A 13-year-old boy from the UK has built a working nuclear reactor just in time to beat the record of a 14-year-old American boy. As you’d probably guessed, Jamie Richards’s project didn’t involve the nuclear fission found in most nuclear power plants. Instead, reports the Lancashire Evening Post: Jamie, who is 14 on Sunday, started […]
University of Warsaw researchers have found people who speak foreign languages find it easier to swear when not using their first language. A study asked Polish speakers who also speak fluent English to translate expletives between the two languages. It found that when they translated to English they tended to pick strong curses but when […]
The atoms around you have existed for billions of years — and most originated in the flaming, gaseous core of a star. Dennis Wildfogel tells the captivating tale of these atoms’ long journeys from the Big Bang to the molecules they form today. [Ted Ed]
Whether we cry during a sad movie, while chopping onions, or completely involuntarily, our eyes are constantly producing tears. Alex Gendler tracks a particularly watery day in the life of Iris (the iris) as she cycles through basal, reflex and emotional tears. [Ted Ed]
NASA recently went through their considerable gallery of creative commons-licensed photos to recreate various scenes from gravity, which picked up a slew of Oscars yesterday. Check the gallery out, these pictures are totally fantastic! [Source: ‘Gravity’ – NASA’s Real-Life Images from Space | Via Buzzfeed]
“Susana and her Load of Crap” is a 90-second video animated entirely in dirt by artist Cesar Diaz Melendez. It “tells the story of one graduate, Susana Fallas, who is helping communities turn their bio-pollution into an alternate energy source. Literally turning poop into usable energy.” For two hundred bucks let’s take this smelly doody […]
From Mental Floss: A weekly show where knowledge junkies get their fix of trivia-tastic information. This week we have the incredibly knowledgeable Michael Stevens, from Vsauce, to look at some common inaccuracies found in scientific illustrations. [Mental Floss]
This is both informative AND hilarious. Exactly the kind of videos I like! When a science-mad A.I. system is installed at NASA, two hapless computer technicians learn the process behind nuclear fusion in the Sun, and how it differs from fission. [NASA Spitzer]
Ten years ago, Denmark resident Dennis Sorensen lost his hand in a fireworks accident. Now, thanks to researchers and scientists in Italy, a robotic hand is talking to his brain, resulting in a sense of touch. [Associated Press / Source: YouTube]
Is ‘water intoxication’ a real thing? Turns out…yes! But should you be worried about it? Watch this video to find out! [AsapSCIENCE]