DurÂing his time on the InterÂnaÂtionÂal Space StaÂtion, astroÂnaut Don PetÂtit trained his camÂera on planÂet Earth, and had it take a phoÂto once every 15 secÂonds. The time lapse video above shows you Earth from day to night, comÂplete with a sunÂset, a moonÂrise and the northÂern lights. OverÂall, PetÂtit took 85 time-lapsed videos of Earth, and at least eight of them appear on this YouTube playlist.
via Wired
An imporÂtant AmerÂiÂcan string theÂoÂrist, BriÂan Greene hasÂn’t shied away from bringÂing heady theÂoÂretÂiÂcal physics to the broadÂer pubÂlic. His 1999 bestÂselling book, The EleÂgant UniÂverse, introÂduced string theÂoÂry to non speÂcialÂists, and it was latÂer adaptÂed into a three hour, Emmy award-winÂning teleÂviÂsion series by NOVA. (You can buy it on DVD, or simÂply watch it online here.) Now, on RichardDawkins.Net, Greene hosts a short video that takes us into the specÂuÂlaÂtive world of “hidÂden dimenÂsions.” If borne out, these theÂoÂries could entireÂly reframe our underÂstandÂing of the Big Bang and where our world fits into the largÂer cosÂmos. You can find more videos along these lines on RichardDawkins.net, and also on his relatÂed YouTube ChanÂnel (which hapÂpens to appear in our colÂlecÂtion of IntelÂliÂgent YouTube ChanÂnels).
If you regÂuÂlarÂly visÂit Open CulÂture, then you’re probÂaÂbly familÂiar with TED Talks — the series of 15 minute “rivÂetÂing talks by remarkÂable peoÂple” that TED proÂduces and makes free to the world. We’ve includÂed TED in our colÂlecÂtion, IntelÂliÂgent Video: The Top CulÂturÂal & EduÂcaÂtionÂal Video Sites, and it’s one of the best sources of intelÂliÂgent video out there. HavÂing said that, I was pleased to find this Google spreadÂsheet of every TED Talk ever postÂed online. Although TED hosts many videos on its web site (and on its iTunes and YouTube chanÂnels), these platÂforms don’t give you clean access to the entire TED catÂaÂlogue. MeanÂwhile, this simÂple and sortable spreadÂsheet does. So enjoy, and use it well.
via BoingÂBoÂing
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
TED to ChiÂna: An Inside View
What will hapÂpen 3 to 5 bilÂlion years from now, when our galaxy will likeÂly merge with the AndromÂeÂda galaxy? The (soundÂless) video above will give you a quick preÂview. This footage from the HubÂble Space TeleÂscope offers mulÂtiÂple views of recent galaxy colÂliÂsions. It’s worth notÂing that when galaxÂies “colÂlide,” they don’t litÂerÂalÂly hit one anothÂer. Rather they pull on one anothÂer, as the New SciÂenÂtist explains. And the gravÂiÂtaÂtionÂal force is enough to do some seriÂous vioÂlence — the kind capÂtured in the footage above.
“NASA’s STEREO spaceÂcraft sees Jupiter move behind the Sun in this 30 hour aniÂmaÂtion comÂpressed into just 11 secÂonds. MeanÂwhile, you can see Jupiter’s moons orbitÂing it.” Get more on this cool footage from DisÂcovÂer MagÂaÂzine and be sure to check out the Bad Astronomer ChanÂnel on YouTube, which feaÂtures more videos along these lines.
PerÂhaps you’ve ponÂdered your own morÂtalÂiÂty. But have you ever imagÂined perÂishÂing as you fall into a black hole? ProbÂaÂbly not. But if you’re intrigued by this admitÂtedÂly unlikeÂly sceÂnario, then watch the clip above. Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astroÂphysiÂcist who heads up the HayÂden PlanÂeÂtarÂiÂum in NYC, breaks down the scene for you step-by-step and in a fairÂly humorÂous way. This talk is based on his well-reviewed book, Death by Black Hole: And OthÂer CosÂmic QuanÂdaries.
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This week the 2009 TED ConÂferÂence is kickÂing into full gear, and it’s getÂting live blogged by BoingÂBoÂing throughÂout the week. See for examÂple here, here and here. If you’re familÂiar with the TED forÂmat, you’ll know that the goal is to take influÂenÂtial thinkers and have them delivÂer the “talk of their lives” in 18 crisp minÂutes or less. It’s a good modÂel, and it’s one that StanÂford used durÂing the fall when it delivÂered a short course called: “The Future of Human Health: SevÂen Very Short Talks That Will Blow Your Mind.” In the lecÂture postÂed above, JenÂnifer RayÂmond talks about what changes in our brains when we learn and rememÂber, and how our underÂstandÂing of these processÂes (and of specifÂiÂcalÂly neurÂal cirÂcuits) can evenÂtuÂalÂly lead to treatÂments for learnÂing disÂabilÂiÂties, demenÂtia and Alzheimer’s. You can find the comÂplete list of short talks on YouTube and iTunes as well.
Back in OctoÂber, I menÂtioned that StanÂford had postÂed on iTunes a course called Darwin’s LegaÂcy, which helped comÂmemÂoÂrate the 200th anniverÂsary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniverÂsary of the pubÂliÂcaÂtion of On the OriÂgin of Species.
The course brings togethÂer imporÂtant scholÂars from across the US who explore Darwin’s legaÂcy in fields as diverse as anthroÂpolÂoÂgy, reliÂgion, medÂiÂcine, psyÂcholÂoÂgy, phiÂlosÂoÂphy, litÂerÂaÂture, and biolÂoÂgy. It’s now availÂable on YouTube, and we’ve postÂed above a lecÂture by Daniel DenÂnett, a leadÂing AmerÂiÂcan philosoÂpher who talks about the philoÂsophÂiÂcal imporÂtance of DarÂwin’s theÂoÂry of evoÂluÂtion. To watch the comÂplete course on YouTube, simÂply access this playlist. You can also find the course, and many othÂers like it, listÂed in our colÂlecÂtion of Free UniÂverÂsiÂty CoursÂes.
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