Someone Made This Up

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 Twitter is so much easier than than THIS -

--Mary K

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EXPECT MIRACLES!

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from my buddy John M. Fogg...

A fascinating feature-length independent film titled Helvetica (Netflix has it), all about the ubiquitous sans-serif typeface developed in 1957 by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger.

In the film, graphic designer Wim Crouwel says, "The Helvetica was a real step from the 19th century typeface. ...We were impressed by that because it was more neutral, and neutralism was a word that we loved. It should be neutral. It shouldn’t have a meaning in itself. The meaning is in the content of the text and not in the typeface."

"Neutral... shouldn't have meaning in itself." Really...?

Here are two words rendered in the widespread font Helvetica (when you watch the film you will truly be amazed by just how omnipresent this typography is):

Both of these words are packed with the energy of their meaning, yet as seen here (up there and everywhere around our globe where there are Roman characters on display) they are neutral indeed. Neutral, as in boring.

Yet it doesn't take much (as in my amateur efforts below show) to give them an little energetic umph, which literally transforms them.

And with a skosh more...

This is NOT a lesson in typography—though clearly I could use them (my BFA did not extend that far). The point is that with a little awareness and effort I was able to distinguish myself and stuff from "neutral" (and as said, boring) to something more meaningful (and I say informing, involving and even a bit inspiring).

I don't know about you, but I find myself living and working in an increasingly Helvetica world. Network marketing is a big part of my world. It, too, has become very Helvetica. Now that I understand that... I will do something about it.  

 
--Mary K

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EXPECT MIRACLES!

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From NASA Science News

Sept. 12, 2008: There's a special room at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Researchers call it the "Anechoic Chamber" and they love to test their high-tech instruments there. Normal people think it's just plain spooky.

"In here, no one can hear you scream," says engineer Mark James as he opens the door on the surreal:

Above: The electromagnetically quiet Anechoic Chamber at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. [larger image]

The door creaks shut behind James and suddenly it's like someone hit the mute button. Dead silence. Pyramids on the wall seem to be closing in. The urge to scream ... hard to resist.

James just gets on with the job. He's lead engineer on a research team using this cavernous facility to test a prototype hurricane sensor called HIRAD. Short for Hurricane Imaging Radiometer, HIRAD is designed to scan large areas of ocean for microwave signals that portend storm strength and dynamics. By collecting and transmitting these data to forecasters, HIRAD could reduce property damage and even save lives.

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The Anechoic Chamber is the perfect place to check HIRAD's antenna.

Weird shapes lining the chamber's walls are made of a radio-frequency damping material arranged in a pattern akin to soundproof rooms. The shapes minimize microwave reflections and eliminate electromagnetic interference.

"The electromagnetic quiet allows us to test and fully characterize the HIRAD antenna," explains James. "Lack of sound is just a weird bonus."

A microwave source at one end of the chamber sends signals to the HIRAD antenna at the other end. In this way, engineers can explore the antenna's beam pattern to check that it meets the requirements of the mission ahead.

Using microwaves, "HIRAD will be able to map out wind speeds on the ocean's surface--in particular the hurricane strength within the eye wall and elsewhere," says Tim Miller, HIRAD principal investigator at the National Space Science and Technology Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "We can also determine how heavy the rain is and the temperature of the ocean surface, more indicators of hurricane characteristics."

(Note: To learn more about how HIRAD works, read the Science@NASA story "In the Blink of a Hurricane's Eye.")

Because of its design, HIRAD can make observations over a wider swath of area than instruments currently used by NOAA. And by using electronic rather than mechanical means to scan and create a two-dimensional image of the storm's dynamics, HIRAD can operate on less power than current wind measuring instruments. It's also smaller, lighter, and relatively inexpensive to build.

Right: Engineer David Simmons adjusts the HIRAD antenna in the MSFC Anechoic Chamber. [larger image]

"HIRAD's observations will not only give weather officials more and better real-time information on storm strength, but it will also help them determine how the storm will develop and where it will go," says Miller. "All of this adds up to more advanced warnings to the public."

How is HIRAD doing so far in the "bat cave" testing?

"We're still reviewing our test data, but so far HIRAD is passing with flying colors," says Robbie Hood of the MSFC, former principle investigator for the project and still intimately involved in its development.

The next step, she says, "is to build the real thing. This is just a test unit – a laboratory prototype. Ultimately, HIRAD will be more compact and lighter weight than the unit we're testing now."

The team hopes to have HIRAD ready to fly checkout tests onboard an aircraft by fall 2009, and ready for its first hurricane experiment in 2010. HIRAD will have to compete with other candidate instruments for the hurricane experiment.

The whole team feels confident that their instrument is going to succeed. "We've got top-notch personnel working long hours to make it happen," says Miller. "We all know that HIRAD is a valuable instrument, and we want to place it in the hands of weather officials so it can do its work -- saving lives."

The trick, says James with a smile, "is not getting locked in the bat cave."

What?

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