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Evolution of the Console Controller
A recent study on the ergonomics of classic and modern video game controllers found that they were remarkable failures for something designed to be held in your hands. The history of the controller was solving an input problem, not an ergonomic one, and while they've gotten better, they're still not perfect. Cheddar explains the history of the controller and why we'll never see the perfect one.
Strange Stars
Within the universe, you'll find Neutron stars. Made mostly of densely packed neutrons, these stars contain the most dangerous and bizarre substance in any galaxy — strange matter. Kurzgesagt explores the stuff that has the ability to either destroy everything it comes into contact with or explain how the universe began.
Stratolaunch First Flight
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen started Stratolaunch in 2011 with the goal of launching payloads into space from an airborne platform. Allen passed away from cancer in October of 2018, and on April 13, 2019, the Stratolaunch — the largest airplane ever to fly — made its maiden flight. With a wingspan of 385 feet and a maximum weight of 1.2 million pounds, the Stratolaunch is about to usher in a new era of spaceflight.
How To Photograph A Black Hole
Katie Bouman, a Ph.D. candidate at the Massachusetts Institue of Technology, and a team of astronomers wrote the algorithm that took radio wave images from the Event Horizon Telescope and stitched them together to create the first image of a black hole. Predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, a black hole had never been directly observed — until now. Bouman describes the process in this 2017 TED Talk, two years before she helped bring the image to the world.
The First Photo Of A Black Hole
Albert Einstien theorized the existence of black holes with his theory of relativity and general relativity over 100 years ago, but the first photograph — and proof — of their existence came with a press conference on April 10, 2019. A photograph showing the event horizon and superheated gas orbiting has been released, and Vox explains why this is one of the most significant pictures in history.
Slow Motion Backdraft
No, this isn't going to be slow motion shots of Kurt Russell and William Baldwin fighting fires. This video is about actual backdrafts. Using trained professionals, The Slow Mo Guys create a firefighter's worse nightmare to capture the combustible flames in 4K slow motion.
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Blundstone Super 550 Boot
Creators of boots with unmatched comfort and protection from the elements since 1870, Blundstone turns up their legendary 550 series to the max with these boots. The Super 550 has everything you love about the originals, including the classic Chelsea silhouette, an SPS max comfort system for shock absorption, and a cushioned midsole for added comfort. The upgrades come in the form of leather lining, and XRD tech in the heel strike zone added to the removable footbed for an extra level of shock absorption and comfort. Available in a variety of colorways, each pair has an iconic, rugged look that feel right at home wherever you wear them.
Presented by Blundstone.
The Black Tux
The Black Tux wants to take the pain out of renting a suit or tuxedo for your next formal occasion. Its modern designs are cut from top-notch Italian wool and rented online with free delivery and replacements. You can even rent full outfits, and test them out for two days with their free home try-on program. Finally, the look, fit and convenience to help guys navigate wedding season.
Presented by The Black Tux.
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A Journey to the End of Time
The end of time — it's a subject that has fascinated humanity since humans could be fascinated. Melodysheep takes you on a trip through the next few billion years in a look at what might await the universe as it reaches its inevitable conclusion.
Rocket-Powered Golf Club
You could take some lessons to improve your drive or you could just attach a rocket to your golf club. Former NASA engineer Mark Rober and Smarter Every Day's Destin Sandlin team up to lower their strokes by super-charging a driver. They capture the whole thing at a glorious rate of 100,000 FPS.
Detonating All The Nuclear Bombs
Take every nuclear warhead on Earth and detonate them all at once — that's the subject of the latest video from Kurzgesagt. The most destructive force known to man, the power of nuclear weapons is on a scale known only in the worst natural disasters on the planet — and this is what might happen if they all went off at the same time in the same place.
How To Build A Dinosaur
Dinosaurs don't come with complete skeletons and there aren't any around to reference. So when archeologists start reconstructing one, sometimes they need to fill in the blanks — and their guesses aren't always right. Look at the mistakes that have been made and how science is helping create the most complete picture yet of dinosaurs.
The First Genderless Voice
There's Alexa, Siri, and Google but now we can add Q. Unlike the others, Q is the first AI voice to be completely gender neutral. The project is a collaboration between Copenhagen Pride and Virtue Nordic along with linguists, technologists, and sound designers aiming to create a digital assistant option that is neither male or female. Using the voices of non-binary people, the recordings were altered to 145 and 175 Hertz, resulting in a sound that was completely genderless.
Building A $3 Million Doomsday Bunker
During the height of the Cold War, the US government built 1,000 nuclear ICBM silos across the country, mostly in the Great Plains. As the threat of nuclear war with the Soviets waned, over half of the sites were decommissioned — making them ideal doomsday bunkers for the ultra-rich and paranoid. The Survival Condo Project repurposes these sites built to withstand sustained nuclear war, converting them into condos that can support a family nearly indefinitely.
The Origin of Consciousness
The origin of consciousness is one of the biggest mysteries in the universe. The complex inner lives that humans have versus the seemingly simple ones of other animals is thought to be the process of millions of years of small evolutionary steps leading up to us. Kurzgesagt looks at some of the scientific — and not so scientific — theories for the number one thing that makes humans truly human.
Can You Trust Kurzgesagt?
Kurzgesagt makes some of the most popular videos on YouTube. Their science-based explainers try to offer a balanced view based on scientific research with copious amounts of fact-checking and editing by scientists — but that doesn't mean Kurzgesagt is always successful. Not everything they've done has been up to their high standards, and they've taken it up themselves to explain their methods — and why two of their most popular videos didn't meet their expectations.
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NOMOS Club Sport Neomatik 42 Watch
The Club Campus family is one timepiece stronger and much sportier after the 2019 Baselworld announcement of the Club Sport. The Nomos timepiece expands the Club line with a new in-house automatic movement, and an unexpected all-new steel bracelet. Departing from the watchmaker's norm of only using leather and fabric straps, the steel bracelet is crafted in-house with 145 individual parts and an elegant deployment clasp. The watch also has an impressive 300 meters of water-resistance, a screw down crown, and a dark marine black dial with numerals, hands, and typography that are loaded with Super-Luminova — ensuring you're more than prepared for your next trip underwater. A red ring on the inside of the crown acts as a visible warning if it's not secure before you dive beneath the surface. Small seconds and date complication round out the timepiece, and the neomatik date caliber is protected by domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating inside and out. The Club Sport might be one of the toughest Nomos timepieces to date, and a versatile blend of a dress, dive, and everyday watch with a sporty feel.
Case Diameter: 42mm / Case Height: 10.2mm / Weight: 2.19 oz / Water Resistance: 30 ATM / Glass: Domed Sapphire Crystal / Lug Width: 20mm
Movement: Automatic DUW 6101 / Movement Height: 3.6mm / Movement Diameter: 15 1/2 lines (35.2mm) / Power Reserve: up to 42 hours / Jewels: 27
Uncrate is an authorized dealer of NOMOS Glashütte timepieces, extending their full warranty with purchase.
Inquire directly with Uncrate about purchasing a NOMOS Glashütte timepiece.
Best Made Co. Tool Box
Handmade from powder coated 22-gauge steel, the Best Made Co. Tool Box can carry whatever implements your pursuits require. Its 15" interior is sized to hold an ordinary hammer or smaller tools with ease and spot welded for added strength, but is equally well-suited to carrying various cables and connectors, art supplies, or fishing lures. Finished with a robust single latch closure and carrying handle and made entirely in the USA.
Width: 15.1" / Depth: 7" / Height: 5.6"
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'90s Samsung Galaxy Fold
Samsung is gearing up to release its Galaxy Fold smartphone in Spring 2019. The phone features a design that folds open like a book, revealing a tablet-sized 7.3-inch screen. But what we really want to know is, what if Samsung had made the fold in the '90s? Squirrel Monkey answers this burning question with its hilarious look back at what the latest in mobile tech might have looked like.
The Importance of Being Lonely
Being lonely is one of the most important survival mechanisms humans have. Early in our evolution, feelings of loneliness meant that we weren't part of a group — and weren't going to be alive for long. Kurzgesagt looks at the science of being lonely and why in our ultra-connected world, we feel more lonely than ever.
Why a Base On Mars is a Bad Idea
With all the talk of building habit on Mars capable of supporting human life, it's actually a really bad idea. Mars is cold, devoid of resources, and pounding by high levels of radiation — everything not conducive supporting human life. But Kurzgesagt decided to do it anyway. Here's how we could make it work.
Life On Rogue Planets
Not all planets have a Solar System to call home. Some planets travel a lonely path through the cosmos, freezing and wreaking havoc on nearly anything they encounter — or get destroyed themselves in the process. These frozen masses might be the last place you'd think life could exists, but there's a possibility that life is hiding deep beneath their surfaces. Kurzgesagt looks at how this could happen and why their lifelessness might only be skin-deep.
How to Build a Dyson Sphere
In order for humanity to continue to progress at its current rate, we'll need to find better sources of energy to fuel our expansion. Earth-based sources will only get us so far — in order to expand into space, a huge energy source will be required, like that found in a star. Once solely the realm of science fiction, the Dyson sphere might one day be plausible, and Kurzgesagt looks at how it could be made.
25 Chemistry Experiments in 15 Minutes
Chemists specialize in turning one thing into another. From the ancient and largely unsuccessful art of alchemy to modern day medicine, chemistry has been a huge part of pushing civilization forward. Andrew Z. Szydło is a chemistry teacher and in this TEDx talk, goes through 25 fascinating science experiments in 15 minutes.
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Year In Search 2018
The year has nearly come to an end. Before you put 2018 behind you completely, take a look back at the events that shaped it through Google's most searched topics.
DIY SpaceX Rockets
No longer the sole province of huge government organizations or private defense companies, getting into space is being revolutionized by private companies. SpaceX is leading the charge with their reusable rockets, but in a sign of how far technology can filter down, Joe Barnard is building his own — albeit on a smaller scale. While Joe hasn't successfully landed a rocket yet, he's getting closer every day, along with learning a lot in the process.
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Spending Christmas Around the Moon
When John F. Kennedy kicked off the space race by announcing the goal of landing on the moon by the end of the decade, it was one of the biggest crunch times in history. The newly-formed NASA faced the nearly-impossible task of not only getting there but designing and building the multitude of systems required to make the trip. On December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 launched and put three astronauts in orbit around the moon. Flying on largely untested equipment, the mission was a success as the crew spent Christmas watching the Earth rise over the horizon of the moon.
Voyager 2 Leaves the Solar System
Launched 16 days before its twin Voyager 1 in 1977, Voyager 2 has left the Solar System and entered interstellar space and is now taking the first direct measurements of the plasma fields there. In operation for 41 years, 3 months and 21 days, Voyager 2 has technology that is far inferior to the smartphone in your pocket — yet it's still providing valuable data to scientists here on Earth. See you space cowboy. . .
Sounds of Mars
Last spring, NASA's InSight Lander was launched into space on a journey to Mars. After landing on the Red Planet, the spacecraft's seismometer picked up the first sounds. What you hear are Martian winds blowing across the Elysium Planitia at around 10-15 mph.
The Truth About Vinyl
It's become one of the greatest debates of the modern age: Is vinyl better than digital? Vinyl records have experienced a resurgence in the last few years, with claims of better sound fidelity versus the digital format. Real Engineering tries to settle the debate once and for all by analyzing the science behind the two competing formats.
The Longest Timelapse From Space
The International Space Station has been orbiting the Earth for 20 years. The first module was launched in 1998, and since then, the ISS has been more than the most distant research platform in history — it also represents what we are capable of when we come together for a common goal. In honor of the ISS' 20th anniversary, The European Space Agency released the longest timelapse ever recorded from space.
NASA InSight Mars Landing
NASA's InSight touched down on the Red Planet on November 26 with a plethora of instruments that will exponentially increase our understanding of Mars. InSight is the first lander that takes its instruments from itself and places them on the surface — described as the most high-tech version of the arcade claw game you could imagine. NASA streamed the whole event live, along with the first communications from InSight.
