OUR IMAX EXPERIENCE

Today we gathered and Mairi and John's for a quick lunch before heading off to the cinema. Our Man in Vancouver was involved in the development of the software which was used in character animation for the Disney 3 D film A Christmas Carol.

We got tickets for the matineé at the Glasgow Science Centre. What a wonderful building! Located on Pacific Quay it is very child-oriented and has a wonderful location on the River Clyde. It had exactly the same feel as the big domed Science Centre in Vancouver.

The display of Lego was of much greater interest to the kids. They were very good through the film for being so young. The rest of us coped reasonably well with the loud decibel level and in-your-face flying cartoon figures. By that I mean I had my eyes shut for only 1/4 of the time instead of the usual 3/4 of the time!

This Lego Man reminded me of (big) Alastair's youth in the 80's when he spent hours assembling kits usually with electronic gismos to make them go.

We resolved to go again but hopefully the car park will not be a sheet of ice and the ducks will be swimming in the frozen water feature at the main door.

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Later ... as we are on the subject of animation:

I noticed something really neat with the Google logo today. It is animated! The apple falls from the first "O". Oh, very clever!

Why? It is Isaac Newton's birthday today, He was born January 4, 1643 in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, England. Just to clear up confusion: at the time of his birth England had not adopted the Gregorian calendar and therefore his date of birth was recorded as Christmas Day, 25 December 1642.

Why was he under the tree in the first place? He had been trying to understand how the moon stayed in orbit around the earth and reasoned that it was by the same force that caused the apple to fall to earth.

And finally, it seems that this is the first time Google has used an animated logo. I think Newton would be impressed!