Awesome Science

Berndnaut Smilde creates miniature clouds indoors by regulating the room’s temperature, humidity and lighting then using a fog machine. Images by Onur Dag and Cassander Eeftinck Schattenkerk.

Purdue University’s ImpactEarth! lets you find out what could happen to our planet if it were struck by an asteroid (or a humpback whale ice sculpture). Where’s that hyperspace button when you need it?

AsapSCIENCE gets down to the hard facts behind nocturnal penile tumescence aka “morning wood.” It turns out there is nothing erotic about it, just a consequence of our body’s maintenance procedure.

Don’t you love it when the moon is huge? Well, did you know that when the moon looks bigger, that’s it’s all an optical illusion? It’s no closer to the Earth regardless of how different it may look.

The science video blog Veritasium drops some knowledge on another form of levitation that is the result of Faraday’s principle of electromagnetic induction. Check out that whoaahh face.

By filling soap bubbles with dry ice vapors and photographing the movement of the swirling gasses inside, Shanks FX creates the illusion of tiny alien climates – until the planets exploded, that is.

NASA silently simulates the birth and evolution of a disk galaxy over a 13.5 billion year period – though we get to watch it in just over 2 minutes. Needs a Pink Floyd backing track, though.

Engineers at the University of Maryland are working on a massive, lightweight copter which can lift 10 feet off the ground, entirely on the power of a single pilot – with eyes on the elusive Sikorsky prize.

Scientists from Tufts University and the University of Illinois have developed circuits that could melt into nothing after a certain amount of time, ideal for medical purposes or for keeping landfills empty.

We’ve all heard how ants can lift an insane amount of weight, but did you know there’s a bug that so strong you need a drill to crack its shell? Or one that can jump up to 140 times its own height?

Dr. Fred Urquhart tracked Monarch Butterfly migration for 40 years to find their secret hideaway. Now we can all enjoy the magic of discovering a forest teeming with millions in IMAX.

If you thought that bullfrogs only ate flies, think again. These impressive amphibians can use their massive mouths to hunt down and kill just about anything you put in front of their faces. Even frogs.

Math geek Vi Hart explains how to use extra scraps of notebook paper to fill time during boring lectures and mess with your mind at the same time. We forgot how much fun these things were.

An incredible demonstration of the laws of physics, as 32 randomly started metronomes reach perfect sync, thanks to the soft board underneath them distributing their energy evenly. (Thanks Jamie!)

A breakthrough engine that could propel airplanes to insanely high speeds, designed to enable jets to fly up as fast as Mach 5 – which means you could fly from London to Sydney in just 4.5 hours.

Japanese artist Bunpei Yorifuji breathes life to nature’s simplest substances in his book Wonderful Life with the Elements: The Periodic Table Personified. A great read for kids and adults alike.

Argonne Labs scientist Chris Benmore demonstrates his acoustic levitator, which can make small objects or small amounts of fluids float by encasing them in a standing wave. More here.

North Carolina State University researchers used a microcontroller to relay commands to a cockroach’s antennae and abdomen and guide its movement. Epic prank research is now underway.

By taking a chunk of aluminum and placing it inside of an induction heater, the piece of metal first levitates inside the coil, then is transformed into a molten hot ball, before splashing to the ground.

By using something called a “thermally modulated transparent carbon nanotube sheet,” scientists are able to vanish physical objects using Star Trek like cloaking tech. Science geeks read the paper here.

By stitching together high-res images captured by NASA’s Curiosity Rover, EDS systems created this stunning 360° panorama of the landing site, putting you right there on the dusty Martian surface.

Similar to Hurricane Balls, the toy is held in place by gravity and its angular momentum. It would supposedly spin forever if not for energy lost to friction and vibration. We think.

Gas drilling has allegedly caused methane gas to leech into the water in some PA homes, as is dramatically demonstrated in this clip. Supposedly, it’s still safe to drink, just don’t light a match.