Awesome Science

NASA used the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC), to capture images of our planet over the course of a year – once every 2 hours at a distance of 1 million miles – then assembled them into a time-lapse. Scientist Jay Herman narrates and explains their mission.

The Sam O’Nella Academy fills us in on a few tricks that mother nature plays on our bodies, putting things in the wrong places and the like. You could spend your whole life without even knowing about them, and there’s a 10% chance you’ve got a bonus spleen right now!

MIT scientists have developed an amazing technology which allows users to interact with seemingly static objects in videos. Their algorithm looks for vibrations in footage to identify physical properties of the object, then manipulates a simulated version in real time.

Computerphile sat down with nano-scientist Phil Moriarty who explains just how tiny the wires and transistors of semiconductors are these days, and how we’re approaching a point in physics where we’re going to have to build computers very differently.

This unique display piece makes objects placed inside of it appear to move in slow motion. The trick is the use of an electromagnet and strobe lights that blink so fast you can’t see them. It only makes sense that it was designed by Time Warp host Jeff Lieberman.

Engineer Mark Rober and The Backyard Scientist filled a swimming pool with 25 million Orbeez – superabsorbent beads which grow up to 300x when placed in water. They have more fun with the Orbeez here. Cleaning up the mess afterwards must have been fun.

We’re sure that we’re oversimplifying in our headline, but we’ll let TED-Ed and molecular biologist Anusuya Willis explain how the single-celled cyanobacteria which nearly wiped out most life on Earth, then gave us the oxygen and plants we all need to exist.

Engineers from MIT Media Lab and Microsoft Research have developed a method to produce temporary tattoos using thin layers of gold leaf to transform the wearer’s skin into touch-based input devices for controlling devices, a color-changing display, or as an NFC tag.

“500 years from now… they will remember what we [did] to make their civilization possible.” In a 2014 talk about a manned exploration of Mars, aerospace engineer Dr. Robert Zubrin gave a rousing response as to why we should take on such a costly quest.

Amazing video of the flame of a rocket engine captured with NASA’s new High Dynamic Range Stereo X (HiDyRS-X) camera system. This new technology allows scientists to see every minute detail of a flame, rather than just the bright orange plume we’re used to seeing.

Kurzgesagt takes a look at what seems like science fiction, but could quite possibly revolutionize the world. With the ability to manipulate genes, we could create just about anything we want, from made to order babies, to better foods, to the fountain of youth.

If you thought that machine that could balance itself on a single point was cool, check out Andreas Eder and Tobias Glück’s robot, which can swing three pivoting sections upright and keep them balanced. It can’t hold on indefinitely, but we’d like to see you do better.

Kurzgesagt’s happy little video looks at the science of Gamma Ray bursts, and how these extraordinarily powerful beams of energy that are capable of ripping apart the very atomic bonds that keep together everything in our universe, including all life on Earth.

The power-mad minds at PhotonicInduction decided to see what would happen if they attached a length of steel chain to some high-current transformers. At first, all they were able to muster was a few sparks, but with a higher output power source, it glowed bright orange.

Mike Rouleau shows off a neat bit of tech – a device which stands on a needle-like tip, but keeps itself balanced by constantly adjusting the direction and speed of motors. As one commenter put it: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

PBS’ It’s Okay to Be Smart considers the intellectual concept of a shrink ray, and how if it were even possible to turn us all into Mike Teavee, we’d end up dead in the process, since many of the systems our bodies rely on would fail to do their jobs in miniature.

Like water, graphite is a plentiful and incredibly useful material. It’s a form of carbon like diamond or coal, but it’s a great conductor of heat and electricity. So yes, ElectroBOOM both zaps and singes himself in this video. Learn more on his website.

Computer scientist Mike Pound uses software called “HashCat” and a workstation loaded with graphics cards designed for parallel processing to make quick work of hacking a database of encrypted passwords. Now you know why complex and unique passwords are a necessity.

A storm glass is a contraption which was invented in the 18th century as a (not very effective) weather forecast device. As NightHawkInLight demonstrates, when its crystal-growing action is sped up, it looks like a self-operating snow globe. DIY video here.

Practical Engineering offers up an informative look at how water pressure and depth are strongly interconnected, why self-feeding pet bowls don’t spill everywhere, how barometers work, and how to boil water at room temperature.

A cool science demonstration which shows how the electrons swirling around the outside of a Tesla coil can turn it into an impromptu motor – in this case, causing a wire balanced on top of it to spin and shoot sparks as it goes. Originally seen in a video from ElectroBOOM.

Terence Malick’s long awaited documentary about the birth and death of the universe. Voyage of Time will have two versions: a 40-minute cut narrated by Brad Pitt, and a feature length – and undoubtedly more epic – cut narrated by Cate Blanchett. Premieres 10/2016.

Yo-Yo master Ben Conde joined science channel Veritasium and Beyond Slow Motion to demonstrate his ability toss a yo-yo into the air, let it spin without its string attached, then recover it. You’ll be entertained, and learn a thing or two about physics along the way.