Aurora North

Posted Sat, 01/02/2010 - 16:07 by Nick Winterhalter

 

 

Interactive Visual Illusions

Posted Sat, 10/03/2009 - 22:18 by Nick Winterhalter

Michael Bach's "Optical Illusions and Visual Phenomena" is, by far, the best example of a scientific and educational website on optical illusions I've found. Discrete controls allow manipulation of the illusions to find the point at which they manifest. Each entry is accompanied by the latest research in visual cognition. Wonderful.

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Open Rotor: Jet Engine with a Mohawk

Posted Thu, 07/09/2009 - 18:54 by Nick Winterhalter

Ultra-High Bypass (UHB) or "propfan" jet engines received attention in the late 1980s as an economical and greener alternative to current GTF and ATF jet technologies. Development was partially prevented by concerns about cabin noise and R&D costs as well as by industry fears that the external propellers would being seen by some as a step backwards. Evidently, General Electric and NASA are reinvesting in the technology.

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GE36 Demonstration Engine from InventorSpot article

The design is ultimately a hybrid between a Turbofan and Turboprop, which was aptly named a Propfan or Unducted Fan. The process begins by using a turbofan engine with the fans relocated to the outside of the engine housing. As the exhaust from the turbofan engine is forced out, they pass over a turbine which is connected to a prop on the exterior, while the other prop is driven by the turbofan.

Zoë Keating performing "Escape Artist"

Posted Fri, 05/01/2009 - 17:25 by Nick Winterhalter


Quantum cellist Zoë Keating uses live recording and looping to create multi-track performances in real-time. Her performance with Charles Rus at the Old First church last week was fantastic. The duets were beautiful but were, unfortunately, overwhelmed by the pipe organ. That said, their improvised encore was balanced, avant-garde and amazing. I'm still trying to figure out how they did it.

Time Lapse of Earth from the ISS

Posted Fri, 04/10/2009 - 14:18 by Nick Winterhalter

Astronaut Don Pettit created this incredible time lapse video during his off hours aboard the International Space Station. It conveys a unique sense of scale that I haven't seen elsewhere. The shots of the aurora, the lighted continents at night and the ISS's solar panels from an open airlock are particularly striking.

Via NPR's Science Friday