When I wish I was a scientist

[Xepher]

There are times when I really wish I'd stuck with the engineering and science education I started with...

This presentation http://www.sunclipse.org/?p=68 is one of those times.

[Xepher]

Computer science would've been cool too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-DqZ8jAmv0

The future is gonna be SO awesome, and we're all going to take it for granted. Years from now, when your car nav system does this for any place you're driving to, just remember how cool it was when you first saw this, or when you first used http://maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/

[Xepher]

Ah... the joys of research.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBGlm0Sye8Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Erg07VDtTYk

[cha0s]

lol, nice. That photosynth one was amazing.

[Xepher]

Wow... this one is really impressive.

http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2008/01/theo_jansen_the_art_of_creatin.php

You have to watch at least 3 minutes in before you can judge... this guy is both a genius and a nutjob. He's building "beasts" that he treats as alive the whole time, but they're plastic tubes and drink bottles. He also talks about how they're built using "the eleven holy numbers" and other weirdness. Then it gets awesome, because they move under their own power (gathered from wind) and walk around on a beach... but he's got sensors, so they don't step into the surf and "drown"... but even better, he's built a basic pnumatic computer out of plastic bottles! Literally a switched step counter so the thing "knows" where it is on the beach, and where the ocean last was. Amazing stuff!

[Databits]

That's just plain wacky. It's cool and all, but wacky.

[Xepher]

...this isn't the first thing that comes to mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-JHmOYnnFU

But it's insanely awesome anyway. It's things like this that make me so glad I live in the time I do. At no prior point in all of history would simple-yet-beautiful things like this have been possible. That I can be sitting here, at 3am in Texas, and watching music and scenery from a couple guys in Antarctica is one of those ways technology has become so incredibly powerful while we hardly even noticed. Then things like this happen, and you realize that for all the logic, reason, and science behind it, it's still magic. We live in an age of wonders never dreamed of by our ancestors, and we don't even realize how amazing it is. "Any sufficiently advanced technology..." as the saying goes. But we've done it now, we're advanced enough. We are all wizards and don't even know it. :-)

[cha0s]

I agree totally, and it's things like this that cement my belief that technology is good, even in the face of all the evil that is done with it in the world. It's just a tool and using it for good is a beautiful thing.

[griever]

Technology is what enables me to work in a foreign country and keep my relationship intact.  I have it so much easier than my mom and dad did.  I also think technology is good, except when it distracts me from what needs to be done.  But that's my fault.

[Xepher]

Oh Em Eff Gee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaGgpGLxLQw

Also: Grape Plasma http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCNNqgKqnaQ

Also Also: NSWF, and not really science related... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN2VqFPNS8w

[Lifew/outlife]

The grape one was kinda cool, and makes me want to try it, but I dont want to ruin my microwave. The NSFW one was really funny, and looking at some of the comments made me laugh.

Here's two "Scientifically inclined" vids I found.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfPJeDssBOM&feature=related Onions are powerful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eT-buIKUpY&feature=related Hehehe, the best part of science FIRE! (Ok, explosions are funner to watch in a non destructive way. Like fireworks)

[Xepher]

Those are pretty good. I'm surprised you can directly plug the USB into the onion. I imagine it only works because the charger cord isn't really USB, it just uses the +V and ground wires, else it would short out the signal.


Also, try this one on for size. Don't read the comments until you see it, they may have spoilers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4

[Lifew/outlife]

*REDACTED BY ADMIN*

Here's another one of those odd ball vids. How to Power a TV using a AAA Battery. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rA-zhTJuFU

Sad thing is, I've done this in Woods Class. Dont ask.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgsW0uy4Y7E

[Xepher]

Okay, I should've said this before hand, but you shouldn't give away the answer HERE either! I edited the above reply to remove the spoiler.

Liefw/outlife: Yes, I know you didn't intentionally give anything away, but you did. Don't worry, not angry, just don't mention it again. :-)

[Lifew/outlife]

Hehehe, sorry about that.