Articles
Website of the month
When it comes to trustworthy technological facts, Wikipedia doesn’t always cut it. However, a wiki-style science and engineering site, www.diracdelta.co.uk, does a good job of filling in the gaps.
Originally developed for private use by a small, dedicated consultancy of engineers, physicists and software developers, the database that informs its online encyclopaedia was created so that the group could store and share information needed for their work on a daily basis. The website now has more than 5,000 fact-packed pages, covering topics from the Ackermann Curve to the Zeeman Effect (the splitting of spectral lines when an external magnetic field is applied).
Free online calculations and conversions, and useful links to further online resources, make for a valuable engineering resource.
Useful apps
TurboViewer X is a 2D and 3D drawing viewer that enables you to pan, zoom and ‘3D orbit’ around your CAD DWG and DXF files. A handy way to work on the go, it also allows you to mark up changes and share files with contacts. To view the drawing files, simply send an email with a DWG or DXF attachment to your digital device or view and download files from websites, FTP servers, or the cloud (such as Dropbox or iCloud).
Another great feature is you also get an instant, full-screen, lower-resolution preview to look at while your high-resolution drawing is downloading.
The viewer displays 3D drawings in wireframe mode, plus visual styles that support hidden lines – including X-ray, shaded, and greyscale effects – among others. It also features a layer manager, settings to turn off auto-sense navigation, and
an online wikihelp system.
This slick, must-have app can be downloaded at Apple’s App Store for £4.99 and TurboViewer X is also available for Android from Google Play.
Perfect podcasts
Big Picture Science is a weekly one-hour radio programme and podcast produced at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute’s radio studio based in Mountain View, California. It’s accurately billed as the show with “a wide-angle view on science and technology”. Programmes tackle big questions such as – how the internet affects our memories.
Each podcast features an engaging mix of scientific discoveries and technological developments, as well as attempting to provide answers. Insightful interviews with experts from around the globe, including engineers and a range of academics, provide further insight.
A lighthearted monthly special, Skeptic Check, offers a chance for popular beliefs and theories – such as the supposed health benefits of organic milk – to be debunked.
Slickly co-hosted and produced by Seth Shostak, an astronomer at SETI, and Molly Bentley, who has previously worked as a science journalist for the BBC, this is a must-listen podcast ideal for those with a thirst for knowledge.
Big Picture Science is on iTunes and podcast sites including RSS.