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2013-05-09 04:12:58 (3 comments, 17 reshares, 47 +1s)

Sorry Science Peeps, I've been off the radar for a bit.  Let's revisit this lesson :)
#scienceeveryday  when it's not #sciencesunday  

2013-04-30 21:22:42 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 9 +1s)

Study reveals potential vaccination against HIV!

2013-04-01 20:09:10 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Some great science stuff to do with your leftover Easter candy!

#scienceeveryday when it's not #sciencesunday

2013-03-31 16:50:26 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 9 +1s)

Thanks to everyone who gave a +1 and/or a share to the series on six equations to live by.  I'm glad you liked them.  If you missed any of them here's the entire list:

Proven World: http://goo.gl/8P8bd (Introduction)
A Muse of Fire: http://goo.gl/YTwaK (How mass and energy are connected)
Mutual Attraction: http://goo.gl/YTwaK (Newton's gravity)
Time After Time: http://goo.gl/liQk0 (Special relativity and relative time)
Unity: http://goo.gl/kU1qh (Electricity, magnetism and light)
Memory Hole: http://goo.gl/fBZNc (Black hole information paradox)
Dying of the Light: http://goo.gl/yq0WD (Entropy and the end of time)

I'll likely do another series at some point, but starting tomorrow I'll go back to regular posts on astrophysics, physics and astronomy.  I have a few ideas for posts,but I'... more »

2013-03-29 23:15:09 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

It's outreach but also training our replacements.

2013-03-29 15:55:12 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 10 +1s)

Cavitation Bubble Collapse:

To get a molecular-level understanding of nanobubble collapse near a solid surface, Priya Vashishta and his colleagues at the University of Southern California used supercomputers to simulate and unravel the complex mechanochemistry problem. The goal of this nanobubble collapse simulation, which was run on 163,840 cores, was to improve both the safety and longevity of nuclear reactors.

Science contributors:
Priya Vashishta, University of Southern California
Ken-ichi Nomura, University of Southern California
Adarsh Shekhar, University of Southern California

Visualization contributor:
Joseph A. Insley, Argonne

#scienceeveryday  when it's not #sciencesunday  

2013-03-28 14:11:17 (4 comments, 4 reshares, 8 +1s)

Part 3:  Time After Time

Imagine you are travelling in a train.  If you were to walk down the aisle of the train, you would be moving at a walking pace relative to the other passengers, but someone watching the train go by would see you and all the other passengers race by at great speed.  In other words, your speed is relative.  It depends on what you are measuring it against.  Relative to another passenger your speed is slow, but relative to the ground your speed is fast.  That, in a nutshell, is relativity.

This concept of relativity dates back at least as far as Galileo (which is why it is sometimes called Galilean relativity).  Before Galileo’s time it may have been known, but it wasn’t a big deal because motion could always be measured relative to the fixed Earth.  But as we learned the Earth moves around the Sun, this raised an interesting philosophicalpuzzle.  Is... more »

2013-03-27 14:00:40 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

Part 2:  Mutual Attraction

Medieval astronomy was dominated by the writings of Aristotle.  Aristotle divided motion into earthly lines and heavenly circles, so the planets must surely move about us in perfect circles.  Astronomers soon learned this wasn’t true, but the physics of Aristotle was so deeply rooted in the minds of scholars that astronomers imposed circular motion upon the heavens for a thousand years.  When a single circle could not describe the motion of a planet, they placed circles upon circles (known as epicycles), each rotating just so, to match a planet’s motion.  As more precise measurements of the planets were made, more epicycles were needed.  

Then in the early seventeenth century Johannes Kepler published three simple rules that described the motion of the planets.  They are now known as Kepler’s laws of planetary motion.  Kepler did not usecircles to mo... more »

2013-03-27 05:04:43 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 14 +1s)

Equal Trilobite
h/t to +Glendon Mellow   http://goo.gl/KJ3qe

Edit I dig this because if you aren't for equality, you are a fossil.

Image source: http://glendonmellow.blogspot.com/2013/03/strong-marriage.html
#MarriageEquality

2013-03-26 13:51:25 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

Part 1:  A Muse of Fire

In the mid-1800s, astronomy faced a serious problem.  No one knew how the stars shone.  Now a little mystery never hurt anyone, but in this case it was deeply perplexing.  By this time we had a solid understanding of energy, and that energy is conserved.  That is, energy must come from somewhere, and it must go to somewhere.  We also had a general understanding of thermodynamics, specifically that you could squeeze something to heat it up.  This gave us a mechanism which could cause the stars to shine, known as the Kelvin-Helmholtz mechanism.

The basic idea of this mechanism is that for a large body like a planet or star, gravity tries to compress the star or planet smaller and smaller.  This compression heats the core of the body, which is radiated as light.  In this way a star could be heated by its own weight.  This is a very real effect forgas plane... more »

2013-03-26 00:51:45 (3 comments, 13 reshares, 24 +1s)

OMGosh, freaking amazing! 

2013-03-21 02:32:33 (5 comments, 9 reshares, 31 +1s)

Mapping a Living Brain, Neuron by Neuron

It looks like an oddly shaped campfire, but it is activity of individual neurons across a larval fish brain. It is the first time that researchers have been able to image an entire vertebrate brain at the level of single cells.

Brain function relies on communication between large populations of neurons across multiple brain areas, a full understanding of which would require knowledge of the time-varying activity of all neurons in the central nervous system. Here we use light-sheet microscopy to record activity, reported through the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP5G, from the entire volume of the brain of the larval zebrafish in vivo at 0.8 Hz, capturing more than 80% of all neurons at single-cell resolution. Demonstrating how this technique can be used to reveal functionally defined circuits across the brain, we identify... more »

2013-03-17 21:48:28 (1 comments, 10 reshares, 22 +1s)

The Best +YouTube  Educational Channels

+Google Science Fair 
https://www.youtube.com/user/GoogleScienceFair

+Khan Academy 
http://www.youtube.com/user/khanacademy

#Scishow by +Hank Green 
http://www.youtube.com/user/scishow

#CGPGrey +C. G. P. Grey 
http://www.youtube.com/user/CGPGrey

+Epipheo 
https://www.youtube.com/user/epipheo

+MinutePhysics  by +Henry Reich (Physics)
http://www.youtube.com/user/minutephysics
#MinuteEarth
https://www.youtube.com/user/minuteearth

#PhysicsLectures #DrPhysicsA  (Physics)
https://www.youtube.com/user/DrPhysicsA

+Derek Muller by +Derek Muller 
http://www.youtube.com/user/1veritasium

#Vsauce - Amazing Facts & The Best of the Internet
http://www.youtube.com/VSAUCEhttp://www... more »

2013-03-17 16:20:10 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Beer + statistics (science) + history, FTW. Great little article. I didn't know that Student was a pen-name for a chemist at Guinness. Also +1 for mentioning one of my favorite breweries, Bells.

2013-03-16 23:25:08 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 9 +1s)

The Science of Beer
This is a great song about the science of beer (see lyrics below). Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Lyrics:
In the year of our lord eighteen hundred and eleven
On March the seventeenth day
I will raise up a beer and I'll raise up a cheer
For Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Here's to brewers yeast, that humblest of all beasts
Producing carbon gas reducing acetaldehyde
But my friends that isn't all -- it makes ethyl alcohol
That is what the yeast excretes and that's what we imbibe

Anaerobic isolation
Alcoholic fermentation
NADH oxidation
Give me a beer

[CHORUS]

My intestinal wall absorbs that ethanol
And soon it passes through my blood-brain barrier
There's a girl in the next seat who I didn't think that sweet
But after a few drinks I want to marry... more »

2013-03-16 03:41:59 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 6 +1s)

Live at Argonne, the President talks about American energy!

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2013/03/15/president-obama-speaks-american-energy

2013-03-13 18:47:43 (4 comments, 5 reshares, 10 +1s)

A very sad state of affairs here. I know, I work at a National Lab.

2013-03-10 23:33:47 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 4 +1s)

I See the World with Science! Image Competition
#ISeeTheWorldWithScience  
Here's a photo of a monkey. Isn't it adorable? Normally you'd just see an adorable monkey, some ruins and maybe wonder why he's trying to get past the photographer. Maybe he's trying grab some food or chase another monkey**. 

But how much more can we see with science?
If you see something more, add a one sentence description in the comments. It should be short, clear and very sciency. (See some suggestions below)  

The more creative, surprising or unexpected the better. But it needs to be something based on actual science. Don't just say the trees are green, explain why they're green.

The winner will be mostly determined by the +1's on your description by others. The winning description will be added to the image and posted separately onou... more »

2013-03-07 22:10:58 (5 comments, 18 reshares, 24 +1s)

This is not a cat video.
It's a video suggesting that the brain structures that perceive "optical illusions" are probably deeply rooted, or they would not be common to species as different as human and cat.

#neuroscience   #illusion  

2013-03-06 20:36:48 (1 comments, 8 reshares, 10 +1s)

Do you realize that the $850 billion bank bailout, that sum of money, is greater than the entire 50-year running budget of NASA?

-Neil deGrasse Tyson

We Stopped Dreaming

2013-03-04 03:15:55 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 11 +1s)

Beer goggles? Hold on; let me pour another pint
Dr. Amanda Ellison at Durham University wrote a book, Getting your Head around the Brain.
Disclaimer, I don't have access to the book so I'm quoting the Telegraph (eeks!).
...fluke of nature sees alcohol closing down the section of the mind that stops us acting on impulse long before it deadens the 'reptilian' part responsible for our sexual urges.
The area of the brain that makes us want to mate is the oldest part - and located so far down that it keeps functioning however much we drink - until we are ready to pass out.

http://goo.gl/QNYwv

More from Dr. Ellison here: 
Speech localiser - Amanda Ellison: Getting Your Head Around the Brain

h/t +mary Zeman and +Darryl Mouzone 
Image source: I don't know, I've had this since 1862.

#ScienceSunday  

2013-03-04 01:35:40 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Google+ Hot Circle for Earth Science, Geology, and Geophysics

We are compiling a list and circle share of all of the interesting and active Earth Scientist on Google+. The circle is limited to people who publicly post frequently about geoscience. The group will be limited to:

* Professional Geoscientists
* College Faculty
* Graduate Students
* Science Writers

Please submit your information to this web form http://tinyurl.com/b28r96s. 

Moderated by:
+Jason Davison 
+Charles Carrigan 
+Science on Google+: A Public Database 
Science on Google+ and Geoscience communities.

Please feel free to re-share this post to your public circles!

#sciencesunday  +ScienceSunday 

2013-03-04 00:12:46 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Very creepy yet fascinating images courtesy of National Geographic.

+Tommy Leung might have more to say about this interesting species.

#sciencesunday

2013-03-03 01:30:29 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Let the voting begin! I'm choosing the Green Lantern. Sheldon Cooper would be proud :)

2013-03-02 22:21:03 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

"cutting science funding to help the economy was like saving an overloaded aeroplane by removing an engine."

Norman Ralph Augustine, retired chairman, Lockheed Martin

http://www.nature.com/news/america-s-research-adviser-science-s-go-to-guy-1.12506

2013-03-02 02:31:29 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 8 +1s)

Superbugs meet super scientists! 

2013-03-01 03:32:32 (5 comments, 4 reshares, 27 +1s)

Happy Birthday DNA!  Now I need to experiment on the T and A rich sequences.

#scienceeveryday  when it's not #sciencesunday  

2013-02-28 03:31:38 (3 comments, 23 reshares, 22 +1s)

If you support the effort to make girls and young women aware that engineering isn't just for guys.  Please share this to your communities/circles.  Let's make it go viral and hit the hot list on Google!

#scienceeveryday  when it's not #sciencesunday   

2013-02-27 01:54:16 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 0 +1s)

The future of nuclear energy.  Computer modeling at its best!
#scienceeveryday  when it's not #sciencesunday  

2013-02-26 00:06:20 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 4 +1s)

Don't miss this HOA on Wednesday sponsored by The Department of Energy. Increasing the diversity of the STEM fields!

#stem #scienceeveryday

2013-02-25 00:52:55 (2 comments, 2 reshares, 13 +1s)

Marriage proposal in the form of a physics paper (awesome idea!)

http://boingboing.net/2013/02/24/marriage-proposal-in-the-form.html

#sciencesunday #physics

2013-02-22 03:02:05 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

SCG...SCG!!!  Science Club for Girls!

2013-02-22 01:58:25 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

This is a simulation of Type Ia Supernovae (Deflagration to Detonation Transition) Density and Flame Surface

FLASH simulation of the pure deflagration model of Type Ia Supernova. The blue surface approximates the surface of the star and the yellow surface shows the flame front behind which there is ash from burning stellar material.

Researchers: George Jordan and Donald Q. Lamb, University of Chicago

Visualization: Brad Gallagher, University of Chicago

Research supported by:
DOE/NNSA ASC Alliance Flash Center, DOE/Office of Science INCITE Program\\

#astronomy   #simulation   #supernova  

2013-02-22 02:59:38 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 11 +1s)

Dot Harris, the Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the Department of Energy, opens Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day by telling 88 eighth graders they are the leaders of tomorrow.  Feb 21, every year.  Introduce your daughter or mentor a young woman!  Get involved you science peeps!

#stem   #stemwomen   #stemeducation   #women   #science   #I 'm done tagging

2013-02-21 03:08:42 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Science on Google+ is a community moderated by scientists, for all people interested in science, both professionals and the general public. The primary goal of this community is to bring real scientists to the public, for science outreach. A secondary and long-term goal is to create an environment that fosters interdisciplinary collaborations; thus, enabling and promoting cloud collaboration between scientists.

2013-02-17 23:58:58 (17 comments, 1 reshares, 7 +1s)

Really? This is a bit embarrassing.

Just keep in mind it is the Borowitz report!

#satire #borowitz

2013-02-17 01:06:33 (5 comments, 6 reshares, 23 +1s)

Resistance is futile!

2013-02-15 16:09:04 (2 comments, 9 reshares, 17 +1s)

Finally some really good news on some work I was involved in.

#scienceeveryday  when it's not #sciencesunday  

2013-02-15 01:42:54 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

If you were to give a Valentine's wish to a famous scientist or Nobel Laureate who would it be and why?

2013-02-14 15:02:50 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  Here is a little nanotechnology for you science geeks.  "Nano Cupid"

#scienceeveryday  when it's not #sciencesunday  

2013-02-14 13:46:34 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 6 +1s)

This is a nice collection of recent science news. I could definitely use a Quantum Stealth Invisibility Cloak!

h/t to +Frank Kanayet on fb

2013-02-12 20:07:55 (3 comments, 4 reshares, 20 +1s)

Spider Skin Image Captures Grand Prize in 2012 image contest.  Congratulations to Maria Carbajo 

#scienceeveryday  when it's not #sciencesunday  

2013-02-12 03:04:40 (3 comments, 4 reshares, 6 +1s)

Dear university Computer Science professors who teach C++: If you don't teach your students C++11 (i.e. if you only teach C++98), you're hurting their chances in interviews that involve coding. (e.g. when I interview candidates for positions at Google, I ask coding questions.)

We often talk about the Python bonus in interview coding: candidates who pick Python tend to get through more problems, just because Python is so much more concise than either C++98 or Java. C++11 adds several features that bring it much closer to Python's coding efficiency, and it comes with much less risk of hitting an interviewer who will be concerned about Python's runtime inefficiency or dynamic typing.

Please reshare to any CS professors you know.

2013-02-10 23:04:15 (7 comments, 3 reshares, 7 +1s)

An excellent Physics reference card not only for students.
Courtesy of Ryan Eagan

#sciencesunday #physics

2013-02-08 02:19:30 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 10 +1s)

In 1 kilogram of soil there are more microbes than stars in our galaxy. That's 10^13 microbes compared to 10^11 stars in the Milky Way! Fifty percent of life on Earth is "invisible" yet responsible for making it habitable by humans. Rick Stevens discusses an effort to reconstruct each organism's genome to understand its complex lifestyle.

#scienceeveryday  when it's not #sciencesunday  

2013-02-07 01:46:53 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

I need some help finding this awesome book 'Chaos: Making a New Science' by James Gleick in either Polish or Russian.  I've spent the last hour or so trying to hunt it down on Google to no avail.  Anyone know if it has been translated?  Audio format is good as well.  Any help is appreciated!

#Chaos   #Jamesglieck  

2013-02-06 20:19:58 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 7 +1s)

Time to break out my robot and track down those sex pheromones! 

#scienceeveryday  when it's not #sciencesunday  

2013-02-06 03:28:15 (4 comments, 3 reshares, 9 +1s)

Close Encounters

A 50 meter rock is heading straight for us. On February 15, it will miss us by a hair's breadth in cosmic terms, coming within 3 Earth radii.  At its nearest approach it will be closer to the Earth than a geosynchronous satellite.  It will pass through the spot Earth was just 20 minutes earlier.  While that sounds like a dangerous close call, it poses no risk to us.  While this particular rock will get fairly close, it will still miss us entirely.  

Close approach asteroids such as this one are not uncommon.  Most of them don't get closer than the moon, but when one does it generally makes the rounds in the news.  So far none of them have had any chance of hitting Earth.  That doesn't mean the chance is always zero.  Asteroids have struck Earth throughout its geologic history, and some (such as the 10km one that struck 66 million years ago)even cau... more »

2013-02-05 15:57:49 (4 comments, 27 reshares, 63 +1s)

Astronomy Video Of The Day: You won't regret watching this one.

It's not easy to come up with something new when you visit the same place every year for more than a decade. Over the years Marsel has created the most extensive and most popular night photography portfolio of Namibia on this planet, and two years ago he decided it was time to take it to the next level.
The idea was to create a night photography timelapse video featuring his most popular subjects in this amazing country: the fairytale-like quivertrees and the eery, dead camelthorn trees in Deadvlei - something that had never been done before. But instead of going for static scenes, Marsel decided to add movement to the scenes by using a dolly system.
All scenes were shot during the night with Nikon D3, D3s and D4 cameras. We used small headlights for selectively lighting trees and rocks, and we sometimes used the... more »

2013-02-04 20:33:28 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 7 +1s)

Inspired by the popular Acoustic Levitation video, 18-year-old Kris Bonner put a new twist on Caprese salad. Bon appetit!

The original video can be seen here:
http://youtu.be/669AcEBpdsY
#scienceeveryday  when it's not #sciencesunday