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Capturing a TV Image in Slow Motion
There's a whole generation of people that will never know the joy of pressing their face up against an old-school CRT television and trying to see how it works. This video by the Slow Mo Guys demonstrates how a CRT TV creates an image by scanning side-to-side, top-to-bottom in far less than the blink of an eye. Using film speed as low as one-millionth of a second, you can see how it works like never before.
Falling Asleep is Hard
Coffee, cellphones, work, school, kids — it's a wonder anyone gets a good night's sleep. Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our health, and few of get enough. But knowing why it's hard to fall asleep can help us sleep better and feel better while we're awake.
The Pinball Doctors
Mike Hooker and Jon Erhlich are the last of a dying breed — New York pinball repairmen. Pinball games are complex, and they were never intended to last more than maybe five years in the field. So they break down — a lot — and there are a very few left with the skills to repair them. Here's what it takes to keep this uniquely American pastime going.
SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launch
It's been a landmark year for SpaceX. Spearheading the private orbital launch market, SpaceX is pushing the commercialization of space travel. Their latest rocket launch caused a sensation over California with its bizarre contrail, actually causing car accidents and reports of UFO activity. Photographer Jason Watson captured a beautiful time-lapse as the Falcon 9 rocket streaking across the night sky.
No One Knows How Machines Learn
How could humans make something that they have no idea how it works? This is the secret behind machine learning — the algorithms that run nearly everything we do in our digital lives. CGP Grey tries to explain how something we don't really know how it works, works, and how these robots are the future of humans.
The Scientific Probability of A Jedi
They have lightsabers, mind-bending reflexes, and can influence other's thoughts. Every eight year old wants to be one, but is it possible? As far as we know, they only exist in the Star Wars Universe but AsapSCIENCE is putting their abilities to the test to see if humans could, in fact, wield The Force.
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Keeps Hair Loss Products
We don't like to talk about it, but 2 out of 3 guys start losing their hair by age 35. Keeps know that the sooner you take action, the better, and gives you access to the only two FDA approved hair loss products for about $1 a day. To get started, go to their website, answer a few questions, and a doctor will send the right hair loss medications for you. The first month is free, and there's no easier way to keep the hair you still have.
Presented by Keeps.
Squarespace
Tons of ideas and searching for a way to get them off the ground? Squarespace's all-in-one platform provides all the tools you need to organize your dreams in one space. You won't have to compromise your style - with customizable and award-winning templates, Squarespace allows you to fully express yourself, no coding or plug-ins needed. Make your ideas stand out by getting started with a website today.
Presented by Squarespace.-
First Interstellar Asteroid
For the very first time, NASA has detected an interstellar asteroid traveling through our solar system. Named Oumuamua, it's a long, cigar-shaped object that measures about a quarter of a mile in length. Due to its rarity, this discovery has scientists and space enthusiasts very excited.
Real-Life Baymax
If you're into Disney or live with a kid under the age of 12, you've probably heard of Baymax. For those of you who haven't seen Big Hero 6, he's a huggable robot helper turned huggable robot superhero. This fluffy protagonist was actually modeled after an actual creation by Chris Atkeson — a pioneer of soft robotics. His goal is to bring his humanoiud helpers to the masses and according to him, it could be soon than you think.
Atlas Robot
It seems like only yesterday Atlas was merely running on a treadmill and wobbling across footholds. Now, the humanoid robot is doing backflips. Backflips. Not to mention it totally stuck the landing. At this rate, humanity is only one cartwheel away from complete extinction.
Better Together with Emergence
One thing by itself can't do much. But when things work together, the possibilities are nearly endless. Whether ants, humans, or cells, you need lots of small parts to make a whole. Kurzgesagt looks at emergence and how it underpins life on Earth as we know it.
Bullet Trains and Birds
Japan's famous bullet trains had a problem: they were extremely loud. Pressure waves while exiting tunnels at high speeds caused a shockwave that could be heard from 1,500 feet away. Engineer and birdwatcher Eiji Nakatsu led the redesign of the trains, and found solutions in birds, most notably in the beak of the kingfisher.
A Cure for Aging
The leading cause of death is being alive. Our bodies are full of zombies — senescent cells that refuse to die when they should. As these cells accumulate, they wreak havoc on healthy cells around them — and making us age in the process. Kurzgesagt looks at how scientists are looking at reversing aging as a means to keep us healthier for longer.
The End of Aging
If you could live forever, would you? It's an age-old question. But now, we're getting closer to having an answer. Kurzgesagt looks at the end of aging and the problems of deciding how long to live.
World's First Floating Wind Farm
In the North Sea, energy company Statoil has finished the first floating wind farm in the world. Creating over 30 MW from five huge turbines, the Hywind Scotland wind farm is the first in what Statoil hopes will be a future of carbon-free emission power sources.
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Shinola Canfield Sport Watch
Shinola continues to build on its impressive line of timepieces with the Canfield Sport. The chronograph series features two movements, one of which is the Detroit-based company's most complex to date — the quartz Argonite 5040.F. This Canfield Sport has three subdials, a dual calendar aperture, fourth date hand and long-lasting battery. Built using a top loaded case construction, this 45mm timepiece features sandblasted gunmetal-toned PVD details, a cool gray dial and natural brown leather strap that's certain to develop a rich patina over time. The Canfield Sport reimagines the traditional sports watch, and is a worthy addition to any well-curated collection.
Presented by Shinola.
Danner Mountain 600 EnduroWeave
A tough hiking boot makes a world of difference, but during warm weather months, you need something lighter and breathable. Built with a carbon-washed textile upper and a moisture-wicking air mesh liner, Danner's Mountain 600 EnduroWeave was made to dominate the summer climate and terrain of the Pacific Northwest. The boots also combine a cushioning Vibram SPE midsole for maximum rebound on the trails and a Fuga outsole for the control you need when navigating wet and dry surfaces. Available in brown and black.
Presented by Danner.
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Dubai Police Hoverbike
We still don't have hoverboards, but police in the city of Dubai now have hoverbikes. Although they can only hit speeds of 40 mph, they do have the advantage of reaching heights of 16 feet. These flying police cruisers are sure to fit in nicely with their more traditional McLaren, Bentley, and Mercedes police cars.
The Dangers of Space Junk
In 1958, the United States launched the first solar-powered satellite, Vanguard 1, into orbit. Over 2,200 days later, it's still in orbit — just one of millions of pieces of debris orbiting the Earth. As space around the planet becomes more crowded with the leftovers of human spaceflight, it poses a grave danger to the future of space exploration.
Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire
The Star War Universe is expanding further and going beyond virtual reality and into hyper-reality. The collaboration between Lucasfilm, ILMxLAB and The VOID will send players to the planet of Mustafar disguised as Stormtroopers to go on a Rebel mission and recover Imperial intelligence. Although there doesn't appear to be any lightsaber action, the multi-sensory experience will include a blaster battle with a giant lava monster. Tickets are on sale now for the winter debut at Disney Springs in Orlando and Downtown Disney in Anaheim.
Inside Your Microbiome
Inside our gut, there are three pounds of bacteria that do everything from help your immune system to break down the food we eat. It's a beautiful relationship that's been going on for millions of years. But new research suggests that your microbiome may be doing more than just helping you out — it might be telling your brain what to do.
The Last Analog Motion Graphics Machine
If you saw moving animation on a TV screen in the 70s and 80s, it was more than likely made on a Scanimate. Only about 10 were ever made, and the digital revolution in the late 80s made them obsolete after a decade. Engineer Dave Sieg the last running Scanimate going and gave Viceland a demonstration of its classic capabilities.
Apple and Samsung Need Each Other
They fight, they make up, they sue each other for copyright infringement, and then Apple orders 80 million OLED screens for the upcoming iPhone X. Yeah, it's complicated. Nerdwriter examines the love/hate relationship between Korean tech and manufacturing giant Samsung and bitter arch-rival Apple — and why the two of them can't live without each other.
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The Simulation Argument
With our very limited way of understanding the world around us, humans have had to invent ways to overcome the limitations of our senses and brains in order to find out how the universe really works. And we've done an alright job so far. But there's a compelling argument that the reality around us isn't real — we might be living in a simulated reality. Kurzgesagt looks at the concepts behind the simulation theory, and what it would take to make it possible.
Postcards from Saturn
20 years ago, a spacecraft named Cassini began a journey to the planet Saturn. Cassini spent 13 years orbiting the ringed planet, sending home pictures that greatly advanced our understanding of the solar system that we inhabit. With its mission accomplished, Cassini crashed into the planet it was studying. NPR looks at some of the highlights of what Cassini saw over the course of its trip.
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How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Never has this been truer than with Elon Musk and his SpaceX Rockets. Although the aerospace manufacturer has seen many accomplishments, like last week's successful landing of Falcon 9, they did not come without many, many failures. In what might be the most expensive fail video of all time, the tech billionaire compiles all of his botched landings into an explosive 2-minute how-not-to.
Driving a Real Mech
Mechs: They aren't just for animes and video games anymore. Yang Jin-Ho is the chairman of Hankook Mirae Technology, a company focused on robotics. And they're focused on big robotics, creating a fully-articulated mech, piloted by a human. Translogic went to South Korea to take a test drive in something straight out of science fiction.
Designing the iPhone 8
There was time before the softly-squared rectangle in everyone's pocket. The iPhone revolutionized the way we communicate, but over the last decade, it's been a design of compromises. The iPhone8 promises to be the iPhone that Apple has always wanted to make, as technology and design come together.
Bringing the Sun to Earth
Finding absurd ways to wipe out civilization and life on Earth as we know it is always a fun thought exercise. Kurzgesagt thought up the best way to blow it all up — by giving an idea of what would happen if the Sun came to Earth.
Black Holes Could Delete the Universe
Black holes are like the cosmic recycle bin of the universal desktop — once you click empty, it's never coming back again. In a universe where we've based a lot of what we know about it on the fundamental principle of the indestructibility of information, black holes literally tear right through that theory. Kurzgesagt looks at the paradox of black holes, and how they can tell us about the real nature of the universe.
ISS Eclipse Transit
On August 21, 2017, the moon wasn't the only thing crossing the sun. Not long after the eclipse began, another, smaller fellow traveler raced across the sky — the International Space Station. Smarter Every Day was in Wyoming to capture the event with some awesome video and still images.
