Tesla and Einstein came to my birthday party!

[onager]

Well, OK, I had to go to them. But I quibble.

As most of you know, I'm normally...if that is the right word...based in Alexandria, Egypt. But this week I'm on VACATION!!! In Vienna, Austria, shortly followed by Prague (in fact, tomorrow).

Yesterday was my birthday. (Shhh!!!)

To prove, I guess, why I am divorced...heh. I spent most of my birthday prowling thru the Vienna Technical Museum.

If you have a skeptical bone in your bod and ever come to Vienna...DO NOT MISS THIS MUSEUM!

It was founded in 1918 and one of its first exhibits covered the experiments of Tesla. It still has a daily demonstration in the "High Voltage Room."

You'll feel right at home from the very first exhibits--"Science & Nature," where we learn about observing nature, even when it conflicts with religion! Amazing!

The Museum is very honest about some not-so-distant history, as when it discusses the rejection of Einstein's theories in Germany and Austria as "Jewish physics."

What I really love about this place is the way it ties in science with applications to daily life. Exhibits of soap powder, toothpaste and even a history of public toilets point right back to the whole "applied science" theme.

The "heavy industry" room, e.g., talks about the pseudo-science of dowsing, and how the failure of dowsing and other quasi-religious "sciences" led to the creation of mining schools.

And there are some other very sad applications of pseudo-science. Like the samples of hair and eye color used by Nazis to try and find "perfect Aryans."

My drink is getting warm, so I have to run...

[TZ]

1. Happy belated birthday, Onager!

That sounds like a very interesting place. You should see if you can get some more good info on the dowsing to combat the woos with on the occasion it pops up.:hi: :toast:

[semillama]

2. Wow. that not only appeals to me as a skeptic

but as an industrial archaeologist!! Is there a website for the museum in english?

[onager]

5. Here you go.

http://www.tmw.ac.at/default.asp?id=1&al=Englisch

That link should take you to the English version. The website shows some of the more popular exhibits.

Just to show how completely lame I am, I spent the next day at the Museum of Military History in Vienna. That museum has an exhibit I wanted to see because the items in it literally changed the world. In the sense that many people in the world today are living different lives than they otherwise would have.

That exhibit is the actual car in which Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were riding in Sarajevo, June 1914, when they were killed by a Serbian nationalist, kicking off World War I. (The car is a 1910 Graf & Stift, for the curious.) Beside the car the museum displays the chaise-longue where Franz Ferdinand died, and his jacket complete with bullet hole and blood stains.

[moggie]

3. Hey, if you're in Austria

You could go on a Fucking trip:

British tourists have left the residents of one charming Austrian village effing and blinding by constantly stealing the signs for their oddly named village.

While British visitors are finding it hilarious, the residents of Fucking are failing to see the funny side.

...

"We will not stand for the Fucking signs being removed," the officer said.

"It may be very amusing for you British, but Fucking is simply Fucking to us. What is this big Fucking joke? It is puerile."

http://banderasnews.com/0611/nw-fucking-austria.htm

Being British, I'm puerile, and am greatly amused by quotes like "Just this morning I had to tell an English lady that there were no Fucking postcards".

[onager]

6. Grrr! I'm sorry I missed that!

Thanks! Hilarious.

[YankeyMCC]

4. Happy birthday!

But of course it sounds like you are indeed having a happy birthday!