, this is my favorite proof of the Pythagorean Theorem: for any right triangle, the square of the hypoteneuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

The large square on the left contains four congruent right triangles, leaving a white square in the middle having the area of the square of the hypoteneuse of the triangles. The large square on the right contains the same right triangles, leaving two white squares, each having the area of the square of one of the other two sides of the triangles.

]]> Steve Jobs 1955-2011 Thu, 06 Oct 2011 12:27:00 GMT http://nothingisperfect.dolben.org/2011_10.shtml#060827 "Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new." - Steve Jobs, in his 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

]]> The Man Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:43:00 GMT http://nothingisperfect.dolben.org/2011_09.shtml#270843 Tom:Do you know the man? Dick:What man? Tom:The man with the power. Dick:What power? Tom:Voodoo. Dick:Who do? Tom:You do. Dick:Do What? Tom:Know the man. Dick:What man? Tom:The man with the power. [ad infinitum] ]]> Top Ten Favorite iPad Apps Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:06:00 GMT http://nothingisperfect.dolben.org/2011_08.shtml#241106 Here's a list of my top ten favorite iPad apps:

  1. Safari - web browser
  2. Mail - email client
  3. Flipboard - fancy feed aggregator
  4. WunderMap - weather with radar
  5. SkySafari 3 - astronomy
  6. Emerald Observatory - ephemeris
  7. Movies by Flixster - films in theater, on disk, and on Netflix
  8. What's On TV? - TV listings
  9. Dropbox - cloud storage
  10. Nebulous Notes - plain text editor for Dropbox
]]> Declaration of Independence Mon, 04 Jul 2011 11:16:00 GMT http://nothingisperfect.dolben.org/2011_07.shtml#040716 When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

]]> Eighth Anniversary Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:35:00 GMT http://nothingisperfect.dolben.org/2011_06.shtml#060835 To mark the eighth anniversary of Nothing Is Perfect here's my top ten list of favorite entries:

  1. The Bike Rider's Guide to the Solar System (Model in Maine)
  2. A Little Piece of Heaven
  3. No Escape From Environmental Disaster
  4. Yellow Jersey Group on the Col de la Madeleine
  5. Just win, baby
  6. Modular Inverse
  7. Polyphonym
  8. Military Games
  9. Two Abreast
  10. Remembrance of a Portentous Eclipse
]]> 2011 Pan-Mass Challenge Wed, 04 May 2011 01:25:00 GMT http://nothingisperfect.dolben.org/2011_05.shtml#032125 For the twelfth straight year I'll be riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge which, through the Jimmy Fund, raises money to support research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. For more information you might look at this year's fact sheet (PDF).

You can contribute online if you'd like to support my effort.

]]> Planets in Pisces Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:27:00 GMT http://nothingisperfect.dolben.org/2011_04.shtml#290927 2011 May 14 Dawn

Four of the planets which are visible to the naked eye are clustered together in Pisces. The image above, captured from SkySafari Lite, shows what the eastern sky near the horizon (the green line) will look like at dawn in a couple of weeks from the New Hampshire seacoast.

]]> Pulitzer for Siddhartha Mukherjee Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:27:00 GMT http://nothingisperfect.dolben.org/2011_04.shtml#201527 It was quite a coincidence that I posted my blurb about his book in the morning of the very day when in the afternoon ceremony announcing this year's Pulitzers, the prize for general nonfiction was awarded to Siddhartha Mukherjee for The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer.

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