Archive for the ‘The Universe’ Category
…And There’s No Crying In Space
Thursday, May 16th, 2013 by Sean
Yesterday we brought you a tribute to the Bowie-loving, social media maven and spaceman Commander Hadfield, who has single-handedly made space exploration fun and exciting again from the (usually boring) International Space Station.
Today, we bring you one of his experiments: Can you cry in space?
Bowie’s In Space
Wednesday, May 15th, 2013 by Nimesh
I recently began a small, personal project for my own betterment. Exercise, a change of diet, a new charitable cause? No, I began listening to David Bowie’s oeuvre from 1967-1983 (with a couple of stops in the ’90s and a jump to 2013). I don’t just mean starting at side 1, track 1 and letting the entire discography play in the background of my daily activities — nay, I want to go down the rabbit hole. Every album is getting at least a week of rotation. We all know Bowie’s hits, but the more you hear of the man’s work the more you realize the singles cut barely skin deep and are far from the “best” his albums have to offer.
I bring this up only because that journey begins with with an album and a song called Space Oddity.
Cmdr. Chris Hadfield (social media expert, astronaut) is on a far more exciting journey, and as it came to a close this week, he made a video for us. If his voice and the song itself weren’t moving enough, the shots of our beautiful planet from the ISS and the stark, mechanical marvel of the weightless environment bring it to a whole new level. Excuse me while I wipe this lone, masculine tear from the corner of my eye.
Thank you, Cmdr. Hadfield for the work you’re doing.
Thank you for bringing humour and artistry to your job.
Thank you for reminding everyone of how important and exciting space travel still is.
And most importantly, thanks for proving to the entire world that Canadians are simply the coolest.
Originally posted on How Did I Slip Into.
Meta-Moonwalk
Friday, March 8th, 2013 by Sean
Neil deGrasse Tyson already owned the Internet, but moonwalking in front of Buzz Aldrin last week certainly didn’t make things worse:
Evolution In Stop Motion
Friday, February 15th, 2013 by Sean
Sometimes the first thing I do when someone sends me a video is open it and figure out its length. We’re all caught up in our egocentric ecosystems and it can be difficult to consume, reflect, and comment on everything that’s being shared. The best we can do is file something away and do our best to get to it.
My man Maneesh shared this incredible stop motion wall-painted animation of evolution with me many weeks ago while I was at work. In accordance with that “do the best you can” policy, I emailed it to myself. I only recently got around to watching it and it was well worth the — yes, I know — ten minute investment. Promise.
BIG BANG BIG BOOM – the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.
Brewing Beer Gets A Little Hairy
Thursday, October 4th, 2012 by Sean
What’s 34-years-old, black and white, and yeasty enough to form the foundations of your favorite new microbrew? For better or worse, the answer is this man’s beard:
John Maier (not that one) of Newport, Oregon’s Rogue Ales has been wearing the brewmaster hat for more than twenty years–almost as long as he’s been wearing that sea of salt and pepper on his cheeks and chin. Rogue’s always tinkering with the formula, and after a recent attempt to harvest yeast from its own hop yard failed, they turned to Maier’s face fur. The results should be bottled by next year, barring the apocalypse.
Thanks, Logan.
Double Down A La DMX
Friday, September 28th, 2012 by Sean
It isn’t too often you see DMX trending on the World Wide Web, but we were lucky enough to witness just that last week. The good people over at Grantland helped publicize a video in which the bygone hip-hop hero Googled something (himself) for the first time. Ever. It was magical, and pairs nicely with a mash-up (DMX vs. Reading Rainbow) shared with us by a friend recently. Stop! Drop! Click on play! Open up shop!
Thanks, Esperanza.
Carl Sagan Of Mars
Wednesday, August 15th, 2012 by Nimesh
In our more reflective, melancholic moments, I’m sure we all wonder what we’re going to miss after we die. Whether it’s personal — our children, grandchildren — or on a grander scale. In my own moments of reflection, as exciting as it is to be alive during our first baby steps into space… I can’t help but wonder, in awe, about the incredible things we will do and lengths we will travel in a future that I sadly won’t be alive to see.
Carl Sagan was arguably more reflective than any of us, and I find comfort in knowing that he felt the same way. He knew the inevitable would come after his death, regardless of budget cuts or a continuously pervasive lack of wonder, and he left a message.
A message for the travelers to Mars.
Good Quotations: Master Of The Universe
Wednesday, June 27th, 2012 by Sean
“He taught the whole world. What a wonderful life!”
– Scientist Jay Gould, in reference to Carl Sagan
Sagan’s personal papers — including hypothesis, journals, fan mail, and correspondence with various scientists and fissured ceramics — have been obtained by the Library of Congress thanks to the unlikely collaborative efforts of Neil deGrasse Tyson and Seth MacFarlane. Some 800 boxes of Sagan’s documents will be sorted through and preserved, placing the master of the universe in good company–the library possesses the papers of Alexander Graham Bell, the Wright brothers, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Margaret Mead, too.
Discovery
Wednesday, April 4th, 2012 by Sean
Space Shuttle Discovery shot out beyond our stratosphere some 40 times before being retired last year. You may remember our fair maiden from such adventures as Flying Hubble into Orbit or Servicing The International Space Station.
So, what now for Discovery? We’ve reached the end of the shuttle era and she takes up a fair amount of space. Why not send her to the District of Columbia to be admired by the masses? Why yes, that seems quite appropriate. Lucky for us, NASA feels the same way. TOY STORY 3 SPOILER ALERT: Much like Buzz and Woody, Discovery has fulfilled its mission and will move on to a new home to be fetted with endless events, exhibits, and playtime. Who knows? Maybe it will inspire some young whippersnapper to design its successor.
How does one transport a space shuttle from Florida to the District, anyway?
Thanks, NASA.
What Is Love? (Baby Don’t Hurt Me.) (Don’t Hurt Me.) (No More.)
Tuesday, February 28th, 2012 by Sean
Goodosphere is an institution just like any other in that we have to follow rules and regulations. Thankfully, there’s only one guiding principle: Keep it short and sweet. But why have rules if not to break them? And what better reason to break a rule than in the name of love… Or the lack thereof?
Two weeks have gone by since we were all told to celebrate Valentine’s Day. So, are all those of you in a relationship still feeling the love? The romance? The swoons? The pheromones? If so, count yourself lucky. If not, fear not! That’s normal. Potential reasons? There are many, including the fact that your love-related dopamine releases are programmed to taper off, you have evolved over millennia to mate and move on, and, well, love is an erratic knave that no one really understands.
All these and more of the intricacies of our old friend L-O-V-E are discussed in great detail by public radio’s Robert Pollie in a rather brilliant episode of his 7th Avenue Project. Like all of us, Pollie comes to the conclusion that in love it’s best to not ask too many questions. But it’s about the journey, not the destination. So spend some time with this not-terribly short, but oh so sweet piece of production.