The author, Clifford Stoll, is quite a character. He wrote "The Cuckoo's Egg", which was (I think) one of the first hacker-thriller novels, which I hold directly responsible for getting me into UNIX as a 12-year old in the 90's. I still have a very old battered copy somewhere.
He's become something of a technology curmudgeon now, and I recall him writing a few articles in the 90's with titles like "Why the Internet is a failure". Interesting guy.
He gave a TED talk a few years back.[0] He's certainly an interesting, very alert guy, and he's a great motivator: he seems to be particularly good at exciting his audience and getting them curious about the subject matter. He taught 8th grade science class -- it must've been quite an experience being one of his students.
The Cuckoo's Egg is nonfiction, based on Stoll's work as a sysadmin. It tells the other side of the story portrayed in the German cult film 23 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23_%28film%29).
I didn't know it was non-fiction! To be honest, I've not read the book for probably 15 years, but that adds a really interesting spin on it. Thanks for pointing that out!
I bought one of these about 15 years ago. The packaging was great, with lots of funny cards and stickers. Apparently now you get photos of Cliff with your actual bottle, and a personalised drawing on the box.
I'm permanently on the move, so I've got it stored in my parents' attic. I told them to be careful with it, as it contains the entire universe.
They seem neither one sided nor zero-volume. The spout simply is routed through the bottom instead of coming out the top. It may be more "smooth" than a wine bottle, but if this zero volume then a wine bottle also must have zero volume, putting the spout somewhere else, and making the spout concave instead of convex, doesn't change this.
They are "zero volume" because they don't have an inside. Everything that looks like it is inside can be reached from the outside without breaking the glass. The same can't be said for a (corked) wine bottle.
Yikes - I'm mentioned on YCombinator! I'm honored, but a bit taken aback.
Umm - what to say? Whatever I'm accused of, it's probably true. And yes, I make those Klein bottles. A way for this physicist to tweak the noses of his mathematican friends...
Warm cheers all around,
-Cliff (sunny afternoon in Oakland)
Six years ago I called you to ask you to be my advisor on a high school research project. You cried out of honor, and declined, because I lived too far away (Florida.) You're my idol!
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[ 3.0 ms ] story [ 59.5 ms ] threadHe's become something of a technology curmudgeon now, and I recall him writing a few articles in the 90's with titles like "Why the Internet is a failure". Interesting guy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Stoll
edit: Whoops - the book was "The Cuckoo's Egg", not "The Cuckoo's Nest".
[0] http://www.ted.com/talks/clifford_stoll_on_everything
I have defended his curmudgeonliness here: http://axyl.us/post/479929158/clifford-stoll-was-right
I'm permanently on the move, so I've got it stored in my parents' attic. I told them to be careful with it, as it contains the entire universe.
"Guaranteed to frustrate even the most dedicated wine connoisseur: it's difficult to fill, difficult to pour, and difficult to clean."
[1] http://www.kleinbottle.com/wine_bottle_klein_bottle.html
I'd take a slow pour over being drenched any day.
[0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_cup
I have one of these bottles made by him: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stianeikeland/2489219187/
They're pretty neat, but people often think I've a bong on display on my bookshelf. :p
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_bottle
Umm - what to say? Whatever I'm accused of, it's probably true. And yes, I make those Klein bottles. A way for this physicist to tweak the noses of his mathematican friends...
Warm cheers all around, -Cliff (sunny afternoon in Oakland)