Category Archives: Science

View from the ISS

Boston Globe The Big Picture: Scott Kelly’s year in space.

“NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is scheduled to return to Earth tonight after a 340-day mission aboard the International Space Station, where he participated in research on how the human body reacts and adapts to long-duration spaceflight. He also captured views of our planet that unify science and art, sharing them on social media for the earthbound to follow. Even President Barack Obama kept an eye on Kelly’s accounts, asking him on Twitter, “Do you ever look out the window and just freak out?“ to which Kelly replied, “I don’t freak out about anything, Mr. President. Except getting a Twitter question from you.“ Abstract and out of this world, here’s Earth from an astronaut’s perspective.”

More Physics lectures than you can consume in a day

Futurism: The Ultimate Collection of Free Physics Videos.

“Hundreds of free videos have been made available by the world’s top universities, and they feature some of the leading physicists of our era. Here, we have compiled just a fraction of these in a kind of “guide to the cosmos“ that will give you a basic overview of the key concepts in physics.”

Hat-tip to Audrey, who shared the link on FB.

A River Reborn

Seattle Times: Elwha: Roaring back to life.

“Elwha River — The Elwha watershed is booming with new life, after the world’s largest dam removal.

The first concrete went flying in September 2011, and Elwha Dam was out the following March. Glines Canyon Dam upriver tumbled for good in September 2014. Today the river roars through the tight rock canyon once plugged by Elwha Dam, and surges past the bald, rocky hill where the powerhouse stood. The hum of the generators is replaced by the river singing in full voice, shrugging off a century of confinement like it never happened. Nature’s resurgence is visible everywhere.”

Link via MetaFilter and MeFi Projects.

I still dream of the destruction of Glen Canyon Dam…

Music Video

Upside Down & Inside Out by OK Go has to be one of the coolest and most impressively made music videos this geek has ever seen. Check it out!

I heard of the band and their impressive videos before when a colleague recommended This Too Shall Pass (Rube Goldberg machine). It’s blocked in Germany because of GEMA issues, but should be viewable elsewhere.

Ok Go – Needing/Getting (This American Life – The Invisible Made Visible). The corresponding This American Life show is Live at BAM, the radio version is Invisible Made Visible (episode 464).