Now Playing Tracks

jtotheizzoe: Catching a Snowflake This is what snowflakes really look like. Snow researchers (seriously, how cool of a job is that?) in Utah have developed a high-speed camera set-up that captures images of snowflakes as they fall from the sky. It gives us a nearly three-dimensional view of these tumbling crystals of frozen water vapor, and may help refine weather and storm predictions. That’s not the coolest part, of course. What I find fascinating is that our image of a “snowflake” as a single hexagonal crystal, with infinitely-varied fractally frozen arms, is completely wrong. More often than not, they’re imperfect clumps of randomly branched ice. The old rule of “no two snowflakes are alike” still holds, it just got a lot more complicated.  (via TechNewsDaily) Pictures of snowflakes always remind me of my high school physics teacher, who was kind of a genius. In addition to teaching at my high school and a local college, he had a passion for photography. He built his own cameras and took pictures of snowflakes or patterns in soap bubbles or popping balloons. (Apparently he started out taking pictures of snowflakes, but, in his words, “The field started getting crowded so I moved on.” Crowded, meaning there were more than five snowflake photographers in the world.)
Zoom

jtotheizzoe:

Catching a Snowflake

This is what snowflakes really look like.

Snow researchers (seriously, how cool of a job is that?) in Utah have developed a high-speed camera set-up that captures images of snowflakes as they fall from the sky. It gives us a nearly three-dimensional view of these tumbling crystals of frozen water vapor, and may help refine weather and storm predictions.

That’s not the coolest part, of course. What I find fascinating is that our image of a “snowflake” as a single hexagonal crystal, with infinitely-varied fractally frozen arms, is completely wrong. More often than not, they’re imperfect clumps of randomly branched ice.

The old rule of “no two snowflakes are alike” still holds, it just got a lot more complicated. 

(via TechNewsDaily)

Pictures of snowflakes always remind me of my high school physics teacher, who was kind of a genius. In addition to teaching at my high school and a local college, he had a passion for photography. He built his own cameras and took pictures of snowflakes or patterns in soap bubbles or popping balloons. (Apparently he started out taking pictures of snowflakes, but, in his words, “The field started getting crowded so I moved on.” Crowded, meaning there were more than five snowflake photographers in the world.)

scienceyoucanlove: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure. Nanotubes have been constructed with length-to-diameter ratio of up to 132,000,000:1,[1] significantly larger than for any other material. These cylindrical carbonmolecules have unusual properties, which are valuable for nanotechnology, electronics, optics and other fields of materials science and technology. In particular, owing to their extraordinary thermal conductivity and mechanical and electricalproperties, carbon nanotubes find applications as additives to various structural materials. For instance, nanotubes form only a tiny portion of the material(s) in (primarily carbon fiber) baseball bats, golf clubs, or car parts.[2] Nanotubes are members of the fullerene structural family, which also includes the spherical buckyballs, and the ends of a nanotube may be capped with a hemisphere of the buckyball structure. Their name is derived from their long, hollow structure with the walls formed by one-atom-thick sheets of carbon, called graphene. These sheets are rolled at specific and discrete (“chiral”) angles, and the combination of the rolling angle and radius decides the nanotube properties; for example, whether the individual nanotube shell is a metal or semiconductor. Nanotubes are categorized as single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) and multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs). Individual nanotubes naturally align themselves into “ropes” held together by van der Waals forces, more specifically, pi-stacking. Applied quantum chemistry, specifically, orbital hybridization best describes chemical bonding in nanotubes. The chemical bonding of nanotubes is composed entirely of sp2 bonds, similar to those of graphite. These bonds, which are stronger than the sp3 bonds found in alkanes and diamond, provide nanotubes with their unique strength.
Zoom

scienceyoucanlove:

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure. Nanotubes have been constructed with length-to-diameter ratio of up to 132,000,000:1,[1] significantly larger than for any other material. These cylindrical carbonmolecules have unusual properties, which are valuable for nanotechnology, electronics, optics and other fields of materials science and technology. In particular, owing to their extraordinary thermal conductivity and mechanical and electricalproperties, carbon nanotubes find applications as additives to various structural materials. For instance, nanotubes form only a tiny portion of the material(s) in (primarily carbon fiber) baseball bats, golf clubs, or car parts.[2]

Nanotubes are members of the fullerene structural family, which also includes the spherical buckyballs, and the ends of a nanotube may be capped with a hemisphere of the buckyball structure. Their name is derived from their long, hollow structure with the walls formed by one-atom-thick sheets of carbon, called graphene. These sheets are rolled at specific and discrete (“chiral”) angles, and the combination of the rolling angle and radius decides the nanotube properties; for example, whether the individual nanotube shell is a metal or semiconductor. Nanotubes are categorized as single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) and multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs). Individual nanotubes naturally align themselves into “ropes” held together by van der Waals forces, more specifically, pi-stacking.

Applied quantum chemistry, specifically, orbital hybridization best describes chemical bonding in nanotubes. The chemical bonding of nanotubes is composed entirely of sp2 bonds, similar to those of graphite. These bonds, which are stronger than the sp3 bonds found in alkanes and diamond, provide nanotubes with their unique strength.

holymoleculesbatman: Universal Indicator Paper A universal indicator paper is a pH indicator composed of a strip of paper treated with several compounds that exhibits several smooth color changes over a pH value range from 1-14 to indicate the acidity or basicity of solutions.  A universal indicator is typically composed of propan-1-ol, phenolphthalein sodium salt, sodium hydroxide, methyl red, bromothymol blue monosodium salt, and thymol blue monosodium salt.  Universal indicator may also come in an aqueous solution.  The colors that indicate the pH of a solution are:
Zoom

holymoleculesbatman:

Universal Indicator Paper

A universal indicator paper is a pH indicator composed of a strip of paper treated with several compounds that exhibits several smooth color changes over a pH value range from 1-14 to indicate the acidity or basicity of solutions.  A universal indicator is typically composed of propan-1-ol, phenolphthalein sodium salt, sodium hydroxide, methyl red, bromothymol blue monosodium salt, and thymol blue monosodium salt.  Universal indicator may also come in an aqueous solution.  The colors that indicate the pH of a solution are:

ikenbot: Graceful Streaming Streaming plasma rather gracefully traced magnetic field lines above an active region over a two-day period (Oct. 23-25, 2012). This close up presents a nice profile of the activity in the 304 Angstrom wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. Right after the video clip begins a solar flare erupts in a bright flash from the active region (whiter area) to the right of the arcing plasma. The darker red strand angling upwards from the lower part of the Sun is a solar pominence.
Zoom

ikenbot:

Graceful Streaming

Streaming plasma rather gracefully traced magnetic field lines above an active region over a two-day period (Oct. 23-25, 2012).

This close up presents a nice profile of the activity in the 304 Angstrom wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. Right after the video clip begins a solar flare erupts in a bright flash from the active region (whiter area) to the right of the arcing plasma. The darker red strand angling upwards from the lower part of the Sun is a solar pominence.

likeafieldmouse: Alejandro Guijarro - Momentum (2010-12) “The artist travelled to the great quantum mechanics institutions of the world and, using a large-format camera, photographed blackboards as he found them. Momentum displayed the photographs in life-size.  Before he walked into a lecture hall Guijarro had no idea what he might find. He began by recording a blackboard with the minimum of interference. No detail of the lecture hall was included, the blackboard frame was removed and we are left with a surface charged with abstract equations. Effectively these are documents. Yet once removed from their institutional beginnings the meaning evolves. The viewer begins to appreciate the equations for their line and form. Color comes into play and the waves created by the blackboard eraser suggest a vast landscape or galactic setting. The formulas appear to illustrate the worlds of Quantum Mechanics. What began as a precise lecture, a description of the physicist’s thought process, is transformed into a canvas open to any number of possibilities.” 1. Cambridge (2011) 2. Stanford (2012) 3. Berkeley I (2012) 4. Berkeley II (2012) 5. Oxford (2011)
Zoom
likeafieldmouse: Alejandro Guijarro - Momentum (2010-12) “The artist travelled to the great quantum mechanics institutions of the world and, using a large-format camera, photographed blackboards as he found them. Momentum displayed the photographs in life-size.  Before he walked into a lecture hall Guijarro had no idea what he might find. He began by recording a blackboard with the minimum of interference. No detail of the lecture hall was included, the blackboard frame was removed and we are left with a surface charged with abstract equations. Effectively these are documents. Yet once removed from their institutional beginnings the meaning evolves. The viewer begins to appreciate the equations for their line and form. Color comes into play and the waves created by the blackboard eraser suggest a vast landscape or galactic setting. The formulas appear to illustrate the worlds of Quantum Mechanics. What began as a precise lecture, a description of the physicist’s thought process, is transformed into a canvas open to any number of possibilities.” 1. Cambridge (2011) 2. Stanford (2012) 3. Berkeley I (2012) 4. Berkeley II (2012) 5. Oxford (2011)
Zoom
likeafieldmouse: Alejandro Guijarro - Momentum (2010-12) “The artist travelled to the great quantum mechanics institutions of the world and, using a large-format camera, photographed blackboards as he found them. Momentum displayed the photographs in life-size.  Before he walked into a lecture hall Guijarro had no idea what he might find. He began by recording a blackboard with the minimum of interference. No detail of the lecture hall was included, the blackboard frame was removed and we are left with a surface charged with abstract equations. Effectively these are documents. Yet once removed from their institutional beginnings the meaning evolves. The viewer begins to appreciate the equations for their line and form. Color comes into play and the waves created by the blackboard eraser suggest a vast landscape or galactic setting. The formulas appear to illustrate the worlds of Quantum Mechanics. What began as a precise lecture, a description of the physicist’s thought process, is transformed into a canvas open to any number of possibilities.” 1. Cambridge (2011) 2. Stanford (2012) 3. Berkeley I (2012) 4. Berkeley II (2012) 5. Oxford (2011)
Zoom
likeafieldmouse: Alejandro Guijarro - Momentum (2010-12) “The artist travelled to the great quantum mechanics institutions of the world and, using a large-format camera, photographed blackboards as he found them. Momentum displayed the photographs in life-size.  Before he walked into a lecture hall Guijarro had no idea what he might find. He began by recording a blackboard with the minimum of interference. No detail of the lecture hall was included, the blackboard frame was removed and we are left with a surface charged with abstract equations. Effectively these are documents. Yet once removed from their institutional beginnings the meaning evolves. The viewer begins to appreciate the equations for their line and form. Color comes into play and the waves created by the blackboard eraser suggest a vast landscape or galactic setting. The formulas appear to illustrate the worlds of Quantum Mechanics. What began as a precise lecture, a description of the physicist’s thought process, is transformed into a canvas open to any number of possibilities.” 1. Cambridge (2011) 2. Stanford (2012) 3. Berkeley I (2012) 4. Berkeley II (2012) 5. Oxford (2011)
Zoom
likeafieldmouse: Alejandro Guijarro - Momentum (2010-12) “The artist travelled to the great quantum mechanics institutions of the world and, using a large-format camera, photographed blackboards as he found them. Momentum displayed the photographs in life-size.  Before he walked into a lecture hall Guijarro had no idea what he might find. He began by recording a blackboard with the minimum of interference. No detail of the lecture hall was included, the blackboard frame was removed and we are left with a surface charged with abstract equations. Effectively these are documents. Yet once removed from their institutional beginnings the meaning evolves. The viewer begins to appreciate the equations for their line and form. Color comes into play and the waves created by the blackboard eraser suggest a vast landscape or galactic setting. The formulas appear to illustrate the worlds of Quantum Mechanics. What began as a precise lecture, a description of the physicist’s thought process, is transformed into a canvas open to any number of possibilities.” 1. Cambridge (2011) 2. Stanford (2012) 3. Berkeley I (2012) 4. Berkeley II (2012) 5. Oxford (2011)
Zoom

likeafieldmouse:

Alejandro Guijarro - Momentum (2010-12)

“The artist travelled to the great quantum mechanics institutions of the world and, using a large-format camera, photographed blackboards as he found them. Momentum displayed the photographs in life-size. 

Before he walked into a lecture hall Guijarro had no idea what he might find. He began by recording a blackboard with the minimum of interference. No detail of the lecture hall was included, the blackboard frame was removed and we are left with a surface charged with abstract equations. Effectively these are documents. Yet once removed from their institutional beginnings the meaning evolves. The viewer begins to appreciate the equations for their line and form. Color comes into play and the waves created by the blackboard eraser suggest a vast landscape or galactic setting. The formulas appear to illustrate the worlds of Quantum Mechanics. What began as a precise lecture, a description of the physicist’s thought process, is transformed into a canvas open to any number of possibilities.”

1. Cambridge (2011)

2. Stanford (2012)

3. Berkeley I (2012)

4. Berkeley II (2012)

5. Oxford (2011)

To Tumblr, Love Pixel Union