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Moonlight
NASA turns the Moon's sunrises and sunsets into a masterful, theater-worthy performance. The visuals were created using a digital 3D model built from images taken from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and actual Sun angles from 2018. The lunar day was then set to Claude Debussy's fitting "Clair de Lune" — which means "moonlight" in French — for a performance at the Kennedy Center to celebrate NASA's 60th anniversary.
Why Aliens Are So Hard to Find
The universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old. In all that time, one would think that at some point there has to have been at least one alien civilization in all that time. But astronomer Stephen Webb thinks we're all alone. In this TED talk, Webb explains his theory that there's nothing out there in the vast ocean of the universe.
The Pyro Making Some of the World's Strongest Lasers
Rural Illinois doesn't sound like a hub of the tech industry, but some of the strongest lasers in the world come from a storage unit in a rural area of the state. Styropyro experiments with light and shares the results with half a million people on YouTube, along with his other love — raising moths.
Making Music on the Super Nintendo
Two chips, 64 kb of memory, and some of the best music in the history of video games. The Super Nintendo was a quantum leap over the original NES in every way, but the limitations when it came to audio were severe. Nerdwriter looks at how composer David Wise and others overcame the limitations of the system to create lush, ambient tracks to match the visuals on the screen.
How NASA's Parker Probe Will Touch the Sun
NASA's Parker Probe will launch this summer and makes many firsts in space exploration. Over the course of seven years, it will orbit Venus, eventually becoming the fastest man-made object as it passes through the sun's corona, then becoming the closest man-made object to our nearest star. The Parker Probe's heat shields will disintegrate as it moves through the corona, and its instruments will operate at room temperature as it tries to solve the mystery behind why the corona is hotter than the surface of the sun. The data is years away, but the Park Probe is poised to help us better understand the life-giving body so close to home.
The Robot That Finds Waldo
The robots are coming for your childhood. All those hours spent desperately searching for Waldo — at the beach, the train station, the airport — can now be accomplished by some AI software in seconds. Using Google's Auto ML Vision service, the arm takes a photo of the page and identifies Waldo once a 95% or better match is found. So much for getting lost in the crowd.
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Marvis Toothpaste
Crafted in Florence, Italy, Marvis Toothpaste has been protecting and whitening teeth since 1958. Originally intended as a smoker's toothpaste, Marvis' flavors are bolder than that of your drug-store options. Thanks to their apothecary-inspired matte aluminum tubes and decorative lids, the brand has been synonymous with style for decades and remained true to original formulas like Classic Strong Mint — their first product and best seller. Each toothpaste tackles surface stains and provides a burst of intense mint to help break the monotony of your daily ritual.
Casper Pillow
A good pillow can be the difference between a night of restful sleep and a literal pain in the neck. The team at Casper knows this and designed a pillow that provides comfort and support regardless of your sleeping position. They've invented a unique pillow-in-pillow with a firm inner core and a soft outer shell. Thanks to the even fill distribution of silky fibers, the pillow won't lose its shape. It's also finished with breathable percale cotton to keep airflow moving and your pillow cool. It's even machine washable. Take advantage of the 100-night trial, and if you don't love it, Casper will give you a free refund.
Presented by Casper.
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Wormholes Explained
A tunnel through spacetime that can link two places light years away. We've seen it hundreds of times in movies and video games but the jury is still out on whether these magical passageways really exist. In an attempt to add some clarity to this hypothetical theory, Kurzgesagt explores the possibility of wormholes and the science behind them in their usual animated form.
The Mastermind of Holography
Jason Arthur Sapan is the last professional holographer in NYC and possibly the world. Known as Dr. Laser, Sapan has worked with musicians, artists, and met presidents — all while doing what he loves. Mashable sat down with Dr. Laser to talk about the art and science behind recording light in three dimensions.
Building the World's Largest Robot
Standing 28 feet tall and weighing in right at 5 tons, the LW Mononofu is the world's largest fully operational robot. The monster 'bot was built by engineer Masaaki Nagumo who was inspired by the Japanese anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. The real-life Jaeger is controlled from within and is ready to take on the colossal sea monsters of the world with its sponge-ball cannon.
The Astronaut Crews for The Boeing and SpaceX Commercial Flights
NASA has announced the nine astronauts who will board the Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon during their first flights to space. Both shuttles were built for furture commercial space travel and their inaugural journey includes a round trip to the International Space Station. Fulfilling their childhood dreams, the new crew members share their excitement, as well as a little nervousness, as they prepare for the historic launch.
Chain Explosions at 200k FPS
The Slo Mo Guys have done explosions before — but not like this. Gavin and Dan travelled to the Colorado School of Mines to film the biggest explosions they've ever done, using det cord, shock tubes, shaped charges, and avalanchers. Dan is no stranger to explosives, having trained in the British Army as an explosive ordnance tech, and along with the pros at the school, captured some of their best slow-motion film yet.
Moon 101
Tomorrow, Friday, July 27th, there will be a total lunar eclipse. The Moon will pass directly behind Earth and into the center of its shadow for approximately 103 minutes, the longest one in the 21st century. So before the big show, get to know the big star — or in this case, satellite — a little bit better.
Detonating a Nuclear Bomb in the Marianas Trench
The deepest point on Earth is the Marianas Trench, nearly 7.5 miles below sea level in the Pacific Ocean. At that depth the pressure is enormous — enough to crush anything used to living on the surface like an aluminum can. So what would happen if you detonated a nuclear bomb there? Kurgesagt looks at what might happen, and the surprising results.
Declassified Nuclear Test Footage
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory finished digitizing recently-declassified footage of atmospheric nuclear tests from the height of the Cold War. All the chilling film is available on their YouTube channel — and they are terrifying to watch. The video here is from a test on the infamous Bikini Atoll site called Operation Hardtack. The detonation causes a huge water burst that causes an ominous black mushroom cloud to rise from the ocean — a dark reminder of the power of the Nuclear Age.
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Vollebak Graphene Jacket
Discovered by Nobel Prize-winners, graphene is one of the most incredible materials known to man. Ten layers stacked on to each other are more bulletproof than steel, and Vollebak has acquired some of this revolutionary material and coated jackets with it for this experimental prototype. Each black Graphene jacket is part coat, part science experiment, and an opportunity to wear what could easily become the world's next super material.
Presented by Vollebak.
Casper Mattress
When Casper entered the mattress market a few years ago, they changed the mattress industry. And now, after 30 engineering improvements and nearly half a million happy customers, the Casper mattress is more breathable and comfortable than ever. Each mattress is made of multiple layers of foam, including one for support and pressure relief, and one to make sure you sleep cool and comfortable. It's all wrapped up in a durable woven cover, and shipped right to your door in a box that's easy to maneuver into even the smallest homes or apartments. You get 100 nights to try it out and can return it for free if you're not satisfied.
Presented by Casper.
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How Sweden Became the Leader in Car Safety
In 1967, Sweden made a huge change to its roads — it went from driving on the left-hand side to the right, all in the space of one day. Like the US, Swedish cars are left-hand drive, and driving on the left-hand side of the road meant that seeing around the car in front of you while attempting to pass was difficult and lead to a high number of fatalities. With laws requiring seatbelts and other safety equipment, Swedish car manufacturers like Volvo gained a reputation for being among the safest on the road.
Turning the World into Plastic
The invention of plastic changed human history forever. From sterile medical supplies to food packaging that lengthens shelf lives, our world would grind to a halt without it. But all that plastic has to go somewhere, and it's beginning to show up in huge amounts in our waterways, oceans, and even ourselves. Kurzgesagt looks at the plastic problem and what we can to clean up our own act.
Quantum Computing Explained In Five Levels
Explaining quantum computing to your average person is hard. You'll definitely need an expert — and the expert has to be able to explain quantum computing in a way that's easily understood. Senior Manager of Quantum Research at IBM Dr. Talia Gershon is just that person. Not only does Dr. Gershon know her stuff, she has a natural gift for being able to break down tough concepts into bite-sized chunks. WIRED had Dr. Gershon explain quantum computing on five different levels, from a child to an educated professional.
World's Largest Lemon Battery
Volkswagen recently smashed the overall record at the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb with their electric-powered I.D. R prototype racer. They beat the old record by over 15 seconds — almost an eternity when first place can come down to thousandths of a second. Mark Robber was challenged by VW to make a battery that could charge the I.D. R, and decided on one of the oldest tricks in the book — making a lemon battery and trying to break a world record himself.
NVIDIA's Slow-Motion AI
Graphics card maker NVIDIA is coming up with a deep-learning AI solution for creating slow-motion video from footage shot at standard frame rates. The software creates extra frames and inserts them into the original video, creating the slow-motion effect. NVIDIA even went so far as to take footage from the Slo Mo Guys and slow it down even further, making clear, coherent video from the source.
The Silent Film that Created the Countdown
The countdown has been used to launch rockets, start events, and just about everything else since 1961. But the countdown has its origins in film, not science. German film director Fritz Lang's 1929 Woman on the Moon was the invention of the countdown — and was an amazingly accurate film.
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Connecting the World from a Beach in Denmark
On a beach in West Jutland, Denmark, a low building near the beach houses one of the most crucial Internet connections in the world. Undersea fiber optic cables from New Jersey terminate here, connecting the US with Europe. MOTHERBOARD talked with a marine maintenance manager to find out just how important it is keeping the transatlantic link up and running in the information age.
That Time It Rained for Two Million Years
Climate change is nothing new. The Earth's weather has gone through different periods of hot, cold, dry, and wet over its lifetime. Nearly 234 million years ago, the planet went through one of these stages. At the time, the world was one big supercontinent known as Pangea. The entire surface was flat and extremely dry. That is, until one day it started raining, and it kept on raining for the next two million years.
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Stickman
Disney's animatronics have always been way ahead of their time. Now, the entertainment giant is teaching their performing robots a new set of tricks. Comprised of three hinged links, the headless cyborg uses a gravity-driven pendulum to perform a series of acrobatic stunts while flying through the air with the greatest of ease.
Yanny vs. Laurel
The country is divided. Families split down the middle. All over one thing — yanny or laurel. The audio illusion is driving the internet crazy but luckily science is here to save us. Several different factors, like the device you use, go into what each person hears but it mainly comes down to pitch. AsapSCIENCE breaks down the entire phenomenon in under three minutes while Neuroscientist Tyler Perrachione also weighs in.
Sailing Drones
Richard Jenkins loves sailing — on land and sea. He broke a speed record for land sailing in a vehicle of his own design and then set his sights on something completely different — bringing autonomous tech to sailing. His company Sail Drone has a fleet of self-sailing drones, powered by nothing but sun and wind, that are navigating the San Fransico Bay and sending back real-time telemetry via satellite.
The Ultimate Gaming Setup
Gamers, prepare to be amazed. After you pick your jaw up from the floor, allow Lewis Hilsenteger to walk you through his insane gaming PC setup. It starts with a 42.5-inch 4K LG Display, flanked by a pair of 24-inch portrait displays to completely immerse you in the action. It's powered by a Xidex PC with a PlayStation input. At the heart of the station is an Imperator reclining chair, fitted with a refrigerator and snack stand for those long nights of Far Cry 5. But playing in a throne fit for a gaming king doesn't come cheap. Altogether, it'll set you back about $30,000.
The Deadliest Being on Planet Earth
The most prolific killer on Earth is the bacteriophage — a virus that does nothing but kills bacteria by the trillions, every day. Right now, you're covered in them, but fortunately, they can't infect humans. With bacteria becoming more resistant to antibiotics, the bacteriophage might be the best weapon we have in the fight against infection.
Solar Energy's Greatest Challenge
More electricity produced by solar panels sounds like it's a win-win proposition. But with the current structure of our power grid, solar energy actually causes a problem. Called the "duck curve," demand for energy dips when solar energy production is at its highest, potentially causing damage to the grid. Which means some solar panels are shut off at their peak production, causing energy to be wasted. Find out the details in this explanation from Vox.
