They're As Cold As Ice!

Actually, the surface of penguins' bodies are colder than the sub-zero temperatures of their surroundings!

By the way, the purpose of this blog entry is merely to correct a glaring deficiency in the article to which I link: namely, how on earth could its authors write this article without making an allusion to Foreigner?

(Tip of the cap to I Fucking Love Science.)

Fluid Dynamics and Penguin Huddling

Recently published in the journal PLoS One is a mathematical model for penguin huddling that takes some inspiration from fluid dynamics. I know the third author (Arnold Kim), who I met when I interviewed for a faculty position at UC Merced in 2005 (and of whom I had heard before then).

(Tip of the cap to whoever does the posts for American Physical Society on Facebook.)

Smile and Wave

This bit of graffiti, starring the Madagascar penguins (who are rather well-armed in this picture), is absolutely awesome!

And for another amusing demotivational poster, take a look at the shadow in in this poster. Hah!

Moderately content feet

Given that others keep talking about this movie (and Gazebo has recently denied seeing it rather vehemently), it's about time I reviewed Happy Feet, which I saw on November 22nd.

First, I can't think of the title of this film without also thinking of the High Heels Mix of the song "Happy Feet" which appeared on the Baz Luhrman album called "Something for Everybody" (and was presumably in one of his musicals).

Second, it's important to remark that this movie is not attempting to ride the coattails of March of the Penguins. Indeed, it was conceived well before that before the latter movie and was quite extensively into its cycle before Penguins was released and became a big hit.

Unfortunately, the movie isn't that great. It's mildly pleasing, but I didn't like it even as close to as much as many others seem to have. I very much appreciated the Mr. Mister reference in the opening song (via the line "Take these broken wings" from a prospective mate for the penguin who would become the mother of the main bird, which was followed immediately by his being rejected), but Flushed Away was a much, much better movie. (As I've written, I enjoyed Flushed Away quite a bit.)

The music was sometimes catchy and I can certainly relate to the whole outcast bit, but Robin Williams piled on his schtick really high (not a good sign) for the two characters he played and many of the other actors piled things on a bit too much as well. (Robin Williams has a ton of talent, and he does a superb job when he plays it straight. However, when he's given certain roles, he lapses into a tendency to just go way overboard, and he can become really annoying when he does this. See also: Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell---though only with Stranger Than Fiction did I discover that Ferrell actually has a lot of talent.)

Anyway, the movie was ok but it wasn't great and I certainly don't see the charm that others seem to be finding. I'd recommend the film to the younger set, but it's no Ice Age or Flushed Away.