Some of the most basic quesÂtions about human exisÂtence (how did we develÂop lanÂguage? why do we love music and art but kill in war? how did we develÂop cerÂtain eatÂing habits? etc.) come back to a more sinÂguÂlar quesÂtion: how are we difÂferÂent from chimÂpanzees? This quesÂtion is slowÂly getÂting answered by some of today’s leadÂing priÂmaÂtolÂoÂgists and evoÂluÂtionÂary biolÂoÂgists, includÂing Robert SapolÂsky, Daniel LieberÂman, Richard WrangÂham, Jane Goodall, Steven Pinker, all feaÂtured above.
Richard Feynman: Fun to Imagine
Back in 1983, the BBC aired Fun to ImagÂine, a teleÂviÂsion series hostÂed by Richard FeynÂman that used physics to explain how the everyÂday world works – “why rubÂber bands are stretchy, why tenÂnis balls can’t bounce forÂevÂer, and what you’re realÂly seeÂing when you look in the mirÂror.” In case you’re not familÂiar with him, FeynÂman was a Nobel prize-winÂning physiÂcist who had a gift for many things, includÂing popÂuÂlarÂizÂing sciÂence and parÂticÂuÂlarÂly physics. The clip above comes from Fun to ImagÂine, and thanks to this YouTube video, you can now watch all six videos in the series, each runÂning about 12 minÂutes. If you’re lookÂing for more FeynÂman videos, let me give you this: The PleaÂsure of FindÂing Things Out, an hour-long BBC/PBS proÂgram from 1981, and FeynÂman’s legÂendary lecÂtures on physics taped in 1964, now postÂed online courÂtesy of Bill Gates. And, oh yes, don’t forÂget FeynÂman playÂing the bonÂgos too…
Want to study some physics? Get Free Physics coursÂes here. And Free Physics TextÂbooks here.
30 Years of Asteroids in 3 Minutes
This amazÂing litÂtle video charts the locaÂtion of every asterÂoid disÂcovÂered since 1980. As we move into the 1990s, the rate of disÂcovÂery picks up quite draÂmatÂiÂcalÂly because we’re now workÂing with vastÂly improved sky scanÂning sysÂtems. And that means that you will espeÂcialÂly want to watch the secÂond half of the video. Below the jump, I’ve pastÂed some more inforÂmaÂtion that explains what you’re seeÂing. Thanks to @WesAlwan and Mike for sendÂing this great litÂtle clip our way.
via GizÂmoÂdo
Earthrise, Then and Now
On DecemÂber 24, 1968, astroÂnauts aboard ApolÂlo 8, makÂing the first human trip around the moon, stumÂbled upon a most beauÂtiÂful scene – an “EarthÂrise.” Almost 40 years latÂer (in 2007), Japan’s Kaguya satelÂlite capÂtured footage of the same scene unfoldÂing: an EarthÂrise and also this time an EarthÂset. If you click on the preÂcedÂing links, you will see some pretÂty wonÂderÂful still shots in HD.
Science Under a Microscope
What hapÂpens when you study sciÂence in a sciÂenÂtifÂic way? When you apply sciÂenÂtifÂic methÂods to sciÂence itself? When you put sciÂence under its own microÂscope and ask, “What is sciÂence realÂly all about?” These are some of the funÂdaÂmenÂtal quesÂtions that the CBC proÂgram Ideas tackÂles when it spends 24 hours interÂviewÂing hisÂtoÂriÂans, sociÂolÂoÂgists, philosoÂphers and sciÂenÂtists who have thought long and hard about the nature of sciÂence. You can access the first five episodes below, or go straight to the full colÂlecÂtion here.
Episode 1 — Steven Shapin and Simon SchafÂfer
Episode 2 — LorÂraine DasÂton
Episode 3 — MarÂgaret Lock
Episode 4 — Ian HackÂing and Andrew PickÂerÂing
Episode 5 — Ulrich Beck and Bruno Latour
Many thanks to Paul for the tip here.
Balloon Flight Into Near Space
In June, a group of San FranÂcisÂco-based designÂers and engiÂneers launched a balÂloon into near space, capÂturÂing the flight with two camÂeras that went along for the ride. Two hours into the flight, and at 80,000 feet of altiÂtude, the balÂloon gives up the ghost and comes crashÂing back down to Earth. It all hapÂpens around the 2:20 mark of the video, and the images are … um … out of this world. AmazÂingÂly, all of the equipÂment onboard surÂvives the fall – camÂeras and all – thanks to the paraÂchute.
This was actuÂalÂly the secÂond balÂloon launch underÂtakÂen by this group. You can see images from their first launch here. Next time, they’re hopÂing to reach above 100,000 feet. And, yes, it’s finalÂly worth notÂing that they conÂtactÂed the FAA before letÂting these balÂloons take flight.
This clip was sent our way by an anonyÂmous viewÂer. If he/she wants to get in touch, we have a copy of Eat, Pray, Love ready to send your way.
Zooming Into the World
Last week, a clasÂsic film, PowÂers of Ten, showed us what it looks like when we zoom out into the uniÂverse by facÂtors of ten. HeleÂna sent us that video. Now, Robert directs our attenÂtion to videos that move in the extreme oppoÂsite direcÂtion. They zoom inward, takÂing us down to the atomÂic levÂel of things that surÂround us – a tooth (above), the human eye and the eye of a fly, an everyÂday piece of plasÂtic, and more. The videos come from John SizeÂmore’s “Weird Weird SciÂence” colÂlecÂtion on DaiÂly Motion. Robert gets the copy of The OmniÂvore’s DilemÂma (kindÂly donatÂed by PenÂguin) for sendÂing these along.
The 50% off sale on great films in the CriÂteÂriÂon ColÂlecÂtion ends today (August 2)! VisÂit sale here.
The New Science of Morality (in Video)
EarÂliÂer this year, Sam HarÂris argued at TED that we’re on the verge of a sciÂenÂtifÂic revÂoÂluÂtion. We’ll see the day when sciÂence (parÂticÂuÂlarÂly neuÂroÂscience) can rigÂorÂousÂly address moral quesÂtions, proÂvidÂing definitive/universal answers to quesÂtions of right and wrong. The purÂsuit of a “moral sciÂence” is nothÂing new. EnlightÂenÂment thinkers began this project long ago. But HarÂris has dustÂed it off, modÂernÂized it a bit, and creÂatÂed some conÂtroÂverÂsy along the way. Just last week, he took part in a conÂferÂence preÂsentÂed by Edge.org: The New SciÂence of MoralÂiÂty. Over the next month, Edge will be makÂing availÂable 10 hours of video from the two-day conÂferÂence, rolling it out in a seriÂalÂized fashÂion. It all kicks off with a talk by Jonathan Haidt, an assoÂciate proÂfesÂsor of psyÂcholÂoÂgy at the UniÂverÂsiÂty of VirÂginia, known for his book The HapÂpiÂness HypothÂeÂsis: FindÂing ModÂern Truth in Ancient WisÂdom. You can start watchÂing here…
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