SYNESTHESIA

from boingboing

Science in the News

How the media twists science (it's also humourous)

New Element 112

INTRODUCING THE WARPSHIP

Until now, there has been little idea about what a spaceship propelled by a warp drive (or a warpship) would look like. Would it resemble the sleek Starship Enterprise? Or will it be like nothing we've seen before?

After speaking with Dr. Richard Obousy, he shared his concept for a futuristic, yet scientifically accurate, warpship design.

Looks pretty cool to me.

link

Holodeck Beta

Amazing...


Amazing 3D immersion technology from IDEO Labs on Vimeo.

Introduction to Nanoscience

A-Pod, Artificial insect

Beautiful, disturbing, fascinating;



I was most impressed when it walked - there must be some deep evolutionary thing going on there!?

What is a capacitor?

Nice little video explains it all;


MAKE presents: The Capacitor from make magazine on Vimeo.

A car crash

This is a time breakdown of a car accident taken from here, the whole thing is worth reading but I'm just going to post this but;

0 milliseconds - An external object touches the driver’s door.
1 ms - The car’s door pressure sensor detects a pressure wave.
2 ms - An acceleration sensor in the C-pillar behind the rear door also detects a crash event.
2.5 ms - A sensor in the car’s centre detects crash vibrations.
5 ms - Car’s crash computer checks for insignificant crash events, such as a shopping trolley impact or incidental contact. It is still working out the severity of the crash. Door intrusion structure begins to absorb energy.
6.5 ms - Door pressure sensor registers peak pressures.
7 ms - Crash computer confirms a serious crash and calculates its actions.
8 ms - Computer sends a “fire” signal to side airbag. Meanwhile, B-pillar begins to crumple inwards and energy begins to transfer into cross-car load path beneath the occupant.
8.5 ms - Side airbag system fires.
15 ms - Roof begins to absorb part of the impact. Airbag bursts through seat foam and begins to fill.
17 ms - Cross-car load path and structure under rear seat reach maximum load.
Airbag covers occupant’s chest and begins to push the shoulder away from impact zone.
20 ms - Door and B-pillar begin to push on front seat. Airbag begins to push occupant’s chest away from the impact.
27 ms - Impact velocity has halved from 50 km/h to 23.5 km/h. A “pusher block” in the seat moves occupant’s pelvis away from impact zone. Airbag starts controlled deflation.
30 ms - The Falcon has absorbed all crash energy. Airbag remains in place. For a brief moment, occupant experiences maximum force equal to 12 times the force of gravity.
45 ms - Occupant and airbag move together with deforming side structure.
50 ms - Crash computer unlocks car’s doors. Passenger safety cell begins to rebound, pushing doors away from occupant.
70 ms - Airbag continues to deflate. Occupant moves back towards middle of car.
Engineers classify crash as “complete”.
150-300 ms - Occupant becomes aware of collision.

Magenta Is Not a Colour

Blew my mind this.

This is not a colour;
magenta a.k.a "pink" does not appear on the spectrum and yet we see it! Why?

answer here.







UPDATE: Apparently some of the graphic guy's here at work have taken issue with this, it may well all be a conspiracy ...

Also, some feel magenta is blend of blue and red.

So in dsummary, I have no idea what to believe anymore.

UPDATE 2: this link sheds more light on the issue:

The truth is, no color actually exists outside of our brain's perception of it
[snip]
[The] article might be better titled, "Magenta is not a single wavelength of electromagnetic radiation in the 'visible' spectrum, but our brain perceives it anyway."

The Evolution of Life in 60 Seconds:

Pretty cool this



lifted from Pharyngula

The Difference

This really should get them going.

Tabloid Fever Strikes New Scientist Magazine

Pharynula has some good comments about this disgraceful cover from New Scientist;

No more than "The Selfish Gene" many lunatics won't read past the cover, so well done New Scientist for aiding the medieval hordes.

Liquid Wood

An interesting story to get away from the gloom.

Plastic was one of the great innovations of the 20th century, but German scientists believe a new invention, liquid wood, could soon supplant the chemical in terms of everyday usefulness.

link

Neural Impulse Actuator (NIA)

this system is for games, but the wider future applications are mind boggling...

something something Blindsight something

I felt a little like a blind man touching an elephant reading this but I think I understood just enough to post it;

A patient with bilateral damage to primary visual (striated) cortex has provided the opportunity to assess just what visual capacities are possible in the absence of geniculo-striate pathways. Patient TN suffered two strokes in succession, lesioning each visual cortex in turn and causing clinical blindness over his whole visual field. Functional and anatomical brain imaging assessments showed that TN completely lacks any functional visual cortex. We report here that, among other retained abilities, he can successfully navigate down the extent of a long corridor in which various barriers were placed. A video recording shows him skillfully avoiding and turning around the blockages. This demonstrates that extra-striate pathways in humans can sustain sophisticated visuo-spatial skills in the absence of perceptual awareness, akin to what has been previously reported in monkeys. It remains to be determined which of the several extra-striate pathways account for TN's intact navigation skills.

the link is from Peter Watts so I feel confident enough to nod dumbly in the corner;

Happily, the New York Times prints an English translation

drinking in zero-g

Interesting video of a special cup for drinking in zero-g

Cassini

Beautiful & inspiring

Beyond Belief 3.0

The videos are available now on;

http://thesciencenetwork.org/programs/beyond-belief-candles-in-the-dark

Moral Psychology

Jonathan Haidt delivers an interesting TED Talk about the differences between conservatives and liberals; (18 minutes)