Every year, The New SciÂenÂtist sponÂsors an illuÂsion conÂtest, and, above, we have the winÂner of the 2010 ediÂtion: A conÂtrapÂtion creÂatÂed by KouÂkichi SugÂiÂhara (MeiÂji InstiÂtute for Advanced Study of MathÂeÂmatÂiÂcal SciÂences, Japan) that appears to defy gravÂiÂty, allowÂing woodÂen balls to roll up slopes. But, in actuÂal fact “the oriÂenÂtaÂtions of the slopes are perÂceived oppoÂsiteÂly, and hence the descendÂing motion is misÂinÂterÂpretÂed as ascendÂing motion.” You can now make subÂmisÂsions to the 2011 ediÂtion.
World’s Smallest Periodic Table on a Human Hair
Fun with sciÂence. The world’s smallÂest periÂodÂic table etched onto a strand of hair belongÂing to chemÂistry ProÂfesÂsor MarÂtyn PoliÂakoff (UniÂverÂsiÂty of NotÂtingÂham). This clip comes from the PeriÂodÂic Videos colÂlecÂtion and it comes recÂomÂmend by the great @OliverSacks.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
The PeriÂodÂic Table of EleÂments PreÂsentÂed as InterÂacÂtive Haikus
Thomas Edison Recites “Mary Had a Little Lamb” in Early Voice Recording
In the late 1870s, Thomas EdiÂson, AmerÂiÂca’s proÂlifÂic invenÂtor, perÂfectÂed the phonoÂgraph and capÂtured a very earÂly recordÂing of the human voice – his own voice recitÂing the still popÂuÂlar nursÂery rhyme, Mary Had a LitÂtle Lamb. (Get mp3 here.) LatÂer, the EdiÂson cylinÂder also recordÂed for posÂterÂiÂty RussÂian comÂposÂer Pyotr Tchaikovsky (The NutÂcrackÂer, the 1812 OverÂture, etc.) talkÂing with othÂer musiÂcians in a light moment.
The EdiÂson cylinÂder was actuÂalÂly preÂcedÂed by anothÂer sound-recordÂing device, the phoÂnauÂtoÂgraph, inventÂed by Édouard-LĂ©on Scott de MarÂtÂinville in 1857. Not long ago, sciÂenÂtists from the Lawrence BerkeÂley NationÂal LabÂoÂraÂtoÂry extractÂed a recordÂing not heard in 150 years, a voice singing the French folk song “Au Clair de la Lune.”
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Mark Twain CapÂtured on Film by Thomas EdiÂson (1909)
Bike Tricks CourÂtesy of Thomas EdiÂson
How Large is the Universe?
For cenÂturies, humanÂiÂty has been utterÂly transÂfixed by the cosÂmos, with genÂerÂaÂtions of astronomers, philosoÂphers and everyÂday ponÂderÂers strivÂing to betÂter underÂstand the grand capÂsule of our exisÂtence. And yet to this day, some of the most basic, funÂdaÂmenÂtal qualÂiÂties of the uniÂverse remain a mysÂtery. How Large is the UniÂverse? is a fasÂciÂnatÂing 20-minute docÂuÂmenÂtary by Thomas Lucas and Dave Brody explorÂing the uniÂverse’s immense scale of disÂtance and time.
“Recent preÂciÂsion meaÂsureÂments gathÂered by the HubÂble space teleÂscope and othÂer instruÂments have brought a conÂsenÂsus that the uniÂverse dates back 13.7 bilÂlion years. Its radius, then, is the disÂtance a beam of light would have travÂeled in that time – 13.7 bilÂlion light years. That works out to about 1.3 quadrillion kiloÂmeÂters. In fact, it’s even bigÂger – much bigÂger. How it got so large, so fast, was until recentÂly a deep mysÂtery.”
For more on the subÂject, see these five fasÂciÂnatÂing ways to grasp the size and scale of the uniÂverse.
Maria PopoÂva is the founder and ediÂtor in chief of Brain PickÂings, a curatÂed invenÂtoÂry of cross-disÂciÂpliÂnary interÂestÂingÂness. She writes for Wired UK, GOOD MagÂaÂzine and DesigÂnObÂservÂer, and spends a great deal of time on TwitÂter.
Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse in Time Lapse Video
When was the last time the lunar eclipse and winÂter solÂstice coinÂcidÂed? The U.S. Naval ObserÂvaÂtoÂry says 1638; Starhawk, a promiÂnent WicÂcan, puts it at 1544. NeedÂless to say, these coinÂcidÂing events are a rarÂiÂty. So, in case you missed it, we have a nice time lapse video shot by William CastleÂman in Gainesville, FloriÂda. CastelÂman also proÂduced this fine gem: The Milky Way Over Texas.
via @6oz
Richard Dawkins Plays the Piano: “Earth History in C Major”
Oxford’s renowned biolÂoÂgist Richard Dawkins puts the hisÂtoÂry of life on earth in perÂspecÂtive, using simÂply a piano. This short video is a great jumpÂing off point for this brilÂliant lecÂture Dawkins gave back in 1991. It’s called “WakÂing Up in the UniÂverse, GrowÂing Up in the UniÂverse,” and the 57-minute video pulls you deepÂer into some big quesÂtions. What’s the oriÂgin of life? Where do we fall in the scheme of life on planÂet Earth? What’s our role in the largÂer uniÂverse? And how lucky are we to have the brains and tools to underÂstand the aweÂsome wonÂders that surÂround us? Thanks to “ConÂstantÂline” for sendÂing today’s video along.
The Most Amazing Science Images Of 2010
Not to miss. PopÂSci has pulled togethÂer a gallery of “The Most AmazÂing SciÂence Images of 2010.” It feaÂtures 72 phoÂtos in total, includÂing the image above – an E. Coli SculpÂture that figÂures into artist Luke JerÂram’s “Glass MicroÂbiÂolÂoÂgy” series of porÂtraits. Find a short video his MalarÂia sculpÂture right here.
Water Drop Filmed in 10,000 Frames Per Second
The folks at MIT show you a drop of water like you’ve nevÂer seen it before. A great litÂtle outÂtake from the DisÂcovÂery ChanÂnel proÂgram “InvisÂiÂble Worlds In The Water.” This video appears in our colÂlecÂtion of 125 Great SciÂence Videos.
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