The Secret Life of Plankton. Crank it to HD and be amazed.
From TEDEd.
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April 14, 2012
Benjamin Franklin produced electricity by rubbing cats backward.
The phrase is all over the internet (and the picture is by Dr. Seuss!). Via Fresh Photons.
April 12, 2012
I have no explanation for this, except to say that it is awesome.
Photograph by Arthur Pollock. Also see newspaper clipping here.
April 12, 2012
“That’s no moon.” Actually, it is a moon (despite the uncanny resemblance to the Death Star).
Basically, if I ever have my own top secret headquarters, it would have to be this…
…I wonder how much it would cost to install a laser system.
A photo of the moon Mimi, taken by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft while orbiting Saturn in 2005.
April 11, 2012
Kansas Periodic Table of Elements: a Comparison
Source: an website which used to spoof the Discovery Institute (but now no longer exists).
April 11, 2012
It’s true: aerobic organisms make delicious pizzas.
If I ever have to make a slide about aerobic organisms, or about respiration, I am SO using this image!
By Michael Kupperman, via Hey Oscar Wilde!
April 11, 2012
Photosynthesis: The Graphic Novel…
If that’s not cool enough, check out this page from the comic, which highlights the Calvin Cycle!
Anyway, read the whole wonderful thing here.
By Jay Hosler.
April 11, 2012
Publishing a scientific paper to get out of a speeding ticket. #ScienceFTW
This is freakin’ awesome! The story goes that this paper was used to get out of a speeding ticket, by being able to show reasonable doubt for his offence. Although the paper was released on April Fools, it would appear that perhaps it’s still real (link)
TITLE: The Proof of Innocence
AUTHOR: Dmitri Krioukov
ABSTRACT: We show that if a car stops at a stop sign, an observer, e.g., a police ocer, located at a certain distance perpendicular to the car trajectory, must have an illusion that the car does not stop, if the following three conditions are satis ed: (1) the observer measures not the linear but angular speed of the car; (2) the car decelerates and subsequently accelerates relatively fast; and (3) there is a short-time obstruction of the observer’s view of the car by an external object, e.g., another car, at the moment when both cars are near the stop sign.
SINGLE SENTENCE SYPNOSIS: A way to fight your traffic tickets.
LINK: http://arxiv.org/abs/1204.0162 | PDF: click here
Going to guess there aren’t too many method sections that rely on a Subaru versus Toyota system.
April 10, 2012
Pee During Shower! Awesome video to save water from unnecessary flushing.
I especially like the bit with Stephen Hawkings…
From Fernandosanches.net via Vimeo.
April 10, 2012
The Space We Live In: Breathtaking video rendering what it might be like to fly around beautiful things in the universe..
I don’t think is based on any real astronomical data, but boy does it look really really pretty. Check it out in HD and in full screen (and also in the dark). Plus, I’d imagine that technically – given the scales involved, you would never be able to get this kind of perspective in motion unless you were traveling faster than the speed of light, in which case, what you see would likely be altered.
By matthiasm.de.
April 8, 2012
Interesting and gorgeous art that reverses the idea of species and habitat. #beautiful
I can see all sorts of cool ways to use these images to talk about various biodiversity issues. Habitat nuances come to mind, but also the general idea that our industrial system is pretty much propped by things that are alive.
“The Take Over”
“Pigression”
“Sheep Country”
By the awesome Brandy Masch. Lots more to see at her website (Note, she also did some amazing work for phylomon which I’ll try and highlight later.
April 8, 2012
Relax and listen to “Mr Tough” from Yo La Tenga. #song4mixtape
Yo La Tengo have been performing for more than 20 years. While they haven’t achieved the popular acclaim of their contemporaries the Flaming Lips, they get a lot of credit for outlasting pretty much everyone else.
From Minnesota Public Radio.
April 6, 2012
I was Plancking…
In reference to Nobel Laureate and founder of Quantum theory, Max Planck, and to the act of “planking,” a sort of fad. Note that Max Planck did not start the planking phenomenon.
April 6, 2012
Notes from Mattel’s “Future of Barbie®” Brainstorming Session (including Stem Cell Barbie and others…)
I always thought the Stem Cell Barbie’s slogan would make an interesting t-shirt. Note that this was originally published at Yankee Pot Raost.
By DAVID NG
Concept: Stem-Cell Barbie®
Description: Produce a plastic mesh form in the shape of a Barbie doll. Seed this mesh with embryonic stem cells. Culture in bio-chambers until cells infiltrate and coat the plastic form.
Pro: This Barbie might get pregnant.
Con: This Barbie might get cancer
Potential slogan: “Feels like real skin because it is real skin.”
—
Concept: Hybrid Barbie®
Description: Barbie doll powered by both conventional gasoline engine, as well as an electric motor.
Pro: Barbie is emissions-compliant.
Con: No one can figure out a good place for the gas nozzle to go in. It always ends up looking dirty.
Potential slogan: “This baby gets up to 40 miles per gallon.”
—
Concept: Schrödinger’s Barbie®
Description: Interactive Barbie doll placed inside a thick lead box, containing a mock cyanide canister, and mock Geiger counter. The Geiger counter may or may not release one decaying mock atom, which in turn, may or may not break the canister releasing the cyanide. Therefore, child would be uncertain as to the fate of the Barbie doll (who could be pretend-dead or pretend-alive) until the lead box is actually opened.
Pro: This is fun way to illustrate an aspect of quantum law, which suggests that due to the superposition of states, Barbie is both dead and alive until the box is opened.
Con: Huh?
Potential slogan: “Schrödinger’s Barbie—be the first to give a shit.”
—
Concept: Super Malleable Barbie®
Description: Produce Barbie dolls using the Dow Corning 3179 dilatant compound (a mixture containing silicone oil and boric acid, commonly known as Silly Putty).
Pro: Barbie can bounce.
Con: When Barbie pretend-falls asleep whilst pretend-reading a newspaper, the newsprint will show up on her face.
Potential slogan: “Ken will thank you.”
—
Concept: Flame-Retardant Barbie®
Description: Coat existing doll product with copious amounts of the common flame retardant, polybrominated diphenyl ether.
Pro: Excellent opportunity for accessories (fireworks, matches, flame throwers, etc).
Con: Excellent opportunity for accessories (fireworks, matches, flame throwers, etc).
Potential slogan: “Throw the Barbie on the barbie!”
—
Concept: Supercomputer Artificial-Intelligence Robot Barbie®
Description: Multiple clusters of high-powered processors networked to a Barbie doll mainframe. 2 USB ports standard. CD/DVD burner drive optional.
Pro: No more stupid brainstorming sessions—send Barbie instead.
Con: Small chance of total world domination and destruction of the human race as we know it.
Potential slogan: “Kicks ass at chess!”
popperfont.net 
