NOAA (The NationÂal OceanÂic and AtmosÂpherÂic AdminÂisÂtraÂtion) has released an aniÂmatÂed video showÂing the tsunaÂmi origÂiÂnatÂing off the coast of Japan, and then spreadÂing across the PacifÂic. DraÂmatÂic, to say the least.
Last year, NOAA also proÂduced an aniÂmaÂtion that visuÂalÂized the tremors from the big Chilean quake as they worked their way across the globe. Catch it here.
Last ThursÂday, the sun delivÂered the goods, unleashÂing a beauÂtiÂful solar flare. The erupÂtions lastÂed someÂwhere around 90 minÂutes, and the plasÂma flares were all capÂtured in high def by NASA’s Solar DynamÂics ObserÂvaÂtoÂry, a project dedÂiÂcatÂed to studyÂing the sun and its impact on space weathÂer. This footage comes soon after anothÂer groundÂbreakÂing NASA video – the First 360 Degree View of the Sun.
YesÂterÂday’s lackÂlusÂter AcadÂeÂmy Awards cerÂeÂmoÂny may have affordÂed you some unexÂpectÂed time for conÂtemÂplatÂing life’s more urgent quesÂtions, such as the one British comeÂdiÂan Alan Davies purÂsues above: How long is a piece of string? Watch Davies, who is also a freÂquent panÂelist on the popÂuÂlar Stephen Fry-hostÂed quiz show Quite InterÂestÂing, explore the ridÂdle’s philoÂsophÂiÂcal impliÂcaÂtions and inevitable conÂnecÂtion to string theÂoÂry with the help of physics, quanÂtum mechanÂics, and finalÂly a visÂit with mathÂeÂmatiÂcian MarÂcus de Sautoy. Fans of the Davies/du Sautoy interÂacÂtion may also want to check out Du Sautoy’s TED talk on SymÂmeÂtry, as well as the debates in that video’s comÂments secÂtion. More docs can be found in our colÂlecÂtion of 200+ Free DocÂuÂmenÂtaries, part of our largÂer colÂlecÂtion, 4,000+ Free Movies Online: Great ClasÂsics, Indies, Noir, WestÂerns, DocÂuÂmenÂtaries & More.
A rather difÂferÂent angle on the DisÂcovÂery’s final launch. The view from 35,000 feet.…
via BoingÂBoÂing
CourÂtesy of NASA’s HubÂble Space TeleÂscope, we’re zoomÂing into a “majesÂtic disk of stars and dust lanes” and getÂting a stunÂning view of the spiÂral galaxy NGC 2841, which lies 46 milÂlion light-years away in the conÂstelÂlaÂtion of Ursa Major (The Great Bear). But wait, it gets even betÂter. This high resÂoÂluÂtion still phoÂto shows the spiÂral galaxy in all its beauÂty and splenÂdor…
File under EveryÂthing is a Remix. Ben HillÂman offers a creÂative litÂtle riff on “All Things Bright and BeauÂtiÂful” (lisÂten here), an AngliÂcan hymn inspired by William Paley’s 1802 treaÂtise, NatÂurÂal TheÂolÂoÂgy, which posiÂtions God as the designÂer of the natÂurÂal world … in an EnlightÂenÂment kind of way. You can catch more HillÂman videos on Vimeo here.
A new NASA breakÂthrough lets us see the sun in a 360 degree, panoramÂic view. The upshot? BetÂter space weathÂer reports comÂing our way. The video from NASA’s YouTube chanÂnel has all the good details …
Next MonÂday, the long-runÂning AmerÂiÂcan game show, JeopÂardy!, will air a tourÂnaÂment of chamÂpiÂons, pitÂting its two biggest winÂners, Ken JenÂnings and Brad RutÂter, against WatÂson, IBM’s newest superÂcomÂputÂer. And it will proÂvide an occaÂsion to answer an imporÂtant quesÂtion: Can comÂputÂers underÂstand the subÂtleties of lanÂguage? Can they answer quesÂtions when they’re posed in less than straightÂforÂward ways? When, for examÂple, the quesÂtions use wordÂplay and puns? IBM worked on the project for four years, and the earÂly indiÂcaÂtions sugÂgest that comÂputÂers can undoubtÂedÂly masÂter these subÂtleties. (Just watch this WatÂson match against less accomÂplished JeopÂardy! playÂers.) This artiÂcle does a good job of explainÂing the fairÂly stagÂgerÂing things hapÂpenÂing on the backÂend of the new IBM comÂputÂer, and how this research might shape the future of comÂputÂing. The Watson/human faceÂoff begins next MonÂday, with two matchÂes takÂing place over three days. Once video becomes availÂable, as it inevitably will, we will tweet it on our ever-flowÂing TwitÂter stream.
PS NOVA aired a proÂgram last week dedÂiÂcatÂed to the Watson/Jeopardy! chalÂlenge. If it’s not geoblocked, you can watch it right here. H/T to @eugenephoto for flagÂging the proÂgram.
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