Music Painting

This very creative video was made to support the initiative to stop global warming. As the artist draws the notes on the music sheet they come to life and you can hear the pleasant music. The second theme that goes on behind the musical notes is the interplay between the nature and our human involvement on this planet (i.e. buildings, cars, cranes). Enjoy the beautiful art, calming music and an important message at the end of the video.

via: YouTube

The 18 Rules For Living from Dalai Lama

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs:

•      Respect for self
•      Respect for others
•      Responsibility for all your actions

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

via: EveryDayMinimalist

Recent mass UFO / Alien sightings around the world

Do you believe in aliens or other extraterrestrial life forms? Well whether you do or don't, here is a collection of recent strange sightings from around the world. Makes you think, doesn't it, maybe we're not alone after all.

via: YouTube

Fourth Spatial Dimension 101

Have you ever wondered as to what forth dimension might look like? Or maybe you've had a hard time visualizing it in your mind. Well worry not, here is the 4th Dimension 101 video. This video will hopefully make you think about 3-D differently, and also give a you perspective as to what 4-D beings can see. If you are interested in a more in depth dissemination of the 4th Dimension I highly recommend visiting Tesseroid's Blog, the creator of this video.

via: YouTube & Tesseroid's Blog

Ninja Cats with amazing reflexes

Here are two video examples of how awesome cat reflexes are. These cats are pretty fast if you ask me. I really liked the ninja-cat in the first video!

via: YouTube

E8, The Theory of Everything

   

   Mathematicians have mapped the inner workings of one of the most complicated structures ever studied: the object known as the exceptional Lie group E₈. This achievement is significant both as an advance in basic knowledge and because of the many connections between E8 and other areas, including string theory and geometry. The magnitude of the calculation is staggering: the answer, if written out in tiny print, would cover an area the size of Manhattan. Mathematicians are known for their solitary work style, but the assault on E8 is part of a large project bringing together 18 mathematicians from the U.S. and Europe for an intensive four-year collaboration. 

"It's a mathematical entity that we know exists, but we had to explore its inner structure," says Hermann Nicolai, a mathematical physicist at the Albert Einstein Institute in Potsdam, Germany, who was not involved in the work. "It's a bit like making a plan of a complicated building, or exploring an ancient pyramid to see how it was built."

   Mathematicians take these descriptions to wild extremes by imagining the 3D objects in myriad dimensions. The group E8 encapsulates the symmetries of a geometric object like a sphere, cylinder or cone, but in 57 dimensions. E8 itself has 248 dimensions. Check out the visual representation E8 in a video after the break.

Grant Wallace Artwork

Man as Ego: his 6 Bodies

Grant Wallace was born on February 10, 1867, in Hopkins, Missouri, the son of a judge. His education included a B.S. from Western College in Shenandoah, Iowa, in 1889, and art classes from the Art Students League of New York.

He worked as an artist and reporter for the San Francisco Examiner, an editorial and feature writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, and a war correspondent for the Evening Bulletin in Japan and China. He wrote short stories and screen plays, including for two black and white silent movies: the story for A Blowout at Santa Banana (1914), and the scenario for the movie The Fuel of Life (1917). He also lectured on the occult.

After World War I, Wallace built a small cabin in the forest near Carmel, California, which he used as a laboratory for experimenting with telepathy, which he sometimes referred to as "mental radio." He made hundreds of drawings, charts, diagrams, and writings, attempting to reveal the patterns of life, including reincarnation, communication with intelligent life on other planets, and with dead spirits. He wrote about messages from the dead, from ancient Greeks, ancient Egyptians,Vikings, and Atlanteans, to more recent dead, such as Thomas Jefferson and Charles Darwin, and transcribed messages from and drew pictures of extraterrestrial life, especially from the Pleiades star cluster.

He died August 12, 1954, in Berkeley, California. His works were recovered from his cabin after his death, and some of his art and diagrams were included in The End is Near!, Visions of Apocalypse, Millennium and Utopia.

via: WikiPedia

His artistic approach to unraveling the mysteries of the world is very science-based, as if his graphs and charts were done to represent some kind of scientific research. Many of his works integrate the universe, human body and other dimensional qualities of existence such as ego, id, et al. Wallace also made a lot of side citations and notes all over his work, hinting at a secretive formulas and ciphers. Very fascinating work, I can almost say that his artwork is a precursor to Paul Laffoley Artwork that I've posted some time ago. Check out more of this interesting artwork after the break.

Happy Caturday and Easter holiday!

Seeing as its Easter holiday this weekend I wanted to share some cheer around  and so I'm sharing some cute bunny wallpapers with you all. The download link is after the break. Enjoy!

The Science, Myths and Truths behind Hangovers

   Let's face it, we all had our big nights out and huge headaches caused by hangovers afterwards. In this post I will try to explain the main concept of a hangover and debunk some myths behind it.
   Hangover is the sum of unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages. The most commonly reported characteristics of a hangover include headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, lethargy, depressed mood, diarrhea and thirst, typically after the intoxicating effect of the alcohol begins to wear off. Alcohol, i.e. Ethanol, has a diuretic effect on our bodies causing increased urine production, which in turn may cause headaches, dry mouth, and lethargy.
   While a hangover can be experienced at any time, generally it is experienced in the morning after a night of heavy drinking. In addition to the physical symptoms, a hangover may also produce psychological signs including heightened feelings of depression, anxiety and other mood swings. Many people will also be repulsed by the thought, taste or smell of alcohol during a hangover. The symptoms vary from person to person, and occasion to occasion, usually beginning several hours after drinking. It is not clear whether hangovers directly affect cognitive abilities.

Check out some of the Myths and Facts about hangover, after the break,

Dentists ordered not to have sex with their spouse patients

   Today I came across a very strange law whereby in Ontario, Canada, dentists and other health professionals (chiropractors, physiotherapists et al.) cannot have sex with their spouses if they treat them as patients. This means that the health practitioner can be found guilty of sexual abuse and have their license revoked for a period of time as a disciplinary measure. One of the accused dentists had this to say about this contentious rule: "If I treat my wife, it means I am sexually abusing her. It means I would be an outlaw."
   According to Ontario's Regulated Health Professions Act, health professionals can not have sex with their patients. There have been numerous cases whereby said practitioners were found guilty of professional misconduct for sexual abuse and lost their licenses.
   In my opinion this is just a law loophole that does not account for the spouse-patient relationship (to have sex with your spouse/patient) and so is automatically treated as a criminal act.

via: MetroNews

Cesium, an awesome element

Cesium is not only a cool looking silvery-gold alkali metal element that is liquid at room temperature, but it is also used in atomic clocks. These clocks measure frequency with an accuracy of 2 nanoseconds per day, or one second in 1.4 million years, which means they would be off by about 2 seconds since the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Pretty cool application of an extremely pyrophoric element if you ask me. Check out the video of a volatile reaction between water and Cesium below.

via: PeriodicVideos' YouTube

Penis Pickup Lines

These guys are hilarious! Lame one-liner pickup lines will never bee the same after this. Love how they still get the numbers after saying stuff like, "schlong walk" or "wanna see my cock?".

Asian Penis Pickup Lines

via: YouTube

Movie Barcodes

TRON (1982)

This is a really interesting idea of representing movies in a totally different way! MovieBarcode is a tumbler page who's creators have reduced motion picture movies to a simple color graphs. That is, the frames from each given movie have been compressed into one large picture, sort of like a bar-code. Every movie has a certain hue, tone, color and depth to it and this project tries to organize this information into one graphical interface.
Check out few more of my favorite movie barcodes after the break:

Adidas + Justice = Epicness

I'm a big fan of Justice, and recently found their new single in an Adidas commercial. Enjoy the epic video below

via: YouTube

Changes to Ontario Marijuana Laws

In a decision that could have a wide impact on marijuana laws, Ontario Superior Court Justice Donald J. Taliano has overturned Canada’s laws prohibiting the possession and production of marijuana, but the federal government has 90 days to respond before the ruling becomes binding.

Mernagh was charged by Niagara Regional Police in 2008 when police seized 70 marijuana plants in his apartment in St. Catharines.
The court heard that since other drug prescriptions weren’t working, Mr. Mernagh grew his own marijuana for medicinal purposes. The only way Mr. Mernagh could legally grow marijuana was if he had a signed doctor’s declaration, something he was unable to do. He was technically growing and cultivating marijuana illegally under the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) and that is what landed him in court.
Mernagh‘s legal defence called MMAR “unconstitutional,” saying the “prosecution violates his rights of liberty and security of the person under section 7 of the Charter of Rights.”
Judge Taliano disagreed with Crown’s assertion and ruled the following:

“The deleterious effects of the MMAR on Mr. Mernagh and other similarly situated individuals are clear. Seriously ill persons who need marihuana to treat their symptoms are forced to choose between their health and their liberty. If they choose their health, they must go to significant lengths to obtain the marihuana they need, including lengthy trips to purchase the drug, resort to the black market, and living with the constant stress that at any time they could be subject to criminal prosecution. These already sick individuals must further cope with the added stress of the stigma and social rejection of friends, family and members of the public who see them as criminals. This is not to mention the real fear of losing one's doctor simply by inquiring about the drug and damage to the patient-doctor relationship."

Although the judge over turned the marijuana laws, the federal government has 90 days to respond before the ruling becomes binding and marijuana production and possession becomes legal in Ontario. In the meantime, Mr. Mernagh has a personal exemption to possess and grow marijuana.

via: GlobalNews

Teleporting Particles of Light

Complicated setup used in this teleportation experiment

   We are slowly but steadily approaching the futuristic idea of teleportation that has been depicted in countless movies and shows throughout the past century. This teleportation experiment involved the photon - a subatomic particle of light.This teleported light wasn't just any light - it was in a special quantum state called a Schrödinger's-cat state.
   Schrödinger's cat is a thought experiment invented by Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935 to describe the quantum mechanics: that some properties of particles are not decided until an outsider forces them to choose by measuring them. In that same aspect, the said cat is said to be both dead AND alive at the same time, but the truth is only revealed when someone opens the box and finds out for themselves.
   In a real-life use of Schrödinger's theoretical paradoxical cat, researchers report that they were able to quickly transfer a complex set of quantum information while preserving its integrity. The information, in the form of light, was manipulated in such a way that it existed in two states at the same time, and it was destroyed in one spot and recreated in another. The new breakthrough is a major step toward building safe, effective quantum computers and other such technology.
   The original article - Teleportation of Nonclassical Wave Packets of Light was published in the April edition of Science Magazine.

via: PopSci

Internetic

Here is a sweet homage video to Daft Punk's "Technologic" - the "Internetic". This is a nice reboot of the original focusing on the new internet age of terms and ideas. Very cool idea.

Dog Hump Fail

So what's a good way to start off your Caturday? Oh why not a dog fail of the day. The dog in the following video fails big time while trying to mate with his female counterpart, lols are surely ensued. Check out those air pumps in the video below.

via: YouTube

The Secret Life of Chaos [Documentary]

An educational documentary film from 2010 about the Chaos in our everyday lives and how it impacts us.

The idea of chaos itself is very troubling for us as human beings, and this film will try to clarify a few things about it.

Grape + Microwave = Plasma

I'm finally back! I've finished my exams recently and I'm getting back to posting some cool material, and what can be cooler than making plasma at home from something so simple as grapes. 

Simple Explanation: Electrical discharges between the two halves of the grape vaporize the sugars and other ions in the grape causing them to combust. The continued electrical arching between the two halves of the grape may cause the combustion products to get hot enough to form plasma.

Complex Explanation: MadSci Physics Thread

Finals Week

My apologies for not posting any material recently. I have few important exams (Regional Anatomy 2 & Athletic Injuries: Core) coming up in the next few days, so I will get back to my regular posting mode after April 15th.

Good Luck to any other College students out there with their finals, and as the picture states - 

Study Hard, But Not Too Hard

Multitouch Microscope

Researchers at Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland in collaboration with FinnishMultitouch Ltd. combined the capabilities of a touch screen with a networked digital microscopy system. Pathologists and research scientists should be able to use the technology essentially like a giant, intuitive microscope, without having to squint through the eyepiece.

Below is a quick demo of the device:

via: Youtube

Wolfram|Alpha - Computational Knowledge Engine

Wolfram|Alpha aims to bring expert-level knowledge and capabilities to the broadest possible range of people - spanning all professions and education levels.

Their service has helped me a lot throughout my time at the university. You can use it at Work, Home, School and Play. One of the best examples for leisure time uses of this website is plot cool images with equations.

Enter this Formula:
PolarPlot[(1 + 0.9 Cos[8 t]) (1 + 0.1 Cos[24 t]) (0.9 + 0.05 Cos[200 t]) (1 + Sin[t]), {t, -Pi, Pi}]
into Wolfram|Alpha and find out for yourselves.

MLIA - My Life Is Average

One of the most entertaining website about the average lives of other people, it contains the three things that are required to make someone's day.

1. Irony. 

2. Randomness 

3. True Life events.

Here are some examples from the website:

• Today, I found out my great grandpa worked on the Titanic and was granted free passage on the boat to America. On the way to the boat he hit a cow, while riding a bike, and missed the boat. Yes, my entire family's life was saved by a cow. MLIA  

Interactive display window.

Here is something new from the advertisement world - an interactive video montage in a store display window. The video reacts according to the movement of the by-passers; it is basically a virtual "street-wear" model.

And no, this is not an April fools joke, welcome to the 21st century folks.

via: Marcus Wallander on Vimeo.