Archive for the ‘Science’ 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?
Is It Friday Yet?
Thursday, May 9th, 2013 by Sean
Thanks, WNYC.
(Sea) Lion King
Friday, April 12th, 2013 by Sean
California’s sea lions have been having a tough go of it lately, so we thought we’d spend this Friday celebrating some of the better news the species has had lately: one of their own has learned how to keep a beat with the help of some crack trainers at the University of California in Santa Cruz. The video was posted suspiciously close to April 1, 2013, but we’re going to go ahead and believe everything we’re seeing — for the Good of the species and the Good of the Friday.
Thanks, Jules!
Water, Sound, And Camera Tricks
Thursday, April 4th, 2013 by Sean
Slip Sliding Away (In A Penthouse)
Wednesday, March 13th, 2013 by Jordan
Alarm rings, feet hit the floor, butt rises only to fall smoothly onto a stainless steel slide that transports you down four stories to the first floor of your Manhattan penthouse… It sounds like a dream, but it’s an approximate reality for one couple who really nerded out and designed an 80 foot slide to fit comfortably inside their four-story home.
So the next time you—childless, filthy rich, living in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the country—are sitting on one end of your giant dining room table wondering how to make your 7000-square-foot penthouse even better: build a slide!
Mic Check Meets Holy Water
Wednesday, February 27th, 2013 by Sean
Thanks, Steve.
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.
From Box To Bike
Thursday, October 18th, 2012 by Jordan
After my two wheels and I slipped on wet pavement last week, I was glad my slightly bruised bike was not made of cardboard. Then again, it didn’t cost $20.
Izhar Gafni, an Israeli designer and cycling enthusiast, is gaining press for an invention that he hopes will, you know, change the world. His prototype for a cardboard bicycle (!) seeks to bring an inexpensive, durable and efficient form of transportation from the most impoverished villages of Africa to the world’s most impacted cities.
With government grants funding most of the production, the estimated cost per unit ends being up a mere $9. Gafni imagines the bikes will sell for about $20, as retailers have to make a profit. His company sees ad space on the bikes as their main form of revenue.
Worried about the boxy bike’s lifespan? Well, they’re so inexpensive longevity almost doesn’t matter! There is a standing option to recycle your bike back at the factory if it is damaged, and Gafni claims the cardboard creations will seldom need maintenance or adjustment.
Smaller bikes for children, wheelchairs and even motorized versions are in the works as the bikes begin rolling of the production line.
What Gafni likes about his bike the most? “It’s cardboard!” Duh.
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.