Flaneur Finds, Facts, and Follies - Anniversary Edition

"Another year...still standing..."

28th December, 2005 marks the first anniversary of the Flaneur File. In review of the past year, The File could be called a halting, if mildly promising, effort at best. The File endeavors to improve both upon the frequency and quality of its offerings, and welcomes both the criticism and accolades of you, the reader.
As such, The File will be making a few changes in its selection of material presented. One new addition is a feature we call "Flaneur Finds, Facts, and Follies", wherein will be showcased some of the more obscure, informative, and generally entertaining (not neccessarily at the same time) tidbits the internet has to offer. The Flaneur File will trawl the limitless depths of the virtual debris field called the Web, so you don't have to.

We have also begun highlighting blogs we find of particular interest and relevance who can be found listed under "Friends of Flaneur File", to your right. If you have a current blog you would like listed, please contact us. Sites submitted with offers of cash or other worthy compensation will receive priority consideration.

Lastly, we at The File have heard that some of you might occasionally wish to comment on the material presented here. So, as an experiment, we have activated the "comments" functionality available at the end of each post. We invite you to exercise your voice and air your opinions. If it gets utilised, we'll keep it there. If not, we'll ditch it. Regardless, we can always be contacted by clicking the email link at the bottom of every page. And so begins a new year. The Flaneur offers his personal thanks to each and every one of you for your support and patronage. May this year be one of discovery and joy for all of us.



How Spaghetti Snaps - A Scientific Inquiry
In science's continuing efforts to explain the more mysterious workings of the universe around us, French physicists Dr Basile Audoly and Dr Sébastien Neukirch from the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris have undertaken a study of the physical forces involved in breaking strands of pasta, and have published their findings in a recent issue of the journal Physical Review Letters.
Apparently, it is nigh impossible to break a piece of uncooked spaghetti into two pieces (see update and clarification, below). The forces behind this have even caught the attention of Nobel Laureate and Physicist Richard Feynman, who has been rumored to have spent countless hours alone in his kitchen, snapping spaghetti, trying to work it out.
While it might seem a trivial and pointless exercise, there are real-world applications for such knowledge: the same flexular waves which cause this phenomena, are present in and can be applied to the use of metal or fiberglass rods used in civil engineering, thereby contributing to our understanding of physical stress points in construction and manufacturing. A presentation and accompanying papers can be found here: How Bent Spaghetti Break

Update and clarification: One of the more obstinant offspring of The Flaneur read the above and sought to undermine the authority of his more learned and experienced sire. Taking a strand of spaghetti in hand, he gripped it in the center and promptly snapped it in two even pieces. So, to clarify, spaghetti which is bended by taking the end of each strand in hand, will not break in two pieces, ever. So says the Flaneur and learned French Physicists. Our thanks to Non Sequitor for being such an inquisitive smart-ass.