Awesome Science

Just how different are the gravitational forces on the planets in our solar system? Planetary scientist Dr. James O’Donoghue provides a great visual that compares the speed of a ball being dropped from 1 km onto each planet, as well as the sun, moon, and the asteroid Ceres where things take a really, really long time to fall.

There are lots of pasta shapes out there, but some take up more shelf space than others. Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University came up with an innovative method to make pasta that starts out flat but takes a 3D form when cooked. The process involves scoring pasta dough with varying depths and spacing.

When we want to extract the creamy filling in the middle of an Oreo cookie, we use our teeth. But James over at The Action Lab prefers to use science. Watch as he uses a vacuum chamber to separate both cookies from the creamy middle without damaging any part. Watch the full experiment and explanation of why it happens here.

Jason from JK Brickworks shows off a nifty LEGO machine inspired by the design of particle accelerators. Instead of zooming protons and electrons around its ring, this one accelerates and collides tiny plastic spheres. A build kit will be crowdfunded on Bricklink, with limited time pre-orders kicking off 7.1.2021.

YouTube science channel Journey to the Microcosmos showcases astounding close-up images of the tiniest organisms on Earth. In this video, Hank Green looks back at their first four seasons, and celebrates with a set of new tools for Master of Microscopes James Weiss.

When space junk falls towards Earth, it’s supposed to burn up in the atmosphere. This video from the ESA simulates the conditions of re-entry on a satellite’s solar array plasma wind tunnel. Satellite operators are required to minimize the risk of casualties from falling debris, and this kind of testing can help reduce such risks.

It’s been a while since we checked in on PhotonicInduction’s dangerous and destructive electrical experiments. With 1000 amps running through the blade of a kitchen knife, it glows a brilliant reddish-orange and can surely slice through much more than a stick of butter. But how long until the knife itself fails?

It turns out most of the stuff that comes out of your butt when you pass gas is odorless. Michael from Vsauce explains the 1% that makes farts stink, and the theoretical possibilities if your body emitted much more of that noxious stuff.

The vast majority of still and video images captured today are shot with digital equipment. But for more than 150 years, film was king. Destin from Smarter Every Day offers a deep dive into the physics and chemistry of film photography, along with some thoughts on the upsides of using the analog medium vs. digital.

This book helps inquisitive minds of all ages understand all 118 elements of the periodic table and their place in the universe. It features lots of colorful charts and illustrations and explains the relationships between elements with similar attributes.

As early as the 1950s, oceanographers like Jacques Cousteau were experimenting with the idea of setting up shop deep beneath the ocean and living down there for extended periods of time. Bloomberg sat down with experts in the field to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities presented by undersea living.

Inspired by science instructor Bruce Yeany, YouTuber NightHawkInLight wanted to see if he could cook a hot dog while it floated in the air. NightHawk improved on Yeany’s compressed air levitation, using a nichrome and copper coil to heat his wiener instead of a blowtorch.

With the help of the guys at the Magnet Tricks channel, Magnetic Games shows off a neat effect that occurs when placing tiny magnets between a block of pyrolytic graphite and a strong magnet aimed at them from at a distance. These mini magnets spin, dance, and shuffle about, and can even levitate off of the surface.

A while back, Hacksmith Industries built a working lightsaber with a terrifying 4000º plasma blade. Now James is here to test whether there’s a safe way to put his hand into its beam, along with a lesson on the physics of heat transfer.

Are you craving your daily dose of math and science? Veritasium is here to fill our brains with all kinds of interesting facts about geometry and patterns, eventually leading to a demonstration of interlocking tiles that can extend infinitely across a plane without ever repeating their layout.

A while back, YouTuber Mr. Michal showed off a simple railway he built from coils of wire, batteries, and magnets. Now, he’s back with a much longer and more complex train set that still operates on the same electromagnetic principles. This time, the track measures in at over 20 meters long, or about 66 feet.

Because of their power and extreme nature, black holes are some of the most awe-inspiring objects in the universe. Kurzgesagt offers a deep dive into these regions of spacetime and ponders what might happen if their immense gravity got a hold of you. Also, we just learned an awesome new word: spaghettification.

Scientists from Russia’s ITMO University have developed a technique that uses lasers to create different colors on a sheet of metal. The laser is used to create oxide layers on a sheet of titanium, producing a variety of colors. The method can even be used to change or erase images multiple times. Read more in Optica.

You never want to get too close to a mound of fire ants. But from the comfortable distance of your browser, they’re neat little buggers. Vox explores some of the fascinating ways in which colonies stick together to form structures, and how they can act as both a solid or fluid.

Every living thing on Earth is made up of mix of chemical elements, including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. This animated short from NM State University’s Learning Games Lab provides a laypersons’ explanation of how chemical bonds create life and provide the nutrients needed to keep it going.

If you put a bunch of metronomes on a wobbly platform, they will eventually sync up. But given the nature of the universe to tend toward disorder, why do some things seem to defy this basic law of physics? Veritasium explores the science at work when things work their way into synchronized patterns.

Siphonophores are deep-sea colonies of organisms that link together to work as one. Each section provides a different function, including buoyancy, propulsion, feeding, reproduction, and defense. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute take us deep beneath the ocean to witness some of these unique creatures.

Mathematician mc2 shows off a neat digital simulation that shows how a string with 32 balls hung from it might behave when swung like a pendulum. It starts out smoothly enough, but as they slow down, chaotic movements bring the orbs closer to the fulcrum. We’d love to see how this looks in the real world.