All we can say is bless Don PetÂtit. While workÂing on the InterÂnaÂtionÂal Space StaÂtion in 2008, the NASA astroÂnaut shot videos that are litÂerÂalÂly and figÂuÂraÂtiveÂly out of this world: The AuroÂra BoreÂalis Viewed from Orbit and What It Feels Like to Fly Over PlanÂet Earth. And then we disÂcovÂer that PetÂtit inventÂed a “zero‑g cofÂfee cup” that lets you drink cofÂfee in outÂer space withÂout using a straw. That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.…
What Earth Will Look Like 100 Million Years from Now
This is what you’d call effiÂcient. In two minÂutes, we watch our planÂet take form. 600 milÂlion years of geoÂlogÂiÂcal hisÂtoÂry whizzes by in a snap. Then we see what the next 100 milÂlion years may have in store for us. If you don’t have the patience to watch 700 milÂlion years unfold in 180 secÂonds (seriÂousÂly?), then we’ll give you this spoilÂer: Coastal real estate is not a long-term buy…
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The Aurora Borealis Viewed from Orbit (and What Creates Those Northern Lights?)
EarÂliÂer this week, NASA astroÂnaut ClayÂton AnderÂson tweetÂed a 14 secÂond time-lapse film of the AuroÂra BoreÂalis takÂen from the InterÂnaÂtionÂal Space StaÂtion. The short clip called to mind a more extenÂsive view of the NorthÂern Lights shot by Don PetÂtit, also workÂing in the ISS, back in 2008. (Watch above.) And it raised the basic quesÂtion: What causÂes the AuroÂra BoreÂalis anyÂway?
The beauÂtiÂful natÂurÂal pheÂnomÂeÂnon starts deep inside the core of the sun, and the rest of the stoÂry gets explained in a five minute aniÂmatÂed video creÂatÂed by NorÂweÂgian filmÂmakÂer Per Byhring and the Physics DepartÂment at the UniÂverÂsiÂty of Oslo.
Both clips now appear in our colÂlecÂtion of 125 Great SciÂence Videos.
via Coudal PartÂners BlendÂed Feed and BrainÂPickÂings
What It Feels Like to Fly Over Planet Earth
Here’s what a litÂtle time and creÂativÂiÂty brings. James Drake, a proÂfesÂsor of Physics at U. MaryÂland, downÂloaded 600 images from The GateÂway to AstroÂnaut PhoÂtogÂraÂphy of Earth, stitched them into a marÂvelous 60 secÂond time-lapse film, then postÂed it on his TumÂblr blog, InfinÂiÂty ImagÂined, along with this descripÂtion of what the viewÂer sees:
A time-lapse takÂen from the front of the InterÂnaÂtionÂal Space StaÂtion as it orbits our planÂet at night. This movie begins over the PacifÂic Ocean and conÂtinÂues over North and South AmerÂiÂca before enterÂing dayÂlight near AntarcÂtiÂca. VisÂiÂble cities, counÂtries and landÂmarks include (in order) VanÂcouÂver Island, VicÂtoÂria, VanÂcouÂver, SeatÂtle, PortÂland, San FranÂcisÂco, Los AngeÂles. Phoenix. MulÂtiÂple cities in Texas, New MexÂiÂco and MexÂiÂco. MexÂiÂco City, the Gulf of MexÂiÂco, the Yucatan PeninÂsuÂla, LightÂning in the PacifÂic Ocean, Guatemala, PanaÂma, ColumÂbia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and the AmaÂzon. Also visÂiÂble is the EarthÂ’s ionosÂphere (thin yelÂlow line) and the stars of our galaxy.
It’s a wonÂderÂful long-disÂtance view of our great planÂet. But it’s not the only one out there. Some of our othÂer favorites include:
- TourÂing the Earth from Space (in HD) – Video — Give NASA 7 minÂutes, and they’ll show you the Earth’s most impresÂsive landÂscapes (includÂing a giant hurÂriÂcane) as seen from space.
- EarthÂrise in HD – Video — In NovemÂber 2007, Japan’s Kaguya spaceÂcraft orbitÂed the moon and capÂtured the first HD footage of an “earthÂrise” and “earthÂset.” StunÂning to see.
- A Day on Earth (as Seen From Space) – Video – AstroÂnaut Don PetÂtit trained his camÂera on planÂet Earth, took a phoÂto once every 15 secÂonds, and then creÂatÂed a brilÂliant time-lapse film. Very simÂiÂlar to what you see above.
All of these videos appear in our colÂlecÂtion 125 Great SciÂence Videos: From AstronÂoÂmy to Physics & PsyÂcholÂoÂgy.
via @brainpicker
24 Hours of Reality: Learn About Our Climate Crisis in Real Time
Two sciÂenÂtifÂic fields find themÂselves under attack in the UnitÂed States. EvoÂluÂtionÂary biolÂoÂgy and cliÂmaÂtolÂogy. No matÂter what the sciÂence shows, no matÂter how great the eviÂdence, evanÂgelÂiÂcals disÂmiss the whole idea of evoÂluÂtion, and our free marÂket dogÂmaÂtists, operÂatÂing under the assumpÂtion that “the busiÂness of AmerÂiÂca is busiÂness,” reject conÂcluÂsions acceptÂed by 98% of cliÂmate sciÂenÂtists — that human activÂiÂties are warmÂing the planÂet. EspeÂcialÂly when it comes to cliÂmate change, we put dogÂma before sciÂence at our own perÂil. And that’s why The RealÂiÂty CliÂmate Project, led by Al Gore, is hostÂing today and tomorÂrow an online proÂgram called 24 Hours of RealÂiÂty. Here’s what it’s all about:
24 PreÂsenÂters. 24 Time Zones. 13 LanÂguages. 1 MesÂsage. 24 Hours of RealÂiÂty is a worldÂwide event to broadÂcast the realÂiÂty of the cliÂmate criÂsis. It will conÂsist of a new mulÂtiÂmeÂdia preÂsenÂtaÂtion creÂatÂed by Al Gore and delivÂered once per hour for 24 hours, repÂreÂsentÂing every time zone around the globe. Each hour peoÂple livÂing with the realÂiÂty of cliÂmate change will conÂnect the dots between recent extreme weathÂer events — includÂing floods, droughts and storms — and the manÂmade polÂluÂtion that is changÂing our cliÂmate. We will offer a round-the-clock, round-the-globe snapÂshot of the cliÂmate criÂsis in real time. The deniers may have milÂlions of dolÂlars to spend, but we have a powÂerÂful advanÂtage. We have realÂiÂty.
Click here to find the locaÂtion — or locaÂtions — where you would like to watch a preÂsenÂtaÂtion.
The Largest Black Holes in the Universe: A Visual Introduction
They’re not your ordiÂnary black holes. They’re bigÂger. They’re badÂder. They are superÂmasÂsive black holes capaÂble of proÂducÂing the largest erupÂtions since the Big Bang. But, despite their masÂsive size, we’re just startÂing to underÂstand these forces operÂatÂing in the cenÂter of galaxÂies someÂtimes bilÂlions of light years from Earth.
The docÂuÂmenÂtary above (runÂning about 18 minÂutes) offers a reaÂsonÂably good primer on superÂmasÂsive black holes. Or, to get anothÂer angle on things, you can turn to FronÂtiers and ConÂtroÂverÂsies in AstroÂphysics, a course taught by Charles BaiÂlyn at Yale. LecÂture 15 (watch here) is specifÂiÂcalÂly dedÂiÂcatÂed to these mothÂer-of-all black holes.
The full course is availÂable in these forÂmats (YouTube — iTunes Audio — iTunes Video — DownÂload Course) and othÂerÂwise listÂed in our big colÂlecÂtion of Free Online CoursÂes.
The MIT “Checker Shadow Illusion” Brought to Life
The video you’re watchÂing is a real-life demonÂstraÂtion of an optiÂcal illuÂsion develÂoped in 1995 by Edward AdelÂson, a proÂfesÂsor in MIT’s DepartÂment of Brain and CogÂniÂtive SciÂences. The CheckÂer ShadÂow IlluÂsion, as AdelÂson calls it, shows that our “visuÂal sysÂtem is not very good at being a physÂiÂcal light meter.” But more imporÂtantÂly, the optiÂcal illuÂsion offers imporÂtant insight into how our visuÂal sysÂtem tries to break down “image inforÂmaÂtion into meanÂingÂful comÂpoÂnents, and thereÂby perÂceive the nature of the objects in view.” AdelÂson’s full explaÂnaÂtion of the illuÂsion and what it reveals appears below the jump (or here). H/T 3 Quarks DaiÂly
The DIY Tornado Machine
Bob SmerÂbeck, a senior meteÂoÂrolÂoÂgist for AccuWeather.com, has figÂured it all out — how to let loose a torÂnaÂdo in the comÂfort of his own home. Using a hair dryÂer, plasÂtic tubes, and a light switch, SmerÂbeck can recreÂate the basic dynamÂics of superÂcell thunÂderÂstorms that proÂduce torÂnaÂdoes — except his torÂnaÂdoes are inchÂes, not miles, wide.
As SciÂenÂtifÂic AmerÂiÂcan explains it, torÂnaÂdoes take form when winds occurÂring at difÂferÂent levÂels of the atmosÂphere vary in direcÂtion causÂing thunÂderÂstorms to rotate, and when the rotaÂtion withÂin the thunÂderÂstorm extends down to the ground. SmerÂbeckÂ’s DIY machine simÂuÂlates these moveÂments, and you can do the same. You will just need to folÂlow a series of videos creÂatÂed by the TorÂnaÂdo Project on YouTube. Start with Part 1 here, and then proÂceed to Parts 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
More fasÂciÂnatÂing videos can be found in our new colÂlecÂtion: 125 Great SciÂence Videos: From AstronÂoÂmy to Physics & PsyÂcholÂoÂgy
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