Hello Everyone,

On behalf of the Student Advisers from the College of Education (and de facto me), are hosting a fundraising film event, Rogue One, on December 18th at 6pm.  All profits will go to Ronald McDonald House in Christchurch.

I am also selling fundraising products

• Fairtrade chocolate bars, $2.50
• Ecostore Lemongrass soap bars, $2.50
• Cancer Society Sunscreen, 50ml tube, $5

If you are interested is assisting us by seeing Rogue One , or buying products, please contact me or manja.pieters@canterbury.ac.nz

Cheers!

Dave

Ola!

As some of you may know the ENGR 101 assignment (855 students) has kicked off this year.  The topic is a coastal protection plan.

We have created a subject guide to get them started.  Please refer them to that in the first instant.  We have included links to journal articles, Ecan, CERA and text books.

http://canterbury.libguides.com/engr/2016-coastal-assignment

I suggest if students need a place to start it is by using the Handbook of Coastal and Ocean Engineering.

http://ipac.canterbury.ac.nz/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=a&npp=30&index=bib&term=2139155

This assignment requires the students cite the assignment in APA format.  On the subject guide is a link to how to cite, or please refer them to the library’s APA guide.

http://library.canterbury.ac.nz/services/ref/apa/index.shtml

Of course EPS staff are willing to help and we will be closely monitoring Asklive as best we can.

Cheers!

Dave

As the holiday spirit begins to infuse the general population I have just received my favourite reference question of the year.  Keep in mind I did receive this from a staff member…

My nephew just asked me “Do you think a Wampa could throw you from Hoth to Tattooine?”

I have replied as a librarian and member of the 501st Garrison Star Wars Charity group.

Dear XXX,

Stormtrooper TK6474 of the 42 Outpost member of 501^st Garrison says in short , No!

Why?  Because a Wampa is a Wampa ice creatures were carnivorous predatory reptomammals indigenous to the remote Outer Rim Territories ice planet Hoth.  Tattooine is a different planet.  But I will answer that later on.

Please see the Wiki of the Wampa
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Wampa

However, there is something called the Tatooine Howler, also known as a “desert wampa” due to its resemblance to the ice wampa of Hoth, was a creature native to Tatooine. While it possessed characteristics of a Wampa, such as tusks and fur, the Tatooine Howler had no actual relation to it at all.

Well, Hoth is 52,250 light years away from the Galactic Core, and Tatooine is 43,000 light years from the Core, so they could be anywhere from 7,250 light years apart to 24,750 light years apart, because the galaxy is 120,000 light years across. (It is approximately 9 trillion kilometres).

I’m going to work out very basically the physics involved.  Work is a transfer of energy so work is done on an object when you transfer energy to that object. The amount of work done on an object depends on the amount of force exerted on the object and the amount of distance the object moves.

Work = Force x Distance

According to Newton’s Second Law of Motion, the net force on an object is dependent on the mass of the object, and its acceleration during the movement.

Force = Mass x Acceleration

The common unit of force is the Newton (N). One Newton is the force required to accelerate one kilogram of mass at 1 meter per second per second.

1 N = 1kg m/s2

The amount of work done to push a 76 N stormtrooper a distance of 9 trillion x 1000 meters would be

76 N x 120,000 x 9,000,000,000,000,000 m = 82,080,000,000,000,000,000,000 N  or 82,080,000,000, terajoule or 82²¹ joules.  And at this energy the Stormtrooper would simply combust and vanish as he is vaporized.  (A human body vaporizes with about 2.99 Gigjoules of energy applied to it.) So that won’t work.

Alternatively put the Wampa on the Millenium Falcon at it would take a shorter time.  See how fast the Millenium Falcon can go,

http://www.tor.com/2014/12/08/star-wars-how-fast-is-the-millennium-falcon/

Therefore, basically it would take one day as the Millennium Falcon’s top speed is 25,000 light years per day, 1041.66 light years per hour.

So the Answer is that if the Wampa weighing 150-200 Kg could throw this stormtrooper onto the Millenium Falcoln and it could transport me there.  Done!

Dear colleagues,

You are invited to a morning tea at the EPS library this morning from 10-11am.  The reason for this is that I am celebrating my 20^th Anniversary working for the University of Canterbury Library.  My actual date is Friday 6^th November, but unfortunately I am not working that date so this is the last day before I reach the milestone.  I have become aware as an institution that we are very good at celebrating the people leaving, but do not acknowledge the milestones of those who remain.  As the saying goes I have decided to put the money where my mouth is (in this case food) and host my own morning tea (of course you are also welcome in the afternoon tea to help finish off all the food).  When I first came into university at the age of 22 I did indeed have all my hair, as my current staff ID card can verify (yes it is still the original photo taken on my first day).

I realize that this is a sudden invitation, but it has been a spur of the moment idea last night.

This is just a casual morning tea, so please stop by anytime.  Absolutely no pressure!  I thought this is a chance for us to help rebuild our university community and network.  For those who haven’t visited the EPS library for some time, welcome back we have missed you.  For those who haven’t visited, why not?  Just remember that the north south walkway is closed and you will have to get to us via the Engineering or Forestry Roads.

Kia Ora Everyone,

The Templin Scroll Essay competition final presentations and award ceremony will be held tonight from 5:30pm to 7:30pm in the Undercroft 101.  All library staff are invited to attend.

Cheers!

Dave