Hour of Code

~Over at Khan Academy, you too can learn the basics of computer programming in less than 60 minutes thanks to the Hour of Code.  It's completely free, and through interactive tutorial videos, you'll learn how to draw and color shapes in JavaScript by creating functions and parameters.

Below is a greeting card image that I made. Sure, it may not look like much, but I didn't draw that using MSPaint or any art program; instead, the colors and shapes you see are the result of computer code on the left that told the program where to place each shape and what color to make it.

If you want to learn how to do this yourself, head over to: https://www.khanacademy.org/hour-of-code/hour-of-code-tutorial/v/welcome-hour-of-code

Spin-off of "Project: Greeting Card"

Made using: Khan Academy Computer Science.

Aquarium of the Pacific

~While in Long Beach, California (just south of Los Angeles), I found some time to visit the impressive Aquarium of the Pacific. Here are some of the better pictures from my time there:

A sea-horse.

"You're going to need a bigger boat..."

A colorful Lorikeet.  There was a group of these birds in a closed-in area called the "Lorikeet House" where you could walk about, the birds flying freely around you. They are very gregarious and friendly, and have no compunctions about landing on your shoulders or arms.

Penguins!

High and dry.

A jellyfish, very small but very colorful.  The edges of the jellyfish that look ridged in this picture are actually bio-luminescent, with rainbow-colored lights flashing down them like LCD screens.

  

Moon Jellyfish.  These specimens are hand-sized, but they can grow to be over a foot in diameter. Prey that brushes against their tentacles is paralyzed and drawn into the stomach that comprises much of the central bell.

This bird tried his hardest to swim through the glass. He failed.

Gina the octopus, one of two octopuses currently at the aquarium. The octopus is one of the most intelligent of sea creatures and they have been known to break out of captivity and pull themselves through dry land for short stretches, but they have a relatively short lifespan.  In contrast to giant squid, octopuses are not very large (Gina's body is less than a foot in diameter, although her tentacles make her seem much larger).  They can also change color to evade predators, and to communicate mood (red means they're angry; Gina is actually orange-ish in this picture, which means calm).

A California King Crab, also known as the Spiny King Crab for obvious reasons. These fellows live deeper underwater than most commercially-harvested crabs, so they're not a major food item. 

A Japanese Spider Crab.  The body is about a foot in diameter, and its long legs make for a vaguely menacing appearance.  Despite the name, they are not related to spiders. 

EXCUSE ME.

This diver delivered a live presentation while in an aquarium tank; another presenter asked him questions by radio while the audience watched through the tank wall. There were other divers in the tank as well, cleaning the rocks and coral. One particularly playful fish named "Bubbles" loved to swim through the bubbles from the diver's mask. There was also a small (and presumably satiated) hammerhead shark swimming around, who obligingly swam by the window several times. I think he was preening.

Clownfish, and other tropical fish in a tank with colorful corals.

The purple and orange organisms are also coral, but of a variety that lives deeper in the ocean. Coral are actually colonies of tiny animal life. Coral living close to the surface gets over 90% of its energy from symbiotic photosynthetic algae living inside of it, while these darker, deeper corals cannot get energy from sunlight and so must subsist on plankton and other passing microorganisms.

Bangaii Cardinalfish, also known as the Kaudern's Cardinal.

A Leafy Sea Dragon. What amazing camouflage!

Dominion GardenFest of Lights 2013

~The Christmas Season is upon us, and lights and decorations are everywhere.  While in Richmond, VA last week, I walked though some amazing lights and decorations at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.  The display is called Dominion GardenFest of Lights 2013.

The courtyard garden in front of the arboretum (the building in the background) was colorfully lit up, including this fountain.

The fountain, seen from another angle.

Inside the arboretum looking up at the glass dome high above.  There are a wide variety of plants from many different climates inside of this building.

This pool in the arboretum had been decorated with colorful flowers and animal statues.  See the frog sitting in the middle?

It's hard to tell from this picture, but the scale of this ornately-decorated tree is colossal -- it was at least 25 feet tall.  The name of the display is "Birds and the Bees" (seen on the banner at lower left) -- if you click on the picture for a closer look, you can see the many bird- and bee-themed ornaments that almost entirely cover the surface of the tree.

Another fountain in the courtyard.  The water on this one had been turned off and replaced with blue lights.

This small courtyard was covered by netting that held star-shaped lights.

This walkway was decorated to look like a caterpillar...you had to walk into its mouth to proceed further into the garden.

The benches in the garden are cleverly decorated as animals, insects, and in this case, trees.

These trees were strung with colorful lights.

This small house had animatronic Christmas decorations!

This picture was taken from an elevated walkway, and shows how extensively lit the garden was; this is only a small portion of the GardenFest display. It reminded me of a scene in the film National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation when the Griswold family turns on their massive Christmas display for the first time, consuming so much electricity that engineers at the power plant are forced to activate a backup nuclear reactor.

A wire-frame peacock. How ostentatious!

A butterfly.

I'm not lyin' to you, this is a lion display.

The entrance to a Japanese tea house garden, located on the grounds of the botanical garden.

A stone lantern in the tea house garden. I like the way the lighting came out on this picture.

If you're in the Richmond area, the GardenFest is well worth a visit. Tickets are $11 for adults, $7 for kids (3 and under are free), and it runs through January 13 (closed Dec 24 &25).  There is also a list of activities that take place there on some nights.  The address is 1800 Lakeside Avenue, Richmond, VA 23228.