Video
grrlscientist | February 13, 2010tags: Mormonism, religion, cults, mind control, magic underwear, moron, offbeat, beliefs, insanity, education, streaming video
In some denominations of the Latter Day Saint cult, the temple garment (also referred to as "garments", or "Mormon underwear") is worn beneath the clothing of those who have taken part in the Endowment ceremony. Mormon underwear are worn both day and night and are required for any previously endowed adult to enter a church temple.The undergarments are viewed as a symbolic reminder of the sacred covenants made in temple ceremonies, and are viewed as an either symbolic…
grrlscientist | February 13, 2010tags: Look Around You: Ghosts!, supernatural, documentary, science, BBC, satire, parody, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
Ghosts is part of the hilarious British comedy "Look Around You", series. The episodes are a satire/homage of 1970s and early 1980s educational videos and schools programs, with a different scientific subject being discussed in each episode, or "modules" as they are referred to in the series.
grrlscientist | February 12, 2010tags: Beaker's Ballad, humor, funny, silly, weird, Beaker, The Muppets, streaming video
I can't help it, I've been bitten by the Beaker Bug! Besides, I need some silliness in my life right now since I've been suffering from wacky brain chemistry this week and I am faced with a weekend where I have to spend a large portion of time unpacking boxes. So you'll just have to suffer alongside me and watch this video;
grrlscientist | February 12, 2010tags: employment, creative thinking, motivation, career, rewards, inspiration, science, psychology, Daniel Pink, TEDTalks, streaming video
Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don't: Traditional rewards aren't always as effective as we think. If you think about it, the rewards described in this video are the very things that motivate blog writer to provide their content for free.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading…
grrlscientist | February 11, 2010tags: NASA Scientists Plan To Approach Girl By 2018, scientists, geeks, nerds, pencilheads, ONN, Onion News Network, comedy, humor, satire, fucking hilarious, streaming video
President Obama recently increased funding to all science organizations, including NASA. According to this news report, it appears that NASA has already budgeted their share of the money to support their plan to approach a girl at the laundromat by 2018. This amusing video is a commentary on male scientists, geeks, nerds and other types of pencilheads. It actually looks to be rather close to the truth.
grrlscientist | February 11, 2010tags: art, sculpture, paintings, science, nature, Tom Shannon, TEDTalks, streaming video
John Hockenberry visits artist Tom Shannon in his Manhattan studio for an intimate look at his science-inspired art. An eye-opening, personal conversation reveals how nature's forces -- and the onset of Parkinson's tremors -- interact in his life and craft.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe…
grrlscientist | February 10, 2010tags: animals, fish, ribbonfish, oarfish, Regalecus glesne, sea serpent,marine biology, Mark Benfield, streaming video
A huge oarfish, also known as the ribbonfish, Regalecus glesne, was caught on camera in the Gulf of Mexico, giving scientists a rare glimpse of the bizarre fish in its native deep sea habitat. This is probably the largest bony fish in the seas, and it has the distinctive habit of swimming vertically (head up). Researcher Mark Benfield describes the fish, a likely inspiration for the sea serpent myth.
grrlscientist | February 10, 2010tags: CATalunia Boy's Choir, classical music, humor, funny, strange,cat sounds, music video, streaming video
This amusing video should go into the "what did we do before YouTube?" category. This video captures the CATalunia Boy's Choir singing classical music with feline vocals .. it's a 'must view' for all cat owners and cat fans!
grrlscientist | February 9, 2010tags: x-ray art, photography, nature, Nick+Veasey, TEDTalks, streaming video
Nick Veasey shows outsized X-ray images that reveal the otherworldly inner workings of familiar objects -- from the geometry of a wildflower to the anatomy of a Boeing 747. Producing these photos is dangerous and painstaking, but the reward is a superpower: looking at what the human eye can't see.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al…
sciencepunk | February 9, 2010Looking every bit like the mythical Silver Power Ranger, the guy in this video is bestowed with similarly impressive powers - the ability to shoot lightning from his hands!
So what's really happening here? The lightning is actually being generated by the huge Tesla coil in the background, and flowing through the figure into a ground point near the camera. The chain mail suit protects the guy as the electricity flows around him rather than through him.
The video was shot in Austin, Texas, as part of a documentary for German television. Producer Johannes Wiebus says:
A guy in a chain mail…
rallain | February 9, 2010Note: This is part of my ongoing attack of ESPN's show Sport Science. Really, I am continuing to look at the episode where they calculate a football player can produce 57,000 Watts by pulling some stuff. Wait...I don't want to limit my stuff to Sport Science. I see this stuff all the time. The problem is that people confuse the force needed to move something with its weight.
So, you want me to pull something? Great, I am a physics guy. I could probably pull maybe 100 pounds. That seems reasonable? But wait! I will increase it to 500 pounds! That is like two huge football players.…
grrlscientist | February 9, 2010tags: NASA, Endeavour, International Space Station, spaceship launch, STS-130,Kennedy Space Center, space exploration, physics, astronomy, engineering, streaming video
Space shuttle Endeavour, carrying Commander George Zamka, pilot Terry Virts, and Mission Specialists Nicholas Patrick, Bob Behnken, Steve Robinson and Kay Hire, successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in the early hours of February 8, headed for its 13-day STS-130 mission to the International Space Station.
grrlscientist | February 8, 2010tags: environment, education, conservation,animal welfare, dancing bears, India, sloth bear, Kartick Satyanarayan, TEDTalks, streaming video
Traditionally, the Kalandar community of India has survived by capturing sloth bear cubs and training them to "dance" through extreme cruelty. Kartick Satyanarayan has been able to put an end to this centuries-old practice, and in so doing discovered a lesson of wider significance: make the practitioners part of the solution.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers…
eklemetti | February 8, 2010
This is a request more related to my teaching, but I thought I'd ask here. I'm trying to find copies of the UNESCO videos "Understanding Volcanic Hazards" and "Reducing Volcanic Risk". They were made by the Kraffts to help educate people on volcanic hazards, especially in developing countries. I've seen them both and they are great for introductory geology classes. However, the one source I knew of - the NW Interpretive Assoc. - doesn't seem to carry them anymore - and even if they did, the only format I know of is VHS, which is getting woefully obsolete.
So, do any of you know where I might…
drorzel | February 8, 2010What's the application? The use of lasers to provide an entertaining light show for humans, dogs, or cats.
What problem(s) is it the solution to? 1) "How will I entertain my dog or cat?"
2) "How can we distract people from the fact that Roger Daltrey has no voice left?"
Why are lasers essential? Lasers provide coherent beams of light, which remain small over very large distances, allowing you to project a small spot or a tight beam across a room, or even a football stadium.
Why is it cool? Duuuuude! Lasers, duuuuude!
Why isn't it cool enough? 1) It's fundamentally just a toy. 2) No amount…
cagapakis | February 8, 2010Teachers' Domain, a digital media resource for teachers, profiled Karmella Haynes, one of my amazing labmates!
There's a fun video of Karmella talking about her work on synthetic biology devices to track cancer cells and about careers in science streaming on the Teachers' Domain website. You should all check it out, she's an incredible scientist, artist, and teacher--a true inspiration!
drorzel | February 8, 2010There was some discombobulation yesterday afternoon that kept me from posting these-- I had meant them to be a Super Bowl alternative for the non-football-inclined. They'll work just as well as a Monday brightener, though. So here's a clip of SteelyKid a couple of weeks ago, laughing at the "got your food wrapper" game:
And here's one of her talking on the phone with her grandmother:
I've been on the other end of one of those conversations, and while I still have no idea what she was saying, it's awfully cute.
grrlscientist | February 8, 2010tags: Parisian Love, long-distance relationship, Google, Superbowl Ad, streaming video
The one nice thing about the StuporBowl is the ads that are aired during the game. Well, some of the ads that are aired .. most of the 2010 StuporBowl ads were really stupid, but this one, by Google, was quite nice. In this ad, an American finds true love in Paris, France. The ad was really nice because it shows what Google is about, and it tells a sweet story. Congratulations on the superb ad! Way to go, Google!
grrlscientist | February 7, 2010tags: gay adoption, United States, equality, religion, children, religion, hypocrisy, Dan+Savage, streaming video
Unlike straight parents, gay parents cannot go out one night, get drunk and adopt. Unlike straight parents, gay parents have children because they are wanted and planned for. Certainly this was the situation for my (straight) so-called parents, who not only didn't plan for me and didn't want me, but they were horribly abusive and neglectful after I was born, and after they'd finished trying to destroy me, they gave me up to the state when I was a teen-ager. I would love to have…
grrlscientist | February 7, 2010tags: religion, cults, humor, funny, silly, hypocrisy, Edward Current, streaming video
"I just found out that my favorite YouTuber for Christ is actually a godless atheist God-mocker. Blocked!"