Resident Alien

Resident Alien is produced somewhat erratically by the Bridgewater Institute for Advanced Study (BIAS) under the guidance of its director, epistemological engineer Joseph King. It appears variously in electronic, paper and other formats such as serial gummed labels.

Nothing in Resident Alien is guaranteed to be true, politically correct or academically sound. Some language may offend some people who can be offended by some language. The word "whim" figures prominently upon the lintel of the door at Resident Alien.

There are no dirty pictures. And we can't help you with your Green Card application. We're all Resident Aliens here.

Do you depend on The Muse for your inspiration? The Muse confronts Y2K

Primo Levi on encountering the computer

Greenbag Canteen -- An unfinished story.

The Metric System in Canada

Pasta -- Varieties you may have missed.

Change a lightbulb?! MIT students don't do that.

Career Planning in the New World Order

Under revision. This bit used to be funny. Reality has caught up with us and it isn't any more. We're trying to fix that.

Masochism -- Then and Now

chainsaw(8)

Have a nice day...

The Large Duck-Mention Cycle

More about Hypertext.

Resident Alien's Guide to Webpage Design and good HTML style.

Do as we say, not as we do.

Resident Alien in Winter: Ice-Mousing

N.I.H (Not Invented Here)

Strawberry Pop-Tart Blow-Torches

On a par with the inimitable Butter-Side Down research.

The Fulminating Grape

The fact that late 20th century technology is incomprehensible to even the educated leads to interdiciplinary research in biology and physics reminiscent of 16th century metallurgical chemistry.

P. Michaud's study at tamucc.edu may have been suppressed lest authorities get the notion that the public should not be allowd to carry grapes on airplanes.

Water-powered Mechanical Asskicker

In a world where explaining other people's actions routinely reduces to a choice between stupidity and malice, this engineering R&D success by Robert Booth offers the opportunity to bypass that difficult choice and get on with appropriate action.

Method for Igniting Barbecue Grill

Technology contributes to the back-yard social life of blacksmiths and glassblowers.

Alas, great research sometimes fades from view. We at Resident Alien deeply regret that George Goble's research at Purdue on lighting a barbecue grill with the aid of a bucket of liquid oxygen is no longer available in its original form. Some pics and background are available at LLNL , more photos and an interview with George are at Ambrosia Times

George's Purdue site now greets enquiring minds with the terse notice:

The people in charge have requested this web site be removed. 2/6/2003 --ghg

Thanks, George!