It's Okay To Be Smart

  • About
  • Twitter
  • Science Links
  • Random
  • Archive
  • RSS
  • Ask me questions
banner
theatlantic:

NASA or MOMA?
Here are some pictures. Were they taken in space, or painted here on Earth?
See more. [Images: NASA,various artists]

It’s harder to tell than you might imagine sometimes. 
Want more of this stuff? I did a nearly identical post about a month ago. Great minds think alike, I guess I’m ready for The Atlantic!
Zoom Info
theatlantic:

NASA or MOMA?
Here are some pictures. Were they taken in space, or painted here on Earth?
See more. [Images: NASA,various artists]

It’s harder to tell than you might imagine sometimes. 
Want more of this stuff? I did a nearly identical post about a month ago. Great minds think alike, I guess I’m ready for The Atlantic!
Zoom Info
theatlantic:

NASA or MOMA?
Here are some pictures. Were they taken in space, or painted here on Earth?
See more. [Images: NASA,various artists]

It’s harder to tell than you might imagine sometimes. 
Want more of this stuff? I did a nearly identical post about a month ago. Great minds think alike, I guess I’m ready for The Atlantic!
Zoom Info
theatlantic:

NASA or MOMA?
Here are some pictures. Were they taken in space, or painted here on Earth?
See more. [Images: NASA,various artists]

It’s harder to tell than you might imagine sometimes. 
Want more of this stuff? I did a nearly identical post about a month ago. Great minds think alike, I guess I’m ready for The Atlantic!
Zoom Info

theatlantic:

NASA or MOMA?

Here are some pictures. Were they taken in space, or painted here on Earth?

See more. [Images: NASA,various artists]

It’s harder to tell than you might imagine sometimes. 

Want more of this stuff? I did a nearly identical post about a month ago. Great minds think alike, I guess I’m ready for The Atlantic!

(via pbsarts)

Source: theatlantic

    • #science
    • #earth
    • #art
    • #sciart
    • #space
    • #theatlantic
  • 2 months ago > theatlantic
  • 953
  • Comments
  • Permalink
Share

Short URL

TwitterFacebookPinterestGoogle+
Sculpting a Catalogue of Apples
Apples, at least as we know them, are a freakshow born of agricultural genetics. While wild apples readily grow from seeds, perhaps every single variety we buy in stores is produced by grafting.
With more than 7,500 wild varieties, apples have incredible genetic diversity. This is how we’ve been able to develop so many variations of size, sweetness, texture and color. The side effect is that many apple varieties are such Frankenstein monsters that they literally can’t grow from seeds. Combine that with the complicated way that apples pollinate, and you’ve got a recipe for a clone army in an orchard.
This is great for farmers, because you get a consistent product, but bad for apples, because many of the wild varieties could be lost or forgotten. And should some pest, parasite or blight start attacking our genetically-engineered superfruits, we’re going to want those wild genes around to call on to save the day. It’s diversity that makes a population strong.
That’s why I love this project so much. It’s an archive of apple varieties using ceramic sculpture! So cool.
If you’d like to learn more about the history of the humble apple, read The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan. Great book for foodies and science fans alike. If you want to get super-sciencey, here’s a cool paper in PLOS Genetics.
More via theatlantic:

Our Comprehensive Living Archive of Apples

In its original home, near Almaty in Kazakhstan, the apple can be the size of a cherry or a grapefruit. It can be mushy or so hard it will chip teeth. It can be purple- or pink-fleshed with green, orange, or white skin. It can be sickly sweet, battery-acid sour, or taste like a banana. Preserving this biodiversity can become a massive project, in life and art.
See more. [Images: Jessica Rath]
Zoom Info
Sculpting a Catalogue of Apples
Apples, at least as we know them, are a freakshow born of agricultural genetics. While wild apples readily grow from seeds, perhaps every single variety we buy in stores is produced by grafting.
With more than 7,500 wild varieties, apples have incredible genetic diversity. This is how we’ve been able to develop so many variations of size, sweetness, texture and color. The side effect is that many apple varieties are such Frankenstein monsters that they literally can’t grow from seeds. Combine that with the complicated way that apples pollinate, and you’ve got a recipe for a clone army in an orchard.
This is great for farmers, because you get a consistent product, but bad for apples, because many of the wild varieties could be lost or forgotten. And should some pest, parasite or blight start attacking our genetically-engineered superfruits, we’re going to want those wild genes around to call on to save the day. It’s diversity that makes a population strong.
That’s why I love this project so much. It’s an archive of apple varieties using ceramic sculpture! So cool.
If you’d like to learn more about the history of the humble apple, read The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan. Great book for foodies and science fans alike. If you want to get super-sciencey, here’s a cool paper in PLOS Genetics.
More via theatlantic:

Our Comprehensive Living Archive of Apples

In its original home, near Almaty in Kazakhstan, the apple can be the size of a cherry or a grapefruit. It can be mushy or so hard it will chip teeth. It can be purple- or pink-fleshed with green, orange, or white skin. It can be sickly sweet, battery-acid sour, or taste like a banana. Preserving this biodiversity can become a massive project, in life and art.
See more. [Images: Jessica Rath]
Zoom Info
Sculpting a Catalogue of Apples
Apples, at least as we know them, are a freakshow born of agricultural genetics. While wild apples readily grow from seeds, perhaps every single variety we buy in stores is produced by grafting.
With more than 7,500 wild varieties, apples have incredible genetic diversity. This is how we’ve been able to develop so many variations of size, sweetness, texture and color. The side effect is that many apple varieties are such Frankenstein monsters that they literally can’t grow from seeds. Combine that with the complicated way that apples pollinate, and you’ve got a recipe for a clone army in an orchard.
This is great for farmers, because you get a consistent product, but bad for apples, because many of the wild varieties could be lost or forgotten. And should some pest, parasite or blight start attacking our genetically-engineered superfruits, we’re going to want those wild genes around to call on to save the day. It’s diversity that makes a population strong.
That’s why I love this project so much. It’s an archive of apple varieties using ceramic sculpture! So cool.
If you’d like to learn more about the history of the humble apple, read The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan. Great book for foodies and science fans alike. If you want to get super-sciencey, here’s a cool paper in PLOS Genetics.
More via theatlantic:

Our Comprehensive Living Archive of Apples

In its original home, near Almaty in Kazakhstan, the apple can be the size of a cherry or a grapefruit. It can be mushy or so hard it will chip teeth. It can be purple- or pink-fleshed with green, orange, or white skin. It can be sickly sweet, battery-acid sour, or taste like a banana. Preserving this biodiversity can become a massive project, in life and art.
See more. [Images: Jessica Rath]
Zoom Info
Sculpting a Catalogue of Apples
Apples, at least as we know them, are a freakshow born of agricultural genetics. While wild apples readily grow from seeds, perhaps every single variety we buy in stores is produced by grafting.
With more than 7,500 wild varieties, apples have incredible genetic diversity. This is how we’ve been able to develop so many variations of size, sweetness, texture and color. The side effect is that many apple varieties are such Frankenstein monsters that they literally can’t grow from seeds. Combine that with the complicated way that apples pollinate, and you’ve got a recipe for a clone army in an orchard.
This is great for farmers, because you get a consistent product, but bad for apples, because many of the wild varieties could be lost or forgotten. And should some pest, parasite or blight start attacking our genetically-engineered superfruits, we’re going to want those wild genes around to call on to save the day. It’s diversity that makes a population strong.
That’s why I love this project so much. It’s an archive of apple varieties using ceramic sculpture! So cool.
If you’d like to learn more about the history of the humble apple, read The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan. Great book for foodies and science fans alike. If you want to get super-sciencey, here’s a cool paper in PLOS Genetics.
More via theatlantic:

Our Comprehensive Living Archive of Apples

In its original home, near Almaty in Kazakhstan, the apple can be the size of a cherry or a grapefruit. It can be mushy or so hard it will chip teeth. It can be purple- or pink-fleshed with green, orange, or white skin. It can be sickly sweet, battery-acid sour, or taste like a banana. Preserving this biodiversity can become a massive project, in life and art.
See more. [Images: Jessica Rath]
Zoom Info
Sculpting a Catalogue of Apples
Apples, at least as we know them, are a freakshow born of agricultural genetics. While wild apples readily grow from seeds, perhaps every single variety we buy in stores is produced by grafting.
With more than 7,500 wild varieties, apples have incredible genetic diversity. This is how we’ve been able to develop so many variations of size, sweetness, texture and color. The side effect is that many apple varieties are such Frankenstein monsters that they literally can’t grow from seeds. Combine that with the complicated way that apples pollinate, and you’ve got a recipe for a clone army in an orchard.
This is great for farmers, because you get a consistent product, but bad for apples, because many of the wild varieties could be lost or forgotten. And should some pest, parasite or blight start attacking our genetically-engineered superfruits, we’re going to want those wild genes around to call on to save the day. It’s diversity that makes a population strong.
That’s why I love this project so much. It’s an archive of apple varieties using ceramic sculpture! So cool.
If you’d like to learn more about the history of the humble apple, read The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan. Great book for foodies and science fans alike. If you want to get super-sciencey, here’s a cool paper in PLOS Genetics.
More via theatlantic:

Our Comprehensive Living Archive of Apples

In its original home, near Almaty in Kazakhstan, the apple can be the size of a cherry or a grapefruit. It can be mushy or so hard it will chip teeth. It can be purple- or pink-fleshed with green, orange, or white skin. It can be sickly sweet, battery-acid sour, or taste like a banana. Preserving this biodiversity can become a massive project, in life and art.
See more. [Images: Jessica Rath]
Zoom Info

Sculpting a Catalogue of Apples

Apples, at least as we know them, are a freakshow born of agricultural genetics. While wild apples readily grow from seeds, perhaps every single variety we buy in stores is produced by grafting.

With more than 7,500 wild varieties, apples have incredible genetic diversity. This is how we’ve been able to develop so many variations of size, sweetness, texture and color. The side effect is that many apple varieties are such Frankenstein monsters that they literally can’t grow from seeds. Combine that with the complicated way that apples pollinate, and you’ve got a recipe for a clone army in an orchard.

This is great for farmers, because you get a consistent product, but bad for apples, because many of the wild varieties could be lost or forgotten. And should some pest, parasite or blight start attacking our genetically-engineered superfruits, we’re going to want those wild genes around to call on to save the day. It’s diversity that makes a population strong.

That’s why I love this project so much. It’s an archive of apple varieties using ceramic sculpture! So cool.

If you’d like to learn more about the history of the humble apple, read The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan. Great book for foodies and science fans alike. If you want to get super-sciencey, here’s a cool paper in PLOS Genetics.

More via theatlantic:

Our Comprehensive Living Archive of Apples

In its original home, near Almaty in Kazakhstan, the apple can be the size of a cherry or a grapefruit. It can be mushy or so hard it will chip teeth. It can be purple- or pink-fleshed with green, orange, or white skin. It can be sickly sweet, battery-acid sour, or taste like a banana. Preserving this biodiversity can become a massive project, in life and art.

See more. [Images: Jessica Rath]

    • #science
    • #food
    • #genetics
    • #theatlantic
    • #apples
  • 2 months ago > theatlantic
  • 834
  • Comments
  • Permalink
Share

Short URL

TwitterFacebookPinterestGoogle+

Why You Can't Cry in Space

Sure your eyes make tears, but without gravity they just sort of pool up, stinging the eye in a blinding fog of wet annoyance. Megan Garber has the scoop and the perspective of a few astronauts at The Atlantic.

Interestingly, we don’t completely know why we cry in the first place.

    • #science
    • #space
    • #crying
    • #why we cry
    • #theatlantic
  • 4 months ago
  • 378
  • Comments
  • Permalink
Share

Short URL

TwitterFacebookPinterestGoogle+

The Best Videos of 2012, From People Who Have the Best Taste in Videos

2012 was a big year for internet video. But with more than 70 hours of video uploaded every minute to sites like YouTube and Vimeo, finding the cool stuff can be hard. I mean, maybe you missed that video up above, Neil deGrasse Tyson and “The Most Astounding Fact”? Now you can make sure you watch it, because it’s amazing.

Thankfully, the folks at The Atlantic have you covered when it comes to some of 2012’s best (check the link for the full list). I mean, there’s no such thing as a definitive best list, but this is certainly chock full of awesome.

Oh, and did I mention that I got to pick one? :) It shouldn’t surprise which was mine … enjoy!

Source: The Atlantic

    • #science
    • #video
    • #2012
    • #best of
    • #the atlantic
    • #theatlantic
    • #neil degrasse tyson
  • 5 months ago
  • 230
  • Comments
  • Permalink
Share

Short URL

TwitterFacebookPinterestGoogle+
The Beautiful Blackboards of Quantum Physics Labs
Alejandro Guijarro visited the world’s finest quantum physics labs to record their half-erased blackboards. In an era where science is increasingly all-digital, it’s a striking reminder that science is still an active, hands-on process, a process here captured in layers of smeared chalk. 
Visit The Atlantic for more.
Zoom Info
The Beautiful Blackboards of Quantum Physics Labs
Alejandro Guijarro visited the world’s finest quantum physics labs to record their half-erased blackboards. In an era where science is increasingly all-digital, it’s a striking reminder that science is still an active, hands-on process, a process here captured in layers of smeared chalk. 
Visit The Atlantic for more.
Zoom Info
The Beautiful Blackboards of Quantum Physics Labs
Alejandro Guijarro visited the world’s finest quantum physics labs to record their half-erased blackboards. In an era where science is increasingly all-digital, it’s a striking reminder that science is still an active, hands-on process, a process here captured in layers of smeared chalk. 
Visit The Atlantic for more.
Zoom Info

The Beautiful Blackboards of Quantum Physics Labs

Alejandro Guijarro visited the world’s finest quantum physics labs to record their half-erased blackboards. In an era where science is increasingly all-digital, it’s a striking reminder that science is still an active, hands-on process, a process here captured in layers of smeared chalk. 

Visit The Atlantic for more.

    • #science
    • #physics
    • #blackboards
    • #theatlantic
    • #sciart
  • 6 months ago
  • 1303
  • Comments
  • Permalink
Share

Short URL

TwitterFacebookPinterestGoogle+
Robots at Work and Play
A selection from a slideshow at The Atlantic, showcasing a huge collection of cute, scary, specialized and sometimes downright weird robots doing whatever it is they are built to do.
You know, besides take over the world. Just look how far we’ve come, and what we can build.
(Above, L-R: Darpa’s robotic pack mules, a German pole-dancing robot, and a self-portrait of Curiosity. More at the link.)
Zoom Info
Robots at Work and Play
A selection from a slideshow at The Atlantic, showcasing a huge collection of cute, scary, specialized and sometimes downright weird robots doing whatever it is they are built to do.
You know, besides take over the world. Just look how far we’ve come, and what we can build.
(Above, L-R: Darpa’s robotic pack mules, a German pole-dancing robot, and a self-portrait of Curiosity. More at the link.)
Zoom Info
Robots at Work and Play
A selection from a slideshow at The Atlantic, showcasing a huge collection of cute, scary, specialized and sometimes downright weird robots doing whatever it is they are built to do.
You know, besides take over the world. Just look how far we’ve come, and what we can build.
(Above, L-R: Darpa’s robotic pack mules, a German pole-dancing robot, and a self-portrait of Curiosity. More at the link.)
Zoom Info

Robots at Work and Play

A selection from a slideshow at The Atlantic, showcasing a huge collection of cute, scary, specialized and sometimes downright weird robots doing whatever it is they are built to do.

You know, besides take over the world. Just look how far we’ve come, and what we can build.

(Above, L-R: Darpa’s robotic pack mules, a German pole-dancing robot, and a self-portrait of Curiosity. More at the link.)

    • #science
    • #robots
    • #engineering
    • #theatlantic
    • #pole dancing huh?
  • 7 months ago
  • 96
  • Comments
  • Permalink
Share

Short URL

TwitterFacebookPinterestGoogle+

Portrait/Logo

About

I'm Joe Hanson, Ph.D. biologist and host/writer of PBS Digital Studios' It's Okay To Be Smart. Check out my "Episode Extras" here. There's a lot of amazing science out there. Let's go discover it together.

"Everyone's favorite Feynman of the Tumblr era" - Maria Popova

Joe's science book recommendations, from brains to biology to space to art to physics.

This is an indie blog that takes many hours a week to publish. If you'd like to support It's Okay To Be Smart, please consider even a small donation.

One of Time Magazine's 30 Must-See Tumblrs - 2012

Featured in The Best Science Writing Online - 2012

Elsewhere:
Contact me
Follow me on Twitter
(Email: itsokaytobesmart at gmail)

Let's learn something together. Click the "Share" button to send a post to Twitter, Facebook, or Google+

I'm working to change the way science is communicated and restore it to its rightful place.

Want to see more great science-y stuff? Check out my LINKS page for some of my favorites.

The Curator's Code

Other Places to Find Me

  • @jtotheizzoe on Twitter
  • Facebook Profile
  • itsokaytobesmart on Youtube

Twitter

loading tweets…

  • RSS
  • Random
  • Archive
  • Ask me questions
  • Mobile
Effector Theme by Pixel Union