It’s Plane To See … Yes! All the planets are, more or less, on the same plane. This means that their orbits all follow the same flat, circular path. This is illustrated by the following animation: The planets are not perfectly lined up on the same orbit, though. If we define Earth’s orbit to be “the perfectly perfect ecliptic”, then the other planets orbit within a few degrees of that. Why? When the solar system formed, there was a massive rotating cloud of debris and dust spinning around the young star we now orbit. We call it the Protoplanetary Disk, which would make a great name for a spaceship. When something spins while being tethered in place by gravity, its mass wants to fly outward into a pizza-like shape, like frosting flying from errantly-aimed eggbeaters. The Earth even bulges a bit around the equator because of this “force”. This means that before the planets ever became planets, their planetary “stuff” was already on the same plane. Naturally, they thought this was just fine, and as they matured into the orbs we know and love, they stayed there. This can be easily observed in the night sky. When multiple planets are visible, you can draw the line of the ecliptic through them! It’s also why we seem to have so many nights when planets are “near” each other in the sky, but never quite on top of each other (called “conjunction”, check it out in this video) By now, many of you are fidgeting uncomfortably, barely able to contain the following comment: “Bah! You are wrong, science man! Pluto doesn’t orbit on the ecliptic! It’s wonky as hell!” Well, the question was “Are all the planets in the solar system on the same plane?” And the answer to that is most definitely yes. You’re just going to have to get over the fact that Pluto is not a planet anymore. Its tilted orbit is one of the main reasons why. The first step to healing is acceptance. The second step is realizing that this wacky ball of ice is so off-kilter that it’s lucky it didn’t fly right off into interstellar space: (images via Wikipedia)
Pop-upView Separately

It’s Plane To See …

Yes! All the planets are, more or less, on the same plane. This means that their orbits all follow the same flat, circular path. This is illustrated by the following animation:

The planets are not perfectly lined up on the same orbit, though. If we define Earth’s orbit to be “the perfectly perfect ecliptic”, then the other planets orbit within a few degrees of that. Why?

When the solar system formed, there was a massive rotating cloud of debris and dust spinning around the young star we now orbit. We call it the Protoplanetary Disk, which would make a great name for a spaceship. When something spins while being tethered in place by gravity, its mass wants to fly outward into a pizza-like shape, like frosting flying from errantly-aimed eggbeaters. The Earth even bulges a bit around the equator because of this “force”. This means that before the planets ever became planets, their planetary “stuff” was already on the same plane. Naturally, they thought this was just fine, and as they matured into the orbs we know and love, they stayed there.

This can be easily observed in the night sky. When multiple planets are visible, you can draw the line of the ecliptic through them! It’s also why we seem to have so many nights when planets are “near” each other in the sky, but never quite on top of each other (called “conjunction”, check it out in this video)

By now, many of you are fidgeting uncomfortably, barely able to contain the following comment: “Bah! You are wrong, science man! Pluto doesn’t orbit on the ecliptic! It’s wonky as hell!”

Well, the question was “Are all the planets in the solar system on the same plane?” And the answer to that is most definitely yes. You’re just going to have to get over the fact that Pluto is not a planet anymore. Its tilted orbit is one of the main reasons why.

The first step to healing is acceptance. The second step is realizing that this wacky ball of ice is so off-kilter that it’s lucky it didn’t fly right off into interstellar space:

(images via Wikipedia)

The Oldest Water on Earth Tastes Very Bad Last month, some scientists collected water from deep inside the Earth that may have been isolated for more than 2 billion years!! That’s half the age of Earth. So of course, being a scientist, Barbara Lollar (one of the paper’s authors) had to taste it. It was not delicious (and luckily non-toxic). Instead, it was so salty that it had the consistency of maple syrup. (via The Atlantic)
View Separately

The Oldest Water on Earth Tastes Very Bad

Last month, some scientists collected water from deep inside the Earth that may have been isolated for more than 2 billion years!! That’s half the age of Earth.

So of course, being a scientist, Barbara Lollar (one of the paper’s authors) had to taste it. It was not delicious (and luckily non-toxic). Instead, it was so salty that it had the consistency of maple syrup.

(via The Atlantic)

Source: The Atlantic

PAY ATTENTION!!! The new episode of It’s Okay To Be Smart is all about how our brain deals with information overload.

It seems like every week someone tells us how the internet and the digital age are overloading our brains. Sure, sometimes it feels like we’re being fed more information than we can handle, and that we’re paying attention to the wrong things. Are we giving our brain a fair shot? I mean, it’s a pretty powerful device.

I explore some science that show how paying attention can definitely blind us to the world, but also some science about how paying attention can be a very helpful thing.

Oh and special cameos by Hank Green and Mike Rugnetta! Make sure to subscribe to It’s Okay To Be Smart on YouTube so you don’t miss an episode/

The Science of Money Well, I suppose it’s really the science on money. Over the years, various national banks from around the world have adorned their currency with great scientists. Despite our intellectual stutters as a nation, even the United States has two scientists currently on legal tender: Benjamin Franklin ($100 bill, AKA “the Benji”) and Thomas Jefferson ($2 bill, rare but real). Here we see Einstein on Isreali Lirot (1968), the Space Shuttle on a British £5 note, a senior Nikola Tesla on a rather ridiculous 10,000,000,000 Yugoslavian Dinar (1993, clearly at the height of economic health), Louis Pasteur on a 5 French Franc note (1966), Marie (Sklodowska) Curie on a 20,000 Polish Zloty, and a rather suspicious Galileo Galilei on a 2000 Italian Lire note (1973). Check out Jacob Bourjaily’s full collection for more science plus dinero. Bonus galleries of awesome science: Browse my favorite über-nerdy pocket protector collection, true gems of pocket-sized mid-century design here (there’s even one in plaid). The I.D. badges of every single Manhattan Project scientist, proving that even famous physicists take awkward photos.
Zoom Info
The Science of Money Well, I suppose it’s really the science on money. Over the years, various national banks from around the world have adorned their currency with great scientists. Despite our intellectual stutters as a nation, even the United States has two scientists currently on legal tender: Benjamin Franklin ($100 bill, AKA “the Benji”) and Thomas Jefferson ($2 bill, rare but real). Here we see Einstein on Isreali Lirot (1968), the Space Shuttle on a British £5 note, a senior Nikola Tesla on a rather ridiculous 10,000,000,000 Yugoslavian Dinar (1993, clearly at the height of economic health), Louis Pasteur on a 5 French Franc note (1966), Marie (Sklodowska) Curie on a 20,000 Polish Zloty, and a rather suspicious Galileo Galilei on a 2000 Italian Lire note (1973). Check out Jacob Bourjaily’s full collection for more science plus dinero. Bonus galleries of awesome science: Browse my favorite über-nerdy pocket protector collection, true gems of pocket-sized mid-century design here (there’s even one in plaid). The I.D. badges of every single Manhattan Project scientist, proving that even famous physicists take awkward photos.
Zoom Info
The Science of Money Well, I suppose it’s really the science on money. Over the years, various national banks from around the world have adorned their currency with great scientists. Despite our intellectual stutters as a nation, even the United States has two scientists currently on legal tender: Benjamin Franklin ($100 bill, AKA “the Benji”) and Thomas Jefferson ($2 bill, rare but real). Here we see Einstein on Isreali Lirot (1968), the Space Shuttle on a British £5 note, a senior Nikola Tesla on a rather ridiculous 10,000,000,000 Yugoslavian Dinar (1993, clearly at the height of economic health), Louis Pasteur on a 5 French Franc note (1966), Marie (Sklodowska) Curie on a 20,000 Polish Zloty, and a rather suspicious Galileo Galilei on a 2000 Italian Lire note (1973). Check out Jacob Bourjaily’s full collection for more science plus dinero. Bonus galleries of awesome science: Browse my favorite über-nerdy pocket protector collection, true gems of pocket-sized mid-century design here (there’s even one in plaid). The I.D. badges of every single Manhattan Project scientist, proving that even famous physicists take awkward photos.
Zoom Info
The Science of Money Well, I suppose it’s really the science on money. Over the years, various national banks from around the world have adorned their currency with great scientists. Despite our intellectual stutters as a nation, even the United States has two scientists currently on legal tender: Benjamin Franklin ($100 bill, AKA “the Benji”) and Thomas Jefferson ($2 bill, rare but real). Here we see Einstein on Isreali Lirot (1968), the Space Shuttle on a British £5 note, a senior Nikola Tesla on a rather ridiculous 10,000,000,000 Yugoslavian Dinar (1993, clearly at the height of economic health), Louis Pasteur on a 5 French Franc note (1966), Marie (Sklodowska) Curie on a 20,000 Polish Zloty, and a rather suspicious Galileo Galilei on a 2000 Italian Lire note (1973). Check out Jacob Bourjaily’s full collection for more science plus dinero. Bonus galleries of awesome science: Browse my favorite über-nerdy pocket protector collection, true gems of pocket-sized mid-century design here (there’s even one in plaid). The I.D. badges of every single Manhattan Project scientist, proving that even famous physicists take awkward photos.
Zoom Info
The Science of Money Well, I suppose it’s really the science on money. Over the years, various national banks from around the world have adorned their currency with great scientists. Despite our intellectual stutters as a nation, even the United States has two scientists currently on legal tender: Benjamin Franklin ($100 bill, AKA “the Benji”) and Thomas Jefferson ($2 bill, rare but real). Here we see Einstein on Isreali Lirot (1968), the Space Shuttle on a British £5 note, a senior Nikola Tesla on a rather ridiculous 10,000,000,000 Yugoslavian Dinar (1993, clearly at the height of economic health), Louis Pasteur on a 5 French Franc note (1966), Marie (Sklodowska) Curie on a 20,000 Polish Zloty, and a rather suspicious Galileo Galilei on a 2000 Italian Lire note (1973). Check out Jacob Bourjaily’s full collection for more science plus dinero. Bonus galleries of awesome science: Browse my favorite über-nerdy pocket protector collection, true gems of pocket-sized mid-century design here (there’s even one in plaid). The I.D. badges of every single Manhattan Project scientist, proving that even famous physicists take awkward photos.
Zoom Info
The Science of Money Well, I suppose it’s really the science on money. Over the years, various national banks from around the world have adorned their currency with great scientists. Despite our intellectual stutters as a nation, even the United States has two scientists currently on legal tender: Benjamin Franklin ($100 bill, AKA “the Benji”) and Thomas Jefferson ($2 bill, rare but real). Here we see Einstein on Isreali Lirot (1968), the Space Shuttle on a British £5 note, a senior Nikola Tesla on a rather ridiculous 10,000,000,000 Yugoslavian Dinar (1993, clearly at the height of economic health), Louis Pasteur on a 5 French Franc note (1966), Marie (Sklodowska) Curie on a 20,000 Polish Zloty, and a rather suspicious Galileo Galilei on a 2000 Italian Lire note (1973). Check out Jacob Bourjaily’s full collection for more science plus dinero. Bonus galleries of awesome science: Browse my favorite über-nerdy pocket protector collection, true gems of pocket-sized mid-century design here (there’s even one in plaid). The I.D. badges of every single Manhattan Project scientist, proving that even famous physicists take awkward photos.
Zoom Info

The Science of Money

Well, I suppose it’s really the science on money. Over the years, various national banks from around the world have adorned their currency with great scientists. Despite our intellectual stutters as a nation, even the United States has two scientists currently on legal tender: Benjamin Franklin ($100 bill, AKA “the Benji”) and Thomas Jefferson ($2 bill, rare but real).

Here we see Einstein on Isreali Lirot (1968), the Space Shuttle on a British £5 note, a senior Nikola Tesla on a rather ridiculous 10,000,000,000 Yugoslavian Dinar (1993, clearly at the height of economic health), Louis Pasteur on a 5 French Franc note (1966), Marie (Sklodowska) Curie on a 20,000 Polish Zloty, and a rather suspicious Galileo Galilei on a 2000 Italian Lire note (1973).

Check out Jacob Bourjaily’s full collection for more science plus dinero.

Bonus galleries of awesome science:

Browse my favorite über-nerdy pocket protector collection, true gems of pocket-sized mid-century design here (there’s even one in plaid).

The I.D. badges of every single Manhattan Project scientist, proving that even famous physicists take awkward photos.

US rivers in the contiguous 48 states, assembled in vector ink from public USGS data by Nelson Minar. It’s like elegant porcelain, made of digital water. I’m amazed both that so much of the continent is covered by rivers, as well by the fact that there’s enormous regions with nothing. Fascinating. Click the link above to explore more.
Pop-upView Separately

US rivers in the contiguous 48 states, assembled in vector ink from public USGS data by Nelson Minar. It’s like elegant porcelain, made of digital water.

I’m amazed both that so much of the continent is covered by rivers, as well by the fact that there’s enormous regions with nothing. Fascinating. Click the link above to explore more.

Source: Flickr / nelsonminar

fuckyeahfluiddynamics:

Underwater explosions are, in general, much more dangerous than those in air. This video shows an underwater blast at 30,000 fps. During the initial blast, a hot sphere of gas expands outward in a shock wave. In air, some of the energy of this pressure wave would be dissipated by compressing the air. Since water is incompressible, however, the blast instead moves water aside as the bubble expands. Eventually, the bubble expands to the point where its pressure is less than that of the water around it, which causes the bubble to collapse. But the collapse increases the gas pressure once more, kicking off a series of expansions and collapses. Each bubble contains less energy than the previous, thanks to the loss of pushing the water aside. (Video credit: K. Kitagawa)

If you needed something to make a science GIF out of this weekend, here’s a good subject.

Whoa.

(via thescienceofreality)

Source: fuckyeahfluiddynamics