Sky watchers on the US west coast all the way over to east Asia are in for a rare treat in the early morning hours this Saturday, December 10th. A total lunar eclipse will grace the sky and is anticipated to be one of the brightest, deepest red moons in years. According to NASA, “The action begins around 4:45 am Pacific Standard Time when the red shadow of Earth first falls across the lunar disk.  By 6:05 am Pacific Time, the Moon will be fully engulfed in red light. This event—the last total lunar eclipse until 2014—is visible from the Pacific side of North America, across the entire Pacific Ocean…

The Superconductivity Group School of Physics and Astronomy at Tel-Aviv University put together something that is cool to watch and begs the question of practical use in the real world. Static and dynamic levitation and motion – does science get any cooler? This demonstrates the quantum physical effect of superconductivity and the Meissner Effect as well as magnetic flux pinning. …

Teachers have had had challenges since the dawn of schooling to make children learn things that may not interest them. Science, particularly the tougher disciplines such as quantum physics, is an acquired taste. For many, it is flying over their heads and they don’t mind as long as they can make the grade. One tool that teachers have often used is presentation in different mediums. How do you make something more interesting? Give it visuals. Give it sounds. Make it appealing beyond the equations. What Symphony of Science did with their most recent video may not be the answer, but it’s still pretty…

It wasn’t the airlines or the government that come up with a scientific, algorithmically-based method for speeding up the boarding of a plane. It was an astrophysicist named Jason Steffen who came up with the “Steffen Method” with uses the Monte Carlo optimization method  of calculating to bring us the technique. A few years ago, Steffen was boarding a plane and witnessed the slow methods airlines were using to get people on board. He came up with the Steffen Method which alternates rows, starts with window seats first, and keeps progress moving in the right direction when everyone boards in…

When it comes to renewable energy, solar is often considered the easiest to acquire. The sun is a source of so much energy and the potential to collect it is almost limitless. There are both financial and logistical challenges surrounding solar, but in tough economic times any industry that has been proven to create jobs should be incentivized over others. Yet, 37 states do not offer incentives to bring in solar jobs. This infographic breaks down the statistics about the states the do and do not have incentives, the states that are most “ripe” for a solar job boom, and ways that people can act. Click…

When Astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson was on Bill Maher last week, he laid into the plans to slash NASA’s budget. When the topic of the James Webb Space Telescope came up, he broke in and said, “Don’t get me started.” Maher had him. “No, I want to get you started…” What followed was intelligent, eloquent, passionate, and truthful – all of the qualities of a rant worth watching. We posted the video he had produced about it last month, but this one is even better because it came off the cuff, from the heart. Today, he continued the attacks with a little humor in the tweet above. Go ahead, click through and…

Michael Crichton and Steven Speilberg were onto something with Jurassic Park. Unfortunately, it wasn’t real science. This is. Paleontologist Jack Horner and his team are attempting to reconstruct and grow dinosaurs by genetically engineering chickens. Yes, chickens. As one of the most common living descendants of the dinosaurs, they may be able to be manipulated by activating ancestral traits that are remnants from their roots. Using soft tissue, they’ve been able to find just about everything they need other than DNA itself. Crichton’s dream may be impossible, but this technique may…

Energy is in high demand and the there are problems with every method of acquiring it. Most believe that oil is not the answer. Coal poses environmental problems. Nuclear has demonstrated potential for danger. Clean energy such as hydro, wind, and solar pose cost concerns. Many have pointed to natural gas as the middle ground, the compromise between clean and “dirty” energy sources that may be the direction to take. Is it safe enough? This graphic by our friends at 1bog asks the question and attempts to answer it. Note: 1bog clearly supports solar as the solution, so their views are biased, but the…

It goes beyond culture. There is science behind the gender-relationships when it comes to colors. A study by John Hallock compares the color preferences among various demographics and takes into account information collected from 22 countries. Our friends at KissMetrics put together this informative infographic that tears down the gender barriers to reveal what really goes on in visualizations. Click any portion to enlarge. Colors by Gender The Color Purple – The most notable gender difference can be seen in the color purple. The study reported that 23% of female participants chose purple…

One of the most profound medical technologies that has emerged in recent decades is the ability to surgically improve eyesight. LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) is a breakthrough that was beyond imagination before it actually existed. The altering of the shape of the cornea using lasers has transformed the way we perceive vision. It’s relatively commonplace in today’s society, but a question that few ask and even fewer know how to answer is, “How does LASIK work?” This graphic by our friends at DocShop shows clearly how the procedure works in a simple step-by-step process. Click…